Affirmation Playlist: Replacing Limiting Beliefs

I have struggled with my mental health for several years now. I struggle with Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, psychosis, anxiety, and more. At this point, my list of mental illnesses rivals the length of a Tolstoy novel. My treatment has been a rollercoaster. At times, it feels like I am being carted back and forth between hospital admissions, psychiatry appointments, and therapy. Though these have been very helpful, I find that my treatment requires more than just bi-weekly therapy appointments. I deal with symptoms of my mental illness everyday and so, I require daily practices to manage my symptoms.

Last summer, I began to develop a meditation practice to help me cope with some of my symptoms. While I enjoy traditional guided meditations, I was soon drawn to affirmations. At first, I was suspicious. Repeating phrases while staring into a mirror seemed a little too ‘self-help’ for my liking. I am, after all, a practical person. I only want to engage in practices or habits that have been proven to help. After a bit of research, however, I was intrigued.

A study conducted by researchers at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Michigan, and UCLA investigated what self-affirmation does to the brain. The researchers found that affirmations activate the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which are reward centers in the brain. It also activates the medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate, the areas of the brain related to self-related processing. By activating these centers, those who practice affirmations develop a sort of “emotional buffer to any painful, negative, or threatening information,” as well as the ability to “maintain balance in the face of threats” (“Study Reveals the Neural Mechanics of Self-Affirmation | Annenberg School for Communication”). In simpler terms, our brains are not always able to distinguish between reality and imagination. Thus, when you tell yourself you’re weak or incapable of doing something, even if this is not true, your brain takes it as the truth. Affirmations help infuse positive beliefs into our brain in place of negative beliefs, which “can encourage your brain to take these positive affirmations as fact” (“Positive Affirmations: Too Good to Be True?”). With a positive belief in place, positive action can follow.

Talking to your brain is like talking to a child. If you tell the child they are worthless or sensitive or unintelligent often enough, they will grow up to believe that is true. If you tell the child they are worthy of love, strong, brave, and intelligent, they will grow up to believe that is true. Affirmations are about choosing what beliefs to feed your brain, as these are the beliefs your brain will take as facts.

I began to engage in an affirmation practice. I still found it strange to look myself in the mirror and repeat positive statements. Soon, however, I came across affirmation music. I quickly took to this practice. I now have a playlist with a collection of affirmations. Sometimes, I sit in meditation and sing along to the affirmations. Sometimes, I put on this playlist while I’m driving. The beauty of these songs is that you can listen to them anytime, anywhere, just like any other songs. However, you get the added bonus of rewiring your brain and your core beliefs! Let’s take a look at some of the songs and affirmations included on my playlist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HdIEfWC0xA

I release control and surrender to the flow of love. That will heal me.

This is my favourite song on my playlist. As somebody who struggles with severe anxiety everyday, I find myself dealing with severe control issues as well. My brain is constantly looking for threats and constantly trying to control situations in order to keep myself safe. This, however, is simply not sustainable. Repeating this mantra helps me release the need to control every situation and trust that things are always working out in my highest good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-c4kTSAmh8

I feel peace near. I am safe here.

Similar to the previous song, this affirmation helps develop feelings of peace and safety. As somebody who has dealt with a lot of trauma, the feeling of being unsafe has become my norm. Reminding myself, out loud, that I am safe allows me to live more fully in the present and not act out of a traumatized place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n98_6zCmCM

Thank you for your blessings. Thank you for your blessings. Your guidance is wise indeed. Thank you for your blessings. Thank you for your blessings. Your lessons live on in me.

Gratitude is so important! This affirmation helps cultivate a feeling of gratitude everyday. Though it is easy to express gratitude when something amazing happens, I believe it is just as important to express gratitude for the little things. Even on the days when nothing exciting is happening, or the days when bad things are happening, expressing gratitude for all the amazing blessings I have in my life helps me maintain a more positive, optimistic outlook on life. This is so helpful for when it feels like everything is falling apart. Reminding myself of everything I still have left keeps me from spiralling into a worse state.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rJfU1A6cxs

The power of love is here now. The power of now is here now. The power of you and me is here to create magic on earth. Let the water wash away your tears. Let the fire burn away your fears. Let the wind blow into your life such faith and trust. Let the earth hold you, take care of you and nurture you.

This affirmation is my go-to. Singing along to this affirmation, I feel a deep sense of peace wash over me. Even on the days when my symptoms are more difficult to manage, reminding myself to be present in the energy of love helps turn things around. It helps centre me. It helps recharge me. It helps remind me that all my problems will pass.

If you ever struggle with your mental health or feelings of low self-worth, I strongly suggest trying affirmation music. Sit down with this playlist to meditate or put on this playlist when you’re driving or when you’re cooking and sing along in order to rewire your brain and replace your limiting negative beliefs with positive affirmations.

Works Cited

“Positive Affirmations: Too Good to Be True?” Healthline, www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/do-affirmations-work#making-them-effective. Accessed 6 Apr. 2021.

“Study Reveals the Neural Mechanics of Self-Affirmation | Annenberg School for Communication.” Annenberg School for Communication, www.asc.upenn.edu/news-events/news/study-reveals-neural-mechanics-self-affirmation. Accessed 6 Apr. 2021.