"Iffirmations" For Anxiety And Overthinking

Affirmations sometimes ask us to speak in certainties that our brains or bodies may not actually believe. That can be helpful for some people. For others, it can create friction.

Iffirmations work a little differently. Instead of trying to force certainty, we experiment with possibility. We loosen the grip a little and ask:
What if this idea were even 2% more true than it feels right now?

This practice is about curiosity, nervous system spaciousness, and trying on new ways of relating to your anxiety and overthinking without demanding immediate transformation or resolution. Please note: This practice is not a replacement for professional mental health care.

Transcript

Welcome to what I call an information practice. In many traditional affirmation practices, We say what we hope is true as if it is true. Sometimes that's helpful. Sometimes it's not so helpful. Anxiety can make it hard to access the feeling of spaciousness that affirmations are