Show Yourself Some Love with Positive Affirmation Cards

The Universe Has Your Back deck of affirmation cards with cards spread out to see artwork

If the term “positive affirmations” has you flashing back to the Saturday Night Live skits of Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley (“I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me…”); or maybe Bruce Willis on Friends singing Just a Love Machine to himself in the mirror (episode: The One Where Paul’s The Man), then let me try to reframe for you…

(Also, if those references are lost on you, totally look them up because they’re hilarious. But if you know, you know!)

More often than not, positive affirmations tend to catch a lot of side-eye from people who aren’t into the whole personal development scene. However, research shows that they can actually be quite beneficial for your mental health. (Yes; even – or especially – when you comically dance around in front of the mirror to psych yourself up.) You see, our brains are wired with a negativity bias thanks to evolution, which simply means that we obsess over all the crappy stuff and barely give positive things a passing thought. Way back when, this kept our species alive by being able to quickly perceive threats. Now, more often than not, it just serves to make us miserable. (OMG… You feel me, right?) Positive affirmations are a way to combat this negative spiral and self-talk that we tend to get caught up in (and likely don’t even notice).

How exactly do they help…? The gist is basically to train your brain to focus on positive thoughts rather than negative ones. (It’s a bit like kicking the mind trash to the curb!) This is done with repetition and practice, which is why saying positive affirmations to yourself every day can be a helpful tool. Over time, this practice can build stronger neural pathways with positive thinking.

I’d also like to point out that there’s really no need for us to be so down on ourselves all the time. That whole, “we are our own worst critic…” B.S. is just the tip of the iceberg. Our internal narrative can be so dark and downright mean – not to mention skewed and completely inaccurate. So, in addition to positive affirmations, be sure to watch how you talk to yourself. Words matter (even the unspoken ones in your head). In fact, you should look up the Japanese scientist, Dr. Masaru Emoto, who found that he could alter the molecular structure of water by saying certain words or phrases at drops of water. (No joke.) Now, consider that our bodies are made up of around 60% water. Something to think about…

If you’re still on the fence, I encourage you to just give it a go for at least a month. Because hey… don’t knock it ‘till you try it. And if you’re interested in purchasing some positive affirmation cards to help you in this endeavor, these are currently my favorite. I’m also partial to them because I love the artwork. I actually pull a card each week and leave it out on my desk (in a card holder) where I can read it readily, and it also doubles as a little piece of art. (I also replace the word “universe” with “God,” as I figure they’re one in the same…)

And if this sort of thing is your jam, or if you’d like to explore further, be sure to check out my adult coloring book that includes positive affirmations and/or my Navigating North Journal™. Both are intended to help you along in your personal growth journey. (The Navigating North Journal™ also comes with accompanying positive affirmations, as well as a host of other resources, when you scan the QR code inside the journal.)

I wish you a happy and positive day. And I hope you give this a try.

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PS: I’d like to note that this sort of practice is often confused with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). However, CBT is not simply just thinking positive thoughts and disregarding negative ones. It is much deeper than that, can be quite helpful, and I actually encourage you to research it. Also, as always… If you feel that you would benefit from speaking to a professional, there’s zero shame in doing so. Personally, I think we could alllll use some therapy; and I can definitely attest to the wonders of anxiety medication. If you need help right away, please visit 988lifeline.org or call 988.

🙂