Powerful Daily Affirmations to Boost Educator Well-Being
- Crystal Tomlinson
- Jul 2, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 30, 2024
Yo, Yo, Yo, educators! 🌟 As we all know, teaching can be a shit show of emotions, challenges, and rewards. Sometimes we need help staying grounded and in tune with our own vibe so that we can reach our students. For those "I'M FORGETTING WHO I EVEN AM" moments, I find relying on affirmations to be a powerful reset tool. Super helpful to build it in for your learners as well.
Affirmations are free and are totally personal to you! I want to share some effective affirmation practices that can transform your daily routine and elevate your overall well-being. These aren't just any affirmation practices; they're crafted from years of experience and are designed to be practical and relatable. Let's dive in!
To Get Started
Affirmations can feel weird and silly at first which is what stops most from sticking them out. Remember...I've worked with teens pretty much my whole career and if it's too cringe...it's a no-go. Our brains are like this too so we gotta be creative and make it work for us. Then the brain tends to jump on board. People also forget the power of just DOING. So for the skeptics out there, it's always great to start with the brain🧠science behind the practice.
Why Affirmations Matter
Affirmations are more than just positive statements—they're tools that can reshape your mindset and improve your emotional resilience. According to brain science, regularly practicing affirmations can rewire neural pathways, making positive thinking more automatic. This is particularly crucial for educators since we often face high levels of stress and emotional demands like... minute-to-minute..
So what's the Purpose: challenge those negative or unhelpful thoughts - change the narrative (like Jessica here ⬇️)
Reasons to Practice: to boost something, encourage positive change, motivate
It's simple, accepted, and well established
How I have seen it help: acts as a distraction
cuts the rumination
promotes an overall calm vibe
in setting goals
deters negative habit urges
promotes positive coping
increase motivation/stamina
For me, it has the physiological effect of lowering my blood🩸pressure. I had to practice this mixed with breathing at my last wellness visit due to very high blood pressure. In 5 minutes, the two practices brought it down significantly.
The Brain and Affirmations
First off, our brains change, it's called neuroplasticity, and repeating positive phrases can increase neural pathways that reinforce behavior patterns.
It also stimulates the part of the pre-frontal cortex linked to our self-perception.
When used repetitively, the brain puts the affirmations on a feedback loop making the practice easier over time.
It keeps us mindful and in the present moment while prompting cognitive restructuring that leads to more balanced thinking. It keeps us more adaptive.
Practicing affirmations as a reset tool can chill down the amygdala by alerting your nervous system that you are safe. Then the pre-frontal cortex can get to work with rational thinking.
If you get into data from brain scans related to mental health, then check out this article from Positive Psychology. It also goes into self-affirmation theory which is cool too.
So What To Do?
If you are to the point in your wellness journey where you can FEEL things (like in your body), affirmations can be a great tool, along with breathing of course. They can act like an early intervention when you notice changes.
They also don't have to be cheesy or awkward. I create and use what I need or what prompts the brainstorming of what I need. Starting with Self-Awareness is also a great idea!
Important to note: You have to vibe with it for it to really be effective. It needs to correlate with who you are (self-identity)
If you are anything like me...you have to have it on a list, reminder or notifications when it comes to building healthy habits. If you enjoy using apps for wellness, here are two that can be personalized and set up to send notifications or messages straight to ya! Also, I like the simplicity and the graphics are my vibe.
Ok...Let's explore some practical ways I've incorporated Affirmation Routines into my life and then into my classroom or program.
1. Mindful Affirmation Breaks
Take a few minutes between classes or during classes or whenever for a quick affirmation break. Roll your eyes all you want but it's the system that has you thinking you can't not reality. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and repeat your phrase: "I am making a positive impact every day." This practice can help you reset and refocus, providing more calm amid a most likely hectic experience. I found it helped me React Less and Respond More.
"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time" - Unknown
Try this Mini Moment. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and repeat:
2. Reflective Journaling
However it fits into your day, write down or record one affirmation that resonates with you and reflect on how it applied to your day. For example: "I handled today’s challenges with the patience I knew I had." This reflection not only reinforces positive thinking but also allows you to see your growth over time. If I am doing affirmation cards with my learners or groups I will use creating a new card as my reflective journaling practice.
3. Affirmation Cards
Create a set of affirmation cards that you can keep on your desk. make a background, or carry with you. Whenever you need a boost, pick a card and focus on its message. Examples include: "I am capable of overcoming any challenge" and "Every day is a new opportunity for growth." I've brought it up but you'll notice I am always talking anbout how mindfulness brought out such creative vibes in me. Or I found mindfulness in creativity. That's probably more like it. And I love Canva so making cards can be a fun project for anyone at anytime. Print out, use as slides, include in agendas, print-on-demand it.
4. Morning Affirmation Ritual
Start your day with a powerful affirmation: "I am ready to inspire and be inspired." Incorporate this into your morning routine—say it while you’re getting ready or during your commute, or drinking your coffee. Setting a positive intention can influence your entire day. I even build this into my daily checklist routine on my Trello Board. I was recently working in a school that had a longer commute. If I didn't' use an affirmation practice during this time, the rumination would start. I noticed, I would just feel good when I arrived. It didn't alwasy last long, but at least I didn't need to take a "detour" in order to actually pull in. IFYKYK
5. Classroom Affirmations
Great Back To School or SEL or Early Finisher Activity Idea. Also great for counselors and interventionists. Teach and Share affirmations with your students to create a positive classroom environment. Try: "Together, we can achieve great things." This fosters a supportive community and models positive self-talk for your students. They can develop their own to use for connection and resoruce tool. Snag it here!
6. Real-Life Visualization
Another effective technique is real-life visualization. Imagine yourself successfully handling a challenging situation with calm and confidence. Before a difficult meeting or class, visualize yourself navigating the situation smoothly. Picture your words and actions bringing about a positive outcome. This mental rehearsal can make a big difference in your real-life responses. It can feel strange, so maybe try some scripts out to get started.
Closing Thoughts
Affirmations are a powerful and practical way to nurture your well-being and create a positive mindset. By integrating these practices into your daily routine, you can enhance your resilience and hopefully enjoy a more fulfilling teaching experience. Remember, taking care of yourself is essential to being the best educator you can be and bringing out the best in your learners.
Ready to elevate your well-being with affirmations? Don’t forget to share your favorite affirmations and how they’ve helped you on social media using #MsTTalks and #EducatorWellBeing. Let's inspire each other and stay well together!
Remember...The Little Things Do Matter
Crystal @MsTTalks
I have used positive affirmations in a slideshow to use occasionally with myself and my students, however, that has been the limit of my incorporation. Your blog has given me a direction or focus (thanks for the why which is so enlightening and beneficial) to make things more of a routine engagement in the classroom and positive community and wellness of all members. The resources, including the freebies, will help me foster this goal. Goodbye negatives, hello positives!