Life has become overwhelmingly complicated, scary, and exhausting all at once. There are many ways to deal with the stress and anxiety brought on by the quarantine but one of my favorite things to teach my meditation students and my five children is to use an affirmation to pivot into a state of positivity. An affirmation is a simple statement of encouragement and support that can be said to oneself in a declarative way.
When we state something positive to ourselves, the idea is that it will take root within our very being such that we will start to believe it. Once we start to think of this affirmation as truth, we will then begin to call it into our lives. This is the premise behind the law of attraction—our energy and our thoughts are what we will attract.
Every night, I ask my children to give me at least one of their gratitudes and affirmations for the day. Both the affirmation and the gratitude shift my kids’ minds into a state of positivity at the end of the day. The affirmation has the added benefit of boosting their confidence.
During the COVID19 quarantine, affirmations have come in very handy not only for the students in my live stream meditation classes but also for myself and my older children in this time of uncertainty. We have used the following affirmations to boost our positivity and temper our anxiety. These affirmations can be used within a meditation and they can also be said to oneself whenever you need some support to get through a bump in the day.
1. I am safe.
With all of the news and social media coverage on the Coronavirus everywhere you turn these days, our stress levels are constantly being triggered. If the lack of control in this situation is making you feel vulnerable and scared, repeating the mantra of “I am safe” will help reassure your mind that everything will be okay. If you are abiding by the rules of the quarantine set by your local and state officials, then you are safe at this moment.
2. I am healthy.
Anxiety can show up in our bodies in various ways that we may not even realize. Chest tightness, headaches, fatigue are some symptoms brought on by stress and anxiety. Remind yourself that you are healthy and feel it deep within so that you can stave off the tremendous effects of anxiety.
3. I am strong.
Every day that you survive this quarantine is a reminder that you are a strong person. You are strong for handling uncertainty and persevering. You will get through this temporary obstacle in life.
4. I am calm.
When we allow a negative thought into our minds, it can set off a chain of other bad thoughts to come in and take over our being. When you start to feel like the chaos of the world around you is seeping into your mind, stop the cycle in its tracks by tapping into the calm that you have within yourself.
5. I am love.
When it comes down to it, it is not about the things that we have that bring us joy and gives us meaning in our lives. It is the love that we have for others and that we share with others through our relationships, our work, and our passions that fulfills us. Remember that at your very core lies love, an immensely powerful state of being that can overcome anything.
Try out these simple statements on your own and with your kids to help you stay rooted in the present moment and in a state of positivity.
