In times of stress, overwhelm or crisis, it’s so easy to get swept up in negative patterns of thinking and to feel like you can’t handle what is going on in your external world.
But the truth is, your mindset is the most important part of how you deal with stressful situations, and shifting it can be enough to increase your resilience to stress and not let it take hold.
This is where positive affirmations for stress come in.
Positive affirmations for stress relief are a great tool to have for when you might face a challenging situation or event.
Using affirmations like these can help to reframe your thoughts and overcome stressors much more effortlessly.
In fact, affirmations are a tool that I frequently turn to in times of stress, because I know how prone I am to getting sucked into those negative thought spirals and going doom-and-gloom before I even have a chance to catch myself.
Once you have the affirmations in the little toolkit in your brain, they’ll always be there to turn to whenever you need and they’ll serve your growth.
How to use positive affirmations for stress relief
Before we get onto some of my favourite positive affirmations for stress, I first want to quickly cover how to actually use your positive affirmations for stress relief.
Because while having a collection of stress relief affirmations is useful (or essential if you’re anything like me!), knowing how to use them is arguably even more important.
Follow these three easy steps to get the most out of your stress affirmations so you can find the relief that you desire – and deserve.
1. Identify and reframe negative thoughts
The first step to releasing stress is becoming aware of how you are contributing to your own stress levels. As with all personal growth practices, self-awareness really is key here.
To become aware of any negative thoughts that are contributing to your stress levels, I would always recommend keeping a journal.
Journaling is an amazing tool to identify thoughts you might not even know you have that are operating in your subconscious.
Getting these thoughts out then allows you to process them in a nonjudgmental way and to seek clarity in stressful situations.
There have been many times where I have been facing overwhelm and I’ve turned to my journal for support. Simply writing my feelings out has allowed me to find peace in situations and get less swept away in my own thoughts.
If you struggle to identify your stress inducing thoughts, these journal prompts for stress relief are an amazing place to start.
Once you’ve identified your thoughts, you can then work at reframing them and looking for more helpful alternatives that will serve your growth rather than hinder it.
This is where your stress relief affirmations come in.
2. Use positive affirmations for stress relief
Positive affirmations can serve to counteract any self limiting beliefs you are experiencing that are adding to your stress levels.
They can help to shift your mindset to a more positive one where you feel able to tackle stressful situations, rather than feeling defeated by them.
Now that you’ve identified what beliefs need reframing for stress relief, you can select some stress relief affirmations to target them (we’ll get onto my favourites shortly.)
Once you have your targeted affirmations for stress relief, you can carry on from the previous exercise by writing your affirmations in your journal.
This is what I personally like to do as I feel like writing them is a great way to symbolise the permanence of the affirmations, and it helps them sink into my subconscious that little bit easier.
You may also wish to say them aloud which can be super empowering, especially if said in front of the mirror!
Practice standing in a powerful position and say your affirmations with power and conviction so that you can really tune into the energy behind them and start “acting as if”.
It’s a good idea to get into a daily practice of reciting your affirmations because it is the repetition and consistency that will help the affirmations work faster and provide you with the stress relief you need.
3. Practice self-compassion
And perhaps the most important step to using your positive affirmations for stress relief – practice self compassion.
It’s important to remember that stress is an inevitable part of life and it’s not something we can, or should even want to, avoid all together.
It’s okay to feel stressed at times and what we’re not trying to do is completely eliminate it.
Instead, we’re trying to minimise the extent that it needs to take hold. We’re limiting it so that it doesn’t reach a level where it no longer serves us.
Possibly the worst thing you can do in a stressful situation is be hard on yourself about being stressed. This is just going to add to your stress levels further!
Be compassionate with yourself and know that you’re human.
But at the same time, reassure yourself that all situations are temporary and you have it within you to make it through whatever situation it is that you might be going through.
35 positive affirmations for stress relief
Now that you know my three most important (yet super simple) steps for getting the most from using positive affirmations for stress relief, it’s time to move onto some of my favourite stress affirmations.
These stress relief affirmations are all designed to help you return to a place of calm no matter what you’re going through.
Once you’ve acknowledged the feelings you’re experiencing right now and the limiting beliefs that are holding you in a place of stress, pick one affirmation for stress to work with for at least a week.
When you feel ready to incorporate more affirmations in your routine, come back to this post and pick another stress relief affirmation to work with.
Now without further ado, these are 35 of my favourite positive affirmations for stress relief…
- I am relaxed and calm
- My tension is melting away
- Feeling stuck is a feeling and not a fact
- I am free from stress
- I release all tension from my mind and body
- I am letting go of my worries
- I am in control of my stress levels
- I am peaceful and centered
- I feel the stress slowly leaving my body
- I am in control of my life
- I choose to respond to situations from a place of peace
- I easily overcome stressful situations
- I am a positive person who attracts positive things into my life
- I am equipped to handle this situation effectively
- Feeling relaxed is my normal state
- There are some things I can’t change, and I’m OK with that
- Everything is temporary
- This situation will pass, so I choose to deal with it calmly
- I trust my intuition and I am always guided to make wise decisions
- My peace is my power
- As I exhale, stress leaves my body
- Today, and every day, I choose joy
- I trust myself to deal with whatever arises
- I see challenges where others see difficulties
- I trust the Universe is looking out for my higher good
- I am reclaiming my power
- My muscles are relaxed
- I am calm and relaxed in all situations
- Calmness washes over me with every deep breath I take
- I am naturally stress free
- Releasing stress is easy
- I prioritise the things that make me feel calm
- Everything is going to be okay
- One day at a time, one step at a time
- I am in harmony and balance with life
And there you have it, those are my 35 favourite stress free affirmations, as well as how to use them to get the best results in your own life.
I truly hope that these affirmations serve you in times of need and that you’re able to find some relief, no matter what you might be going through now or in the future.
Just remember, always go easy on yourself and know that it’s okay to be stressed and to need to take a break. It’s all part of the human experience.
I’d love to hear which of these positive affirmations for stress relief is your favourite!
Looking for more ways to reduce stress? Check out these related posts:
- 20 Powerful Journal Prompts for Stress Relief
- The 5 Best Pranayama for Stress Relief
- 20 Positive Affirmations for Health Anxiety
- 50 Powerful Morning Affirmations for Success and Abundance
- The 39 Most Relaxing Hobbies for Stress to Try in 2022
And don’t forget to pin this post for later!
Esther is the founder of Through the Phases, a wellbeing and healthy lifestyle blog dedicated to sharing mind/body/soul practices for self-exploration, healing, and fulfilment. She has a degree in Psychology, is yoga teacher trained (200hr), and is currently pursuing a Neuroscience MSc to further study the mind-body connection. Read more about her story here.