Your words have power! Have you ever heard of the famous scripture, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue”? Well, not only is it a statement of faith, but it’s a statement of science. Findings in neuroscience show the significant impact words have on the brain. For instance, intentionally identifying emotions as, “sad”, “anxious”, or “confused”, lowers amygdala activation (Lieberman, Eisenberger, Crockett, Pfeiffer, & Way, 2007). The amygdala is a processing center in your brain for emotions. Additionally, it connects your emotions to other abilities such as memory and learning. Therefore, we always want to be intentional regarding the statements and words we use about ourselves, especially with our internal dialogue. 

When you find yourself using negative words to describe yourself or your situation. Stop what you are doing, take a deep breath, and speak words of affirmation. You may or may not feel a difference initially, however over time you will see that words of affirmation produce much more positive results. 

Here are some phrases you can incorporate into your life, especially when you start to feel stressed out, overwhelmed, or insecure. Some of these you may already recognize!

I do not have a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and a sound mind. 

I only have to win 51% of the battles to win the war. 

How I finish is far more important than how I started. 

What I’m dealing with now is only temporary. 

The past is the past, it is not my future. 

I am capable of making healthy choices. 

Negative thoughts do not serve me anymore.

I am proud of myself and will continue to strive to do well.

I am becoming more resilient each day. 

I no longer entertain negative thoughts.