Calming Your Mind: Best Affirmations For Anxiety & Stress

Anxiety often involves tension, worry, increased blood pressure, and other physical changes. However, anxiety usually differs from fear in that it's typically more future-oriented and can be a natural response that almost everyone experiences. Because anxiety can often have a future orientation, those experiencing it may focus on events that haven’t happened yet, or that may not happen at all. For those who experience frequent anxiety, affirmations may be one of many anxiety management techniques commonly recommended in therapy, and they can sometimes be the difference between feeling anxious and calm. Affirmations, mindfulness, and cognitive restructuring can be used to build emotional resilience and promote positive thinking. To connect with a therapist, you can seek out one in your local area or join an online therapy platform.

Understanding stress and anxiety

Anxiety can be a natural response to stress, often experienced as a feeling of apprehension regarding something to come. For many, it feels like an intense, persistent stress that comes up for everyday situations. Anxiety can also manifest as a pathological worry about certain subjects, especially for those experiencing an anxiety disorder. 

Some people experience anxiety before a test or public speaking event, while others may experience ongoing or chronic anxiety symptoms. For example, the persistent worry that your car will break down at any moment or that a slight change in your body signifies a health problem can be considered chronic symptoms of anxiety.

Common anxiety symptoms can include the following: 

• Elevated heart rate
• Rapid breathing
• Nausea 
• Sweating
• Fatigue

In addition, individuals who experience chronic anxiety may feel "like something bad is going to happen" without being able to name it. 

According to the American Psychological Association, approximately 4% of adults and 6% of teens may have anxiety disorders classified as severe.

Anxiety disorders typically include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and phobias. Each anxiety disorder may present a unique experience from person to person.

You might benefit from speaking with a mental health professional if you experience anxiety regularly or if your anxiety interferes with work, school, or relationships. A therapist can help you identify what type of anxiety you experience, acquire a greater sense of its potential causes, and teach you techniques to lessen the impact of anxiety on your life. Online therapy, which may be less anxiety-inducing, can be an effective treatment option that has helped many individuals. 

How can positive affirmations for anxiety help?

Affirmations, or self-affirmations, are typically positive statements, declarations, or phrases designed to provide a reminder or motivation targeting a specific topic. When you are experiencing disruptive thoughts, or feel that you’re losing control, you can use affirmations for anxiety to encourage positive self-talk and emotional stability. Positive affirmations may alleviate anxiety symptoms by pointing your negative thoughts in a positive direction. 

Affirmations for anxiety can offer encouragement, emotional support, or reminders about an action you'd like to take when encountering a specific situation or feeling. One study indicated that people who used positive affirmations for anxiety relief were 83% more likely to decrease anxiety symptoms independently than those who don't. 

Another study found that affirmations can increase activity in your brain’s reward system, including areas of the prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and ventral striatum. The results showed that the activity in these brain systems seemed to function as primary pathways associated with self-affirmation, the activation of which was generally associated with measured behavior change. 

Examples of positive affirmations for anxiety

Affirmations for anxiety are a practical way to bring your mind into the present moment, which can help reduce stress. Keep reading to explore some affirmations for feeling anxious. It’s okay if one affirmation doesn't click or match your core values – move on to the next one until you find an affirmation that does work for you. If none of these affirmations sound helpful, an online therapist might be able to help you create your own affirmations for anxiety. Therapists can help you identify what makes you feel calm, and online sessions typically allow you to do this from the comfort of your home. 

Many affirmations for anxiety, including some of the ones below, may be in the present tense. This can help you focus on manifesting the actions. In addition, the present tense may make it easier to believe the words you are saying. You can also choose to use affirmations that utilize the future tense, whichever works best for you. Overall, you usually want to establish chosen affirmations that feel natural for you. Personalizing affirmations for difficult situations can tackle self-doubt and can help you resist losing control of your emotions during negative experiences. 

“I am free of anything that weighs me down”

Although it may seem like the weight of the world is on your shoulders when you're feeling anxiety, the reality is usually less intense. This affirmation may help you look at things in a different light and shake off the sensation that anxiety is weighing you down. This may result in you experiencing a moment of joy instead. 

”With each breath that I take, I am releasing the anxiety I feel”

Deep breathing often helps us feel calmer during times of anxiety, and this affirmation might help you focus on that goal. You might repeat, "With each breath that I take," as you inhale, and "I am releasing the anxiety I feel" as you exhale. You can repeat affirmations for anxiety like this silently in your mind or out loud, whatever feels more comfortable for you. 

• “I am free of anything that weighs me down”

Although it may seem like the weight of the world is on your shoulders when you're feeling anxiety, the reality is usually less intense. This affirmation may help you look at things in a different light and shake off the sensation that anxiety is weighing you down. This may result in you experiencing a moment of joy instead. 

