The one thing I wished I had leaned into more as a new mother was affirmations. Affirmations provide emotional support by affirming that a statement is true. Affirmations can be so powerful. Words ARE powerful. I just did not know the power of affirmations when I first became a mother. Looking back, I was in survival mode and not ready to hear the message, which makes a lot of sense now. But I can’t help but wonder if they were implemented back then if they would have made a significant difference in my experience.
When my healing journey began about 2 years ago, I was open to giving these affirmations a shot. A dear friend of mine who is a Spiritual Intuitive helped me come up with sentences that truly felt believable. For example, “Today I choose to love myself a little more.” Versus, “I love myself.” I could feel the difference between the two in my body. I was committed to making them a part of my daily routine. When I woke up, I would lie in bed and repeat them to myself a few times until I felt complete. If that didn’t happen and I was woken up by one of my kids instead, I would say them in the car after school drop-off or while brushing my teeth.
Thinking back to the newborn phase, maybe I could have repeated these to myself while breastfeeding or rocking the baby to sleep. A little lullaby of affirmations instead of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” may have gone a long way. I am saying this with zero shame or regret. Simply just witnessing what could have been and in hopes of sharing this with you, may change your path for the better.
How to write your own
Affirmations are very personal and can change from season to season of your life. It took me a while to realize how important it was to come up with my own versus Googling or listening to a meditation. But if you have to do that to just get yourself started, go for it. You gotta start somewhere! Otherwise, if you have the time, I encourage you to schedule some alone time and come up with your own affirmations for motherhood. This is the ultimate self-care! Here are some tips:
- Make it personal – What are you needing the most right now? What do you want in your immediate future?
2. Use the present tense.
3. Center on yourself – use “I” statements.
4. Use words like “choose” or “willing” instead of “I am”
5. Repeat it out loud multiple times, write it multiple times, and feel the sensations in your body.
Once you have 2-3 that work for you, stick with that until you feel ready to switch it up because you will grow out of them if you are consistently practicing. Write them on Post-it notes and put them on your mirrors, in the car, by the sink, etc. You could also create a background for your phone with these affirmations.
My top 3 affirmations
Now is the time to give yourself a gift – the gift of positive affirmations. I will leave you with my current top 3:
- I am willing to get quiet and tune into my body’s needs today.
2. I am willing to trust the decisions that I make today and know they are best for me and my family.
3. I choose to believe that I am enough, just as I am, a little more today.
When you have come up with one (or more) that you love, I’d love you to share it with us.
