Pregnancy is a beautiful experience, but it can be an overwhelmingly emotional time, too. Here’s how self-affirmations can help you gain confidence as a soon-to-be mum!
Pregnancy can be the one of most awaited experiences in a woman’s life, a time that is filled with anticipation, joy, and overflowing love. But, truthfully, that’s not always the case. Pregnancy and motherhood can also be an emotional ride, one that can be riddled with troubling moments of distress, anxiety, or even depression. Whether it’s physical discomfort or the fear of bringing your child into the world, all of these challenging instances can take a toll on your mental state.
Whenever we’re faced with a difficult or challenging situation, it’s only natural for us to go into panic mode, feel worried or scared, and get lost in what we should or should not do. It’s normal for us humans to feel this way because our brains are hardwired to anticipate threat. In an evolutionary perspective, we are made to be anxious in order to survive.
At present, though, threats around us have radically changed. We are no longer anxious about a bear trying to chase us to be its prey. But, rather, we are anxious about how well we’re doing at our jobs, what other people think of us, and whether or not we’ll be rejected by someone important to us. These days, anxiety riddles us when our self-worth is being threatened.
And what do we do when we experience such kind of anxiety? Admit it or not, most of us fall into negative self-talk. This happens when you’re faced with a big shift in your life such as motherhood. The enormity of this new role can easily overwhelm you.
What are self-affirmations, you may ask?
Self-affirmations are positive statements that help you reprogram your subconscious when you’re struggling with negative self-talk. It’s a lot like training your mind to have a more optimistic grasp on whatever challenge that you may have at hand. They also help you feel less judgmental about yourself and what you’re going through.
Self-affirmations are usually “I” statements that are specific and focused on the good. They may sound like:
- I am ready for this pregnancy, and I welcome it with joy in my heart.
- I am capable of making healthy choices for me and my baby.
- I can overcome any challenge that I will face during this pregnancy.
Whether you’re writing your affirmations down, saying them out loud in front of a mirror, or whispering them to yourself as you caress your belly, self-affirmations work best when you make a habit of using them daily. Affirmations are usually said repetitively, and, by constantly doing this practice, your mind will then believe in the positivity that your words are bringing in to you.
Just think of it as a form of exercise. When you want to be physically fit, you have to have a routine or else you’ll lose track of the progress and the results won’t be in your favour. In comparison, your mind also needs to be trained regularly in order for you to achieve the best outcome which is a kinder disposition towards yourself and a more positive outlook in life.
Why are self-affirmations important?
Self-affirmations can bring significant change into our lives. For one, it can get rid of our limiting beliefs. Limiting beliefs can be self-sabotaging, trigger trauma, and hinder your growth and healing. So, instead of degrading ourselves into someone who’s not enough or deserving, we get to expand ourselves into the kind of person that we aspire to be.
How?
Self-affirmations are actually scientifically proven to have an effect in our brain systems. In one study, it has been found that self-affirmed people have increased activity in the higher regions of the brain that are responsible for self-processing and valuation. This means that self-affirmations can provide us with a more positive perspective on ourselves which equips us from threats towards our self-view and self-competence.
Self-affirmations can also help us cope with the anxiety a 2019 study has proven that self-affirmations can help reduce feelings of “powerlessness” and consequently improving individuals their inhibitory control abilities. In other words, self-affirmations allow us to become more confident in our own skills.
When it comes to our day-to-day lives, self-affirmations can help lessen the stress that we experience due to the variety of tasks that we have to tackle. A group of researchers found that self-affirmations can also help underperforming individuals who have chronic stress. When self-affirmed, they become better problem-solvers and unleash more creativity which in turn buffer the stress that usually plagues them.
Overall, self-affirmations are important tools to have because they help us combat our false beliefs against ourselves, elevate us to more self-aware and confident individuals, and allow us to power through the struggles that we are face with on a daily basis.
Empower Yourself Through Self-Affirmations
Now that you’ve learned what self-affirmations are, how they work, and how they can help you through your pregnancy, it’s time to gift yourself with its undeniable power.
First, identify the negative thoughts that have been limiting you, turn them around by using positive words, and witness yourself grow into the wonderfully capable mother that you are meant to be.
To begin your journey with self-affirmations, what’s one kind thing that you can tell yourself today as a soon-to-be mum?