Many people on social media have been sharing their use of affirmations in morning routines, daily life, classrooms, workplaces, and more. Affirmations are short phrases using present tense language that affirm positive outlooks or outcomes. But the question is, do they really help? Can you use them to improve your mental health and become more confident? Do they work hand in hand with therapy? In this blog, we will look at what affirmations are, some examples, and the science behind utilizing affirmations. 

What Are Affirmations?

Often referred to as positive affirmations, the phrases are used to help curb negative patterns, motivate action, limit anxiety or fear, encourage perseverance, or increase confidence. Multiple affirmation apps, card sets, and faith-based affirmations exist on the internet today. Affirmations can also be written or changed by the person utilizing them to make them fit their specific needs.

Utilizing affirmations helps us to have a positive image of ourselves and change the way we view situations. They take negative situations or self-talk and spin it to be more positive. Some examples of affirmations can include:

• “I can learn from my mistakes.”
• “I am confident.”
• “I wake up motivated.”
• “Each and every day, I am getting closer to achieving my goals.”
• “I am excited to enter a new and amazing phase in my life.”
• “I know difficult situations are only temporary.”
• “My past might be ugly, but I am still beautiful.”

Affirmations utilize present tense because you are working with a concept called neuroplasticity. You are working to make your brain believe that the goal is already being achieved as you are working to achieve it. Instead of just hoping for good things to happen, affirmations help you to see that they already are. 

Self-Affirmation Theory

Claude Steele popularized self-affirmation theory in the 1980s. This theory states that we are able to maintain self-integrity and are able to hold strong to our core values and beliefs. Self-affirmation helps to establish your identity and keep it intact when life changes or threats plague your life. 

As we define ourselves, we are able to see different perspectives of success, happiness, and confidence. Each individual will have different goals and aspirations, so self-affirmation theory will help you make choices that align with your values and beliefs. This also helps us to earn praise and acknowledgment, which is often needed for us to feel like our presence matters. 

Avoid Broad Affirmations

Just like setting goals, making too broad of a statement will not be as effective as a more specific statement. Affirmations are similar and should not be looked at as too broad, or too specific (i.e. striving for perfection). Utilizing affirmations such as “I really like myself” can set you up to judge yourself and may not align with what you truly believe about yourself. 

Affirmations are most helpful in specific situations that help you reframe your negative thoughts. The whole goal is to eventually make you believe the affirmations you are saying. Increasing your confidence will help you to push yourself to do bigger tasks, thus helping you grow as a person. If your affirmations are not specific enough and are not utilized consistently enough their effectiveness decreases. 

Increase Self Confidence

For those with anxiety, fear around public speaking, traumatic pasts, or other debilitating mental illness, utilizing affirmations can help you see that these hard situations can be overcome. For example, if you utilize affirmations to overcome fear about presenting to a team, or driving from one city to another, you now have the confidence and skills to overcome a bigger challenge. Affirmations can help you reframe negative thoughts which can eliminate the fear surrounding specific situations. 

Reduce Negative Stress

Affirmations are also commonly used during meditation or mindfulness practices. Utilizing phrases like “I am financially successful,” “I accept and thrive in the season I am in,” “I feel confident in changing careers,” “My anxiety does not control me,” etc. can help you refocus your thoughts and limit stress. The more personal your affirmations are, the better they will work to help you approach situations with a calm demeanor. 

Consistent and focused affirmations can limit worry and stress. While some meditation and affirmations can help, if you are having persistent anxiety, fear, or self-doubt, it is best to seek professional help. Performing better in a stressful world can be accomplished by utilizing multiple mental health resources. 

How To Make Affirmations Work For You

If you want specific affirmations to work in your best interest, follow these guidelines. 

• Decide on a purpose: Ask yourself what you want to accomplish. Do you want reassurance or to gain more confidence? Are you working towards a goal and want to take extra steps to reach it? Do you need reassurance between therapy visits? Doing this step first will make utilizing affirmations more effective. 
• Keep it short: Affirmations are often best when repeated or combined together. Keep the phrases short and quick so that you can say them multiple times or think about them quickly in a stressful situation.
• Be authentic: Choosing something that is true for you. If you don’t even slightly believe what the affirmations say, they won’t work.
• Write them down: Studies have shown that writing goals and thoughts down helps our brain to better navigate them. Writing down your affirmations will help you remember them and repeat them, but also help you see how your values change after your self-confidence has grown.
• Make it a daily habit: Making something a habit makes it much easier to implement in every daily task. Forming good habits help you become more successful in life. 

Utilizing affirmations as part of your mental health practices can give you better skills to handle hard situations. Ogden Psychological Services encourages forming better habits, utilizing positive affirmations, and seeking therapy when needed.

As mental health becomes less stigmatized, more information comes to light about how mental illness affects different people. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a subcategory of depression that occurs most often in the winter months. SAD can also occur in the transition to the winter season as well. 

Ogden Psychological Services wants to help improve the mental health of Utah residents by helping them understand symptoms, learn about different diagnoses, and learn how to cope with mental illness. Seasonal Affective Disorder can be debilitating, but there are some ways to cope with these depressive hormones. 

What Is SAD?

Seasonal Affective Disorder also known as SAD, is caused by changes in hormones during colder, darker, and shorter days. This can affect our mood, activity, energy, and anxiety. Those who experience SAD often feel symptoms the most when the days get shorter and they receive less Vitamin D. 

Women are more likely to experience seasonal depression, especially if they are between the ages of 18 to 30. Those with a family history of depression or seasonal depression are also more prone to experience it themselves. 

