Reshape Your Thoughts: 35 Positive Affirmations For Depression
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Text or call 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. Support is available 24/7.
Living with depression can seem like you’re carrying a heavy weight that can’t be shaken off. Some days may be lighter, but others can be hard to manage. The way you speak to yourself can play a significant role in shaping your emotions and the way you perceive the world. Positive affirmations are a simple but powerful tool to challenge negative thoughts, encourage personal growth, and inspire hope for the future. Learning how to reshape your thoughts can be challenging, and if you’re not sure you can do it on your own, consider connecting with a therapist who can help.
What are positive affirmations?
Positive affirmations are short, powerful statements that can challenge negative thoughts and help you speak more kindly to yourself. They’re designed to directly address doubts you have in yourself and your future.
Do positive affirmations actually benefit mental health?
Research suggests that affirmations can reduce stress, increase happiness, and decrease anger and sadness. They can also improve low self-esteem and provide perspective when you’re having an especially bad day. Positive thinking isn’t a replacement for therapy, but affirmations can complement treatment and be a source of encouragement between sessions.
How can affirmations for depression combat challenging symptoms?
Depression often involves cycles of blame and hopelessness. It can be hard to break out of negative thought patterns, but affirmations can create a positive feedback loop and reinforce self-compassion over time. Regularly repeating affirmations can help you reframe challenges and recognize your self-worth. By repeating these positive beliefs for weeks or months, you can reduce the intensity of negative thoughts or eliminate some of them altogether.
The difference between affirmations and toxic positivity
In general, toxic positivity occurs when encouraging statements minimize or disregard the pain you’re experiencing. Toxic positivity often puts pressure on a person to be overly optimistic or happy. Practicing positive affirmations doesn’t mean you pretend everything is okay. Instead, it acknowledges your struggles while offering a reminder that healing and growth are possible.
How to use positive affirmations to strengthen mental health
Even if you know that incorporating positive affirmations can support mental health, you may be unsure about how to put them into practice. Here’s what you need to know.
Affirmations typically work best when they seem relevant, so choose a statement that pertains to your current situation. You might select one affirmation at a time so that you can focus on its message and fully internalize it.
Repeat your affirmation in the medium that feels most comfortable. For some, affirmations work best when said out loud in front of the mirror. For other people, affirmations are most effective when they’re written down.
Consistency is key, so figure out how you can develop a daily ritual of repeating positive affirmations. An effective way to do this is to “habit stack,” or associate affirmations with a habit you already have. This can make it easier to remember to repeat the affirmation each day. You might repeat the affirmation each time you wash your hands or say it out loud when you buckle your seatbelt in the car, for example.
35 positive affirmations for depression
These positive statements can help you challenge negative thinking and may act as a reminder of your self-worth. Below, explore several categories of affirmations to address various mental health goals.
General affirmations for depression
- I am worthy of love and understanding.
- I am more than my struggles.
- I am allowed to take life one step at a time.
- Rest is productive, and I deserve it.
- I am safe at this moment.
- My life has meaning and purpose, even when I don’t see it clearly.
- I am allowed to take up space.
- I am deserving of love, even when I am struggling.
Affirmations to address low self-esteem
- I am enough just as I am.
- My worth is not measured by what I achieve.
- My presence makes a difference in the world.
- I have unique strengths that deserve to be celebrated.
- I am surrounded by positive and supportive people who believe in me.
- I celebrate my strengths, even the small ones.
- I am a whole person, and my flaws don’t define me.
- My talents and gifts matter.
Affirmations that encourage hope and resilience
- This feeling will not last forever.
- Healing is possible for me.
- Better days are ahead.
- I will not give up on myself.
- I have overcome challenges before, and I can do it again.
- Every day holds the possibility of something good.
- My strength only grows with each obstacle I overcome.
Affirmations that celebrate growth
- I am proud of how far I’ve come.
- I choose progress over perfection.
- I am constantly learning and evolving.
- Every day is a chance to grow stronger.
- Each step forward brings me closer to my goals.
- Even my smallest victories are worth celebrating.
Affirmations to combat negative thoughts
- My thoughts are not facts.
- I am in control of how I speak to myself.
- I am stronger than my inner critic.
- I am human; therefore, I am expected to make mistakes.
- I am not defined by my mistakes.
- I don’t need to believe every negative thought I have.
How to create your own affirmations
If none of these affirmations resonate with you, try creating your own. Start by identifying a negative thought you struggle with. Although it may be tempting to address all the thoughts you want to challenge, specificity is your friend. Trying to do too much can overwhelm you and lead you to avoid using affirmations altogether.
Once you’ve identified the specific negative self-talk you’d like to address, reframe it into a statement that is kinder to yourself and encourages growth or progress.
Negative thought: My life will never get better.
Affirmation: Change is possible and probable.
Negative thought: I’ll never find a partner.
Affirmation: I am worthy of love and companionship.
Negative thought: I fail at everything I do.
Affirmation: Every experience is a chance to grow and learn.
Too long: I can change the direction of my life so that I like where I’m heading.
Ideal length: I get to control my choices.
Too confusing: I’m not unworthy of love.
Straightforward: I am worthy of love and joy.
