Affirmations for Stress and Anxiety

Affirmations can help us cope with stress and anxiety. Try using these positive affirmations to quiet your worries and develop a hopeful outlook.

Stress is an inevitable part of life. We all feel overwhelmed, confused, and anxious at times. And there are many effective and healthy ways to cope with stress, including releasing physical tension (such as through exercise or a hot bath) and reducing obsessive worries and negative thoughts (such as through cognitive behavioral therapy).

Using affirmations is another way to change your thoughts and feelings.

Many people like affirmations because they’re a simple way to focus on their emotional strength and resiliency.

However, if affirmations are going to work, they need to be realistic and authentic. In my opinion, some positive affirmations are really corny and unbelievable (like, “I am full of peace and joy”). Telling yourself that you’re full of peace and joy when you’re actually full of tension and worry, probably isn’t going to feel true or helpful.

Instead, try to acknowledge your situation and feelings (that you feel stressed and anxious) and focus on how you want to cope — what you want to think, feel, and do in response to your stress and anxiety.

Below are some affirmations for stress and anxiety that you may find helpful during difficult or uncertain times. What feels true and right and helpful, certainly varies from person to person and you can use these as ideas to create your own affirmations or mantras. For example, you can make them more specific by stating something in particular that you’re grateful for or a particular coping strategy that you will use.

This is stressful, so I will take extra good care of myself.

I will stay present-focused and take this one day at a time.

I choose to be optimistic.

I’m doing what I can to remain physically and emotionally healthy.

This too shall pass.

I will get through this.

I will focus on what I can control and release the rest.

My fear is understandable, but constantly worrying about the worst-case scenario isn’t helpful.

I will try to be kind and gentle with myself.

I can be both afraid and courageous at the same time.

I’m doing the best that I can, and that’s all I can ask of myself.

When I’m struggling, I will ask for help.

My feelings won’t last forever.

I can always find something to be grateful for.

When I feel overwhelmed, I will choose a healthy way to cope.

It’s healthy to take a break – to rest or have fun.

I can lean on others for support. I’m not alone in this.

When I’m afraid, I will rely on my Higher Power for strength and guidance.

My body and mind need to rest and recharge. So, I will let myself rest without judgment.

I’m stronger than I think.

How to use affirmations to cope with stress and anxiety

Affirmations have the most impact when we use them regularly. It’s a good idea to write them down and keep them somewhere handy like your phone or purse. When we’re under a lot of stress, we tend to forget things, so it’s useful to have your list of affirmations in a convenient place.

Most people like to repeat their affirmations several times per day either by reading them silently or out loud or by writing them down in a journal or notebook.

I encourage you to try to make a daily habit of reading or writing your affirmations at the same time every day (first thing in the morning and before bed work well). Doing this consistently will help to reinforce the positive thoughts and feelings that you’re trying to build.

You can also use these affirmations as writing prompts. See what thoughts and feelings emerge when you think about each affirmation.

I hope these affirmations help you cope with stress, anxiety, and uncertainty and bring you during difficult times.

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The Self-Love Guided Journal

I created the Self-Love Guided Journal to help you rediscover who you are, accept yourself – imperfections and all, and learn to treat yourself with kindness. It includes reflective questions, journal prompts, inspirational quotes, and a healing meditation to help you develop positive thoughts and feelings about yourself. Find out more by clicking HERE.

Dr. Sharon Martin

Sharon Martin, DSW, LCSW is a psychotherapist and writer specializing in codependency recovery. For the past 25 years, she’s been helping perfectionists and people-pleasers overcome self-doubt and shame, embrace their imperfections, and learn to set boundaries. Dr. Martin writes the popular blog Conquering Codependency for Psychology Today and is the author of The CBT Workbook for Perfectionism and The Better Boundaries Workbook.

Affirmations for Stress and Anxiety