How we need to be more like the ducks...
Since all of the lockdowns over the last year or so, going out on more walks and runs than ever before, I've grown increasingly attached to watching, admiring & feeding the local ducks.
They always seem so happy, so free of worry, fear or anxiety.
Always enjoying floating around, bobbing their heads in and out of the water, having duck races down the river, or sometimes just peacefully sleeping with their heads tucked into their feathers.
The ducks in the video below seem to be quite frenetic actually! But happy nonetheless.
I often think that it would be a nice life to be a duck.
My personal trainer disagrees. "You'd probably get eaten by a fox! I wouldn't want to get eaten by a fox!" he always says.
Maybe it is true that you'd eventually get eaten by a fox if you're a duck - but the thing is, I don't think that the ducks really think about that.
I'm fairly certain that a duck doesn't spend it's days thinking, 'Oh, I'm so worried today, because it's possible that I might get eaten by a fox tonight, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I just don't know how I'll cope if that happens."
I'm fairly certain that ducks don't even have the capacity to think into the future like this. They always live rooted in the present moment, simply enjoying everything that is unfolding around them in nature at any given moment in time.
The power of the present moment
As humans, we're possibly the only animal on the planet burdened with the ability to think into the future, and look back into the past. Yet, letting go of our thoughts and being able to stay grounded in the present moment is absolutely the key to letting go of worry, fear and anxiety.
Positive affirmations for anxiety
Here is a list of positive affirmations to help with anxiety. My inspiration for these affirmations has largely come from Louise Hay and Kassandra Reinhardt - the queen and the princess of positive affirmations, respectively. Some of the affirmations are ones I've created myself. All of the affirmations are ones that I've used myself, to help me get through my own recent stressful events!
- I am calm, grounded and making steady progress.
- I trust in the flow of life.
- I have the self-esteem, power and confidence to move forward in life with ease.
- I am steady and focused. I feel more secure each day.
- I allow myself to be held and supported by the earth and nature.
- The universe loves me and supports me in every possible way.
- I breathe deeply and stay grounded in the present moment.
- I am not my thoughts; I am the observer of my thoughts.
- I let go of the need for perfection.
- I let go of the need for control and trust that things will turn out for the best.
- I don't know what the future holds for me, and I am OK with that.
- The moment I let go of expectations is the moment I become free.
- I have a special guardian angel. I am divinely guided and protected at all times.
- All of the changes that lie before me in life are positive ones. I am safe.
- It is OK to ask for help when I need it.
- I am unafraid of sharing my fears and anxieties; it is a sign of strength to do so.
- Entering situations that make us uncomfortable or afraid is the only way in which we can grow.
- When things get difficult I am strong enough to stay in the centre of the storm, facing whatever life throws at me, and working through things with my inner-strength, calmness and courage.
- Peace, clarity and calmness reside in the very heart of the storm. If I can withstand, and perhaps even embrace the storm, I will eventually find my way to that place of peace and calm.
- I let go of all fear.
- I am enough.
- I have enough.
- There is enough for everyone, including me.
- When I feel tense, I let go of my thoughts, and I remember to relax all of my muscles, from head to toe, whilst taking slow, deep breaths to ground myself into the present moment.
- When anxiety and fear starts to creep into my mind, I withdraw myself from my thoughts. I stop to take in the sights, sounds and smells around me, as well as the silence and space between things. I ask myself if everything is OK right now, in this moment? And the answer is always, "Yes, I am safe right now." And then everything slows down and I become calm.
- I choose faith over fear.
- When I let go of all fear and doubt life becomes simple and easy for me.
- I realise that stress is only fear. I now release all fears.
- I always honour the present moment.
- This too shall pass.
How to work with these positive affirmations for anxiety
Positive affirmations work best when you actively engage with the them, thinking about how each statement makes you feel, and why it makes you feel that way.
Perhaps some of the statements don't really resonate with you. Perhaps you don't fully believe them to be true. If this is the case, then you probably need to think a little more deeply around those statements, questioning why they give rise to these feelings.
If you've not already read my article on the power of positive affirmations you may like to read that - it suggests some of the ways in which you can work with positive affirmations to get the most benefit from them.
Lisa
Free printable positive affirmation cards
These positive affirmations for anxiety are available to download as positive affirmation cards in the free printables vault. You'll need to subscribe to access the free printables vault - subscribing is free, only takes a few seconds, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Lisa
Free printable positive affirmation posters
I've also chosen some of my favourite positive affirmations for anxiety - the ones that have helped me the most - and compiled them into a free printable poster. This poster, and other positive affirmation posters, are available to download from the free printables vault.
Lisa
You may also be interested in...
Lisa
Lisa
Thank you for reading this post!
If you're enjoying following my weight loss journey and would like to keep up to date, you can follow me on Instagram, or subscribe to my email newsletter, or leave me a comment below.
Comments
Sign in or become a mystrongestself.com member to join the conversation.
Just enter your email below to get a log in link.