If you are suffering from fragile self-esteem, using self-affirmation can be a really powerful technique.
This isn’t one for you if your self-esteem is at rock bottom, but if deep down you do have some positive thoughts about yourself, this is a great way to amplify those thoughts and give yourself more strength to stick to your recovery plan.
🗣️ An affirmation is a simple, positive statement you say to yourself.
Write an affirmation that reflects how you want to feel about yourself, for example: "I am getting better and better every day”, “I am not defined by my eating disorder; I am driven by my future.” or “Note to self: I am going to make you so proud.”
⏰ Set yourself a trigger for when you will recite your affirmation - maybe as soon as you wake up, just before you go to bed, before every meal etc.
Studies have shown that affirmations may help you feel more motivated to recover and help you stick to your plan, so long as you are building on what at least a small part of you really believes.
👍🏿 When you start it can feel awkward and a bit fake, but repeating an affirmation to yourself regularly can help transform negative self-talk into a more optimistic view of yourself.
Remember, an affirmation is based on how you want to feel about yourself, not how you feel now, so it’s bound to feel strange at first. It is important to give it time to work, so keep it up for at least a month and reciting it at least three times a day everyday.
🐦 Now it's your turn! What's your favorite affirmation?
Cascio CN, O'Donnell MB, Tinney FJ, Lieberman MD, Taylor SE, Strecher VJ, Falk EB. Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2016 Apr;11(4):621-9. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsv136; .Leach D, Kranzler HR. An interpersonal model of addiction relapse. Addict Disord Their Treat. 2013;12(4):183-192. doi:10.1097/ADT.0b013e31826ac408.