Other strategies to address negative thoughts
Reciting positive affirmations is one way to shift your negative thinking, but there are other actions you can take as well. One approach is to focus on the positive as much as possible. Practicing gratitude can help you notice and appreciate the small joys in your life, potentially resulting in increased well-being and life satisfaction. When you’re thinking about aspects of your life for which you are thankful, you have less time and mental bandwidth to focus on your fears or doubts.
Another strategy is to force yourself into the present moment through mindfulness. Research shows that mindfulness practices, such as meditation, help individuals experience fewer negative thoughts.
A common exercise is the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. To complete this simple strategy, begin by taking deep breaths. Next, name the following:
- Five things you can see
- Four things you can hear
- Three things you can feel
- Two things you can smell
- One thing you can taste
In addition, any type of deep breathing exercises can help you regulate your emotions and calm racing thoughts by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system.
Catch it, check it, change it
The NHS suggests a “catch it, check it, change it” approach. When you notice yourself having a negative thought, try to immediately pause and acknowledge the thought. Notice if you are overly fearful, angry, or cynical. Label the emotion and remind yourself that it’s a signal of how you feel, but you are in control of how you react.
Once you identify a negative thought, take a step back to look at your concern. What unbiased truths can you observe? For example, you may consider how likely the outcome is that you’re worried about or what the other possible outcomes are. Because it’s common to be critical of yourself, consider what you would say to a friend having this thought.
The final step in the “catch it, check it, change it” process is to think about how you can adjust the thought for a more neutral or positive perspective. Shift the focus from self-blame to problem-solving for a brighter outlook.
When positive affirmations may not be enough
Affirmations can serve as a form of valuable self-care for mental health, but they’re typically most effective when paired with other coping strategies or professional support.
The cognitive restructuring process associated with positive affirmations is the same approach used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In CBT, you can work with a licensed mental health professional to identify negative thoughts and reshape them into more productive and positive ones. Often considered the gold standard in treating depression, CBT can reduce symptoms of depression, as well as many other mental illnesses.
Sticking with therapy can be difficult, especially with a busy schedule. One flexible alternative is online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp, which allows users to schedule therapy sessions at a time that’s most convenient for them and choose between video, audio, and online chat options.
Research shows that online CBT can significantly improve symptoms of depression and quality of life. In addition, people who attend online therapy often adhere to treatment longer than people who participate in traditional in-person therapy.
Takeaway
Do positive affirmations work for depression?
Research indicates that affirmations may help reduce stress, increase happiness, and decrease feelings of anger and sadness, which could be helpful to someone living with depression. That said, daily affirmations aren’t considered an effective treatment for clinical depression symptoms. Reaching out for professional treatment from a qualified mental health care provider is recommended if you’re experiencing symptoms of mental health conditions.
What are 5 coping skills for depression?
For people looking to combat depression symptoms, seeking professional mental health support is recommended. In addition, five coping skills that may be helpful in everyday life include:
- Exercising regularly to boost mood
- Leaning on social support
- Challenging negative thoughts
- Practicing meditation
- Repeating positive self-affirmation statements
How to think positive when depressed?
Cultivating a more positive mindset, such as by repeating your own positive affirmations, may help with depression symptoms. However, as helpful as statements like these can be, they are not a substitute for professional treatment from a therapist or clinical psychology practitioner. Depression is a diagnosable mental illness affecting the neural pathways that requires professional intervention, so thinking positive is typically not enough to effectively address symptoms.
What are four major causes of depression?
Researchers aren’t sure exactly what causes depression, but they have identified various contributing factors. Trauma or other stressful situations and genetics are two factors thought to contribute to the development of this type of illness.
What calms down depression?
If you're feeling the intensity of a depressive episode, reaching out for professional support is generally recommended. Practicing deep breathing exercises, getting some physical activity such as by taking a light walk, and calling a friend are examples of activities that may help you feel better in the moment. You might also try treating yourself with self-love—or the same kindness and same compassion you would treat a friend—which may help you promote more positive energy and calm until your next therapy appointment. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, reaching out to a crisis line can be crucial.
What are the stages of recovery from depression?
The stages of recovery from depression can take different forms for each unique individual. In many cases, a person could experience a crisis, then make progress in treatment over time. A relapse could occur, after which the person can begin making additional progress in therapy.
How to overcome depression and overthinking?
Depression is a diagnosable mental illness, and overthinking can be a sign of an anxiety disorder. Illnesses like these typically will not resolve without professional treatment. In addition, your provider might recommend habits or exercises to help you reduce self-doubt, cultivate a broader perspective, and make positive change in your daily life, such as forming strong social connections and exercising regularly.
How to use affirmations in therapy?
A therapist may recommend that you practice affirmations, or helpful statements that you repeat regularly, outside of sessions to help yourself come to appreciate the positive aspects of who you are and to cultivate improved well-being. For example, your therapist may work with you to write a handful of positive affirmations, and they may then recommend that you tape them to your bathroom mirror to remind yourself to say them every morning.
What is the best affirmation technique?
When it comes to affirmations, consistency is often key. Writing affirmations that speak to your unique needs and then practicing them every day can be helpful. Working with a therapist throughout this period can also help.
What are examples of encouragement in counselling?
Encouragement can take many different forms and a counseling setting. For example, a provider might encourage a client by praising them for their efforts in cultivating healthier habits. Or, a provider might encourage their client to open up at their own pace, honoring their boundaries and cultivating trust in the process.
- Previous Article
- Next Article