February 21, 2021

Affirmators!


I don't think I wrote about this, but something that I've been trying to work on this year has been changing my mindset and being kinder to myself. I never used to think I was hard on myself, but over the past year, I caught myself being super negative and hating on myself for all sorts of different things. Always feeling like I can't do anything right, and letting it affect my mood.

Saying nice things about myself doesn't come naturally--it feels very awkward. 

The self-negativity is not good for my mental health and it has had a big impact on me over the last year. Rather than just working on the "physical me", I decided this year to really work on the mental side of things--even if it seems hokey. One of those things is using positive affirmations. I didn't even really know what positive affirmations were when I read that they can help. 

PositivePsychology.com defines them like this:

"Fortunately, positive affirmations are almost as easy to define as they are to practice. Put simply, they are positive phrases or statements used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts.

Practicing positive affirmations can be extremely simple, and all you need to do is pick a phrase and repeat it to yourself.

You may choose to use positive affirmations to motivate yourself, encourage positive changes in your life, or boost your self-esteem. If you frequently find yourself getting caught up in negative self-talk, positive affirmations can be used to combat these often subconscious patterns and replace them with more adaptive narratives."

I was a little surprised to see that there is actual science behind this. And I figured that it certainly can't hurt, so it's worth a try! I've been writing down positive affirmations in a journal about once a week, but I haven't really put them into practice--like putting them in a visible place, reading them out loud, looking at them regularly.

My friend John (who you may know as "San Diego John" or "Runner 12" from my Ragnar "From Fat to Finish Line" team) posted on his blog about some affirmation cards he bought called "Affirmators!". There are 50 cards in the box, so he plans to look at one per week, and focus on practicing that affirmation. I loved the idea! There is something fun about having to wait to look at the next card and I wouldn't feel as awkward reading these aloud as I do about writing and reading my own.

Well, John was so kind to actually send me my own box of cards! It arrived from Amazon today and I immediately wanted to read through the deck, but I restrained myself. I read the "How to Use These Cards" directions and to specifies to turn the cards facedown on a table in front of you and shuffle them the way a three-year old would. I took this literally, and I did just that:


Then I picked a card, hoping that it would be something that seemed appropriate for my current state of mind. This is what it reads:

I think this was the perfect first card to draw. The whole reason I started thinking about affirmations is to be kinder and gentler to myself. I'm very gentle and compassionate to others, but I'm extremely hard on myself a lot of the time.

I taped the card to my bathroom mirror, so I'll see it frequently throughout the day (thanks to the gallon of water I've been drinking every day--I drink a lot of water in the summer, but in the winter months, I have a hard time with it, so I'm trying to get back in that habit).

At first I thought I would look at one card each day, but I think that's too frequent--not enough time to really let it sink in. So, like John, I'll draw a card once a week (on Sundays) and practice it throughout the week.

This week, I am going to focus on being gentle not just to others, but to MYSELF. If I find myself thinking or saying something negative about myself, then I am going to try to remember the card--and picture the baby deer with the baby elephant. I love thinking of that visual! Thank you, John <3

(The cards can be found here on Amazon (affiliate link)).

9 comments:

  1. This is such good reading Katie! I love the cards. What a cool idea. I Don't think people say cool anymore, but I'm old. Have you ever thought about publishing a book? I think all of us that follow you would buy one, then you'd be a rich author. You have such a way with words.

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  2. I love that your first card felt like perfect timing. I hope this helps you retrain that brain to kick out some positive energy for you. :)

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  3. Love the cards! Also, thanks for suggesting John's Funhouse group! He shares inspiring stuff, much like you!

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  4. I have these! my friend sent them to me for xmas and I kind of forgot about them! I love your idea of one a week and putting in on the mirror so I am going to go find them and do just that!

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  5. Thanks for posting this both to you and John (who I've now bookmarked to read)...I've ordered a set because I need this in my life. ;-)

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  6. What a great idea! I think I’ll order a deck

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  7. I received those cards from someone! They sure are a pick me up!

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