Symptoms of SAD

Each person with Seasonal Affective Disorder can experience different symptoms at different lengths. Depression episodes can last for varying amounts of time and can change depending on the year and other factors. 

Some common symptoms of SAD are: 

• Feeling lethargic
• Sleeping more
• Loss of interest in activities
• Feeling guilty
• More prone to colds
• Excessive agitation
• Decreased sex drive
• Trouble thinking clearly
• Weight gain

Ways To Cope With Seasonal Affective Disorder

Try Light Therapy 

A major cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder is the lack of light and Vitamin D. Light therapy can help get you the vitamins you need without the need for the sun. Phototherapy or light therapy can be done by sitting by a light box for around 30 minutes a day or adding different wavelength light bulbs to your home. Before you start light therapy, talk to your doctor or therapist about what box is right for you. 

Prioritize Physical Activity

One of the best ways to make your physical and mental health better is to get enough exercise. Physical activity can help give you more energy and release endorphins that can help improve your mood. Regular and consistent exercise will help you feel more productive. 

Connect With Family Or Friends

Another great way to improve your mental state is to find support. Going out and being social will feel really difficult for those with depression but it can help boost your mood and limit intrusive thoughts. 

Confiding in someone of talking about your emotions can also help let out damaging emotions. While your friends are not a therapist, they can help you feel more seen and understood. 

Spend Time Outside When Possible

Living in colder climates can make it difficult to get time outside during the winter, but finding sunny days or taking a vacation can help improve your Seasonal Affective Disorder. Outdoor activities can also give you more enjoyment in life and combine physical exercise altogether. Find a sport, activity, or another hobby that can make you feel like life is worth living. This may take some research and problem-solving, but it will help improve your depressive feelings. 

Eat More Vitamins And Minerals

Getting vitamins and minerals is important to keep your body healthy. Eating healthy can give you the nutrients that your body needs to function. Eating a balanced diet may not immediately come to mind when it comes to ways to improve your mental health, but each element of our bodies works together. Cooking healthy food, preparing food for your family, or just eating new foods can improve your mood. Healthy food can help in multiple areas of your Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

Seek Therapy With Ogden Psychological Services

Ogden Psychological Services wants to help you safely navigate mental health issues with therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Our counselors and therapists work with a variety of people with a variety of issues and help them to develop better coping skills. 

We strive to put you at ease while in our office and help keep you secure. Working with our team gives you coping skills and the hard choices of therapy, without causing you harm. Contact us to see what therapy could work for you.

Feeling burnt out or depressed can often come from being overworked and lacking self-care. If you want to avoid burnout before it takes over your life, here are some tips to improve aspects of your life at both your workplace and outside of it. Burnout often happens when we feel that our job is the only area where we can thrive. Taking charge of your mental and emotional health will help you avoid severe burnout.

1- Watch For The Oncoming Signs

There are some signs that often accompany burnout. Some of these signs are irritability, not having the motivation for hobbies, or isolating yourself from friends and family. If you start to notice the signs of burnout, take some small steps to start improving your work-life balance. Leave work a few minutes early to spend some time doing a hobby or take time to cook dinner. Try working with a therapist to help you understand your feelings and how you can cope with your workload better. 

2- Take The Vacation

While showing up to work is an admirable skill (especially if you want to get paid) taking your PTO and vacation days should be a priority. Many U.S. employees don’t use their PTO before the end of the year, even though it expires. Taking time off work to unwind and see new places is an easy way to avoid burnout. This can be a time for learning, a time for relaxing, or a time to catch up with family and friends. 

3- Make A Consistent Self-Care Routine

Self-care can be done in many different ways and doesn’t just have to be skincare or baths. Self-care practices can be giving back to the community, watching your favorite show, exercising, meditating, or wearing your favorite outfit. Taking the extra time for self-care is important to boosting your serotonin and avoiding burnout. 

Making a consistent self-care routine gives you something to look forward to each day after work or before work. Doing something that excites your mind or makes you feel good will do wonders for your physical and mental health. 

4- Avoid Overachievement

Each member of a team wants to feel like they are contributing to the success of the company but going above and beyond and overachieving constantly can lead to burnout. If you are staying late at work and pushing yourself too hard may feel fulfilling for a while, but after months of overworking, you will start to feel burnt out. 

5- Set Boundaries

Going along with overachieving, letting people at work take advantage of your time is a key element that leads to burnout. Setting boundaries in your working relationships is important for your mental health. Not working past your set working hours is a big boundary that gets crossed in corporate America. Setting boundaries about your time and abilities will save you from being overwhelmed. 

6- Stay Grateful And Excited About Your Job

If you are working a job that you are passionate about, try to focus on the aspects that bring your joy more than the negatives. Learn to think positively about the aspects of the job and not settle on the cons or parts that put a strain on you. Being thankful for the security it provides, the people you work with, and the opportunities it is giving you will help you look at your work with fresh eyes. 

7- Find Fulfilling Activities Outside Of Work

Stress can be limited by finding fun activities to do after your work day. Joining a workout group, or book club, or going out with friends will give you something to look forward to each day, and help you accomplish some goals that are not work-related. 

Activities outside of work will help you see that there is more outside of the office. Using this time to give back or better yourself is a great way to improve your outlook on life. Becoming a more well-rounded individual can help you accomplish more in your job and improve productivity. 

Burnout And Mental Health With Ogden Psychological Services

While there may be no specific treatment for burnout, seeking therapy can help improve multiple areas of your life. Keeping your mindset on the positive will help you accomplish more. Therapy with licensed therapists can be a useful tool for many life changes. Our team at Ogden Psychological Services works to help patients of all ages with mental and emotional health battles. Visit our office to learn more about how we operate and schedule an appointment.