We each have tens of thousands of thoughts a day. And it is estimated that up to 80 percent of those thoughts are negative. In this world, plastered with messages about our bodies, it is all too easy to engage in negative thoughts and feelings about ourselves. It's a lie. Of course, in our intelligent female brains we know this. We are smart and we realize that certain body esthetics may be unobtainable for whatever actual good reason. But sometimes knowing it and internalizing it isn't the same thing. And sometimes we need a little help to get into the metal space where we can love on ourselves (and our magnificent machines) as we should.
If it's hard for you to come up with positive thoughts about yourself and your body on your own, we suggest affirmation cards.
Why we love affirmation cards:
- Repeating positive statements about ourselves (even if we don't believe them at first) allows us to start to make positive changes.
- Using them is simple and fun.
- Positive affirmations have been shown to help treat low self esteem and stress (yeah, that's science.)
- Just a few minutes of positive affirmation exercises have been shown to increase people's productivity at work, and it stands to reason, in other aspects of life as well.
It is important to note that introducing positive affirmations into your life can also bring out negative, unconscious thoughts you may not have dealt with or even known were there. It is recommended that you set aside a certain amount of time during the day to work on your affirmations and be prepared for resistance.
Start small if you need to and work your way up. If you can't get on board with the idea that, "My body is a wondrous and magnificent machine and I feel privileged to live in it." Then start with, "My body is fine." Or if that's too much, "I have a body." Wherever you are in the journey of self love is just fine. Just start somewhere. Start today.
XOXO