• ”With each breath that I take, I am releasing the anxiety I feel”

Deep breathing often helps us feel calmer during times of anxiety, and this affirmation might help you focus on that goal. You might repeat, "With each breath that I take," as you inhale, and "I am releasing the anxiety I feel" as you exhale. You can repeat affirmations for anxiety like this silently in your mind or out loud, whatever feels more comfortable for you. 

• ”I’m strong, and I can handle anything”

When you experience anxiety, you might feel incapable of getting through a situation. This affirmation for anxiety may lead you to reclaim your power and remind you of your inner strength. You might also look in the mirror and say something like, "I've got this, I'm strong, I can handle anything!" 

• ”I control my thoughts; they do not control me”

Anxiety can be a normal human emotion in stressful situations, but when you experience anxiety persistently, it might feel like your thoughts control you. It can be okay to acknowledge those thoughts, but this affirmation can help you keep things in a first-person perspective and think positively when experiencing anxiety. 

• ”Who I am and what I do matters”

This affirmation for anxiety might help you remember that you are important and matter to others, even when you don't feel productive or accomplished. When you feel anxious, reading or repeating this affirmation might help you replace negative, anxious thoughts. This may help you reclaim your sense of self-worth and appreciate what you do for yourself.

• ”I choose peace”

The experience might feel chaotic internally, but you can use this affirmation for anxiety to focus on sensations of inner peace in your daily life. You might even tell yourself, "I choose peace,” or “I deserve to feel peaceful,” in the mirror every day when you wake up or go to bed.

• ”I am an overcomer; I have the strength to overcome stress and anxiety”

An overcomer is defined as "a person who overcomes something; one who succeeds in dealing with or gaining control of some problem or difficulty." This affirmation for anxiety might remind you that you can overcome any difficulty, even if it seems the opposite. And, if you'd like, follow it up with the affirmation below.

• ”My challenges are my opportunities”

Almost everyone experiences challenges or negative thoughts, and part of being an overcomer (which we explored in the previous affirmation) can be facing those challenges so you might overcome them. This affirmation may help you see each challenge as an opportunity to practice overcoming things instead of viewing them as roadblocks. This affirmation can also help you forgive yourself and acknowledge what you may be able to achieve in the future. 

Anxiety affirmations for a positive mindset

Making affirmations for anxiety a part of your daily life may help you positively affect your self-related processing and potentially reduce or overcome anxiety symptoms. If you feel comfortable speaking them out loud, you might look in the mirror and smile when you say them. Repeating them silently in your mind can also be a valid method of using affirmations for anxiety. 

How to utilize positive affirmations for anxiety to improve mental health

When you find an affirmation you like or one that brings you happiness, consider keeping it on your phone or writing the affirmation on sticky notes where you'll see it each day. You can also memorize your favorite affirmations for anxiety to use anytime, anywhere, even if you don't have reminders. 

Incorporating affirmations into a holistic anxiety-management routine

Affirmations on their own are rarely enough to create emotional stability, rather they should be used alongside other evidence-based anxiety management techniques to help build emotional resilience over time. When taking a holistic approach to mental health, there are a number of healthy lifestyle habits that can support anxiety management. Some of these include:

• Sticking to a regular sleep schedule and prioritizing sufficient sleep
• Getting regular exercise
• Eating a balanced and nutritious diet
• Practicing mindfulness
• Spending quality time with loved ones
• Participating in preferred hobbies and activities

Shifting to a healthier perspective and cultivating hope

The “positive thinking” movement created some toxic ideas that prevented people from identifying and processing true emotions, however real positive thinking may be helpful in managing anxiety. You can build emotional stability through an intentional practice of cognitive reframing and looking at life from a healthier perspective that makes room for self-love and hope. 

Online therapy for anxiety

Anxiety can be natural, real, and valid. If you experience anxiety regularly or have an anxiety disorder, it can feel overwhelming. In some cases, especially for those who have experienced emotional or psychological trauma, working with a therapist can be the most effective way to mitigate emotional responses, and learn healthy coping mechanisms. Positive affirmations for anxiety might not be enough to provide you relief, and that's okay – you're not alone, and help is available.

For example, BetterHelp is an online therapy platform that can connect you with a therapist based on your personal needs and preferences to assist you in understanding, working with, and treating your anxiety. Most people are matched within 24-48 hours, and you can schedule flexible appointments via phone, video, or online chat. In addition, therapy through BetterHelp may help curb anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses.

As this study explains, the efficacy of online therapy is generally equal to that of traditional face-to-face therapy. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for the help you deserve.