Expert Advice

Acella Pharmaceuticals, LLC., is partnering with Helene Zahn-Chilberg, MA, LPMHC, LCAS-A, to bring greater awareness to the importance of thyroid care and education. This post was sponsored by Acella Pharmaceuticals and should not be construed as medical advice. Please talk to your doctor about your individual medical situation. 

While not a technical term, brain fog is often a symptom reported by those managing hypothyroidism. It may be hard to get through day-to-day activities when brain fog hits.

This post will explain the benefits of using daily self-affirmations to enhance wellness. I will offer some of my favorite daily affirmations to help push though brain fog, as well as affirmations to help increase wellness habits to be your best self.

Let us begin by discussing the purpose of using affirmations as a tool to support personal growth and change. In general terms, affirmations are statements and questions that redirect thoughts away from negative thinking toward a more positive focus. Affirmations can be used to reprogram subconscious patterns and negative thoughts and purposefully redirect our thoughts. With consistent use, affirmations can give the brain an opportunity to create more positive neural pathways.

The foundation of affirmations is the belief that your point of view creates your reality, not the other way around. When we have a particular point of view – for example, “I am worthless” – we look for evidence to prove our point of view is correct. By searching for the proof we are seeking, we are unable to notice anything that would disprove our point of view. When we change our point of view, we can see things we overlooked before.

When I work with my clients on using affirmations, I encourage them to write their affirmations down on sticky notes or index cards. You also can use a small notebook that fits easily into a purse or pocket. These notes can serve as helpful reminders and can be placed where you will see them often. You can even use a dry erase marker on your bathroom mirror! Experiment a bit and see which method works for you.

I caution you not to expect affirmations to be a magic wand and allow your practice to grow with use and consistency.

Some of my favorite affirmations come in the form of questions. This is not to force yourself to come up with an answer. It is to encourage you to acknowledge that there are always infinite possibilities. The following are examples of affirmations that shift your point of view and encourage you to see what else is possible in any given situation.

Affirmations to Help Shift Your Perspective

• What is right about me that I am not getting?
• What action can I take that would create more ease for me?
• What is the next powerful action I can take right now to create a change for myself?
• What else is possible here?
• What requires my attention right now?
• What am I aware of that would give me greater clarity here?
• What does my body require right now? (Water, electrolytes, movement, rest)
• If I give myself five minutes right now, what can I choose?

Affirmations for Encouragement

• I am enough.
• I am worthy.
• I deserve to take care of myself.
• There is time and space for me.
• I include myself as part of the equation.
• I am healthy, whole, and beautiful.
• My body is brilliant and can create balance and health.

As you can see, an affirmation can be almost anything that contributes positivity to your thoughts, focus, and body. Focusing on what we would like to create and redirecting our thoughts to those things allows the process of creation to begin. What we focus on is what we generate, so we need to be mindful of our negative thoughts and practice redirecting them to a more positive end.

What if this practice could be fun, and you can be playful with yourself when you catch yourself in a thinking loop that is less than optimal? Don’t make this another place to judge yourself. Rather, keep your sense of humor, pause and ask yourself, “What else is possible here?” Then give yourself a new substitute to consider.

This is where having notes gives you various options to choose from. Read the new question or statement and remind yourself, “I am choosing something else right now.” With practice, you will begin to catch yourself sooner and choose a new focus with greater ease. Keep things simple and know – You’ve got this!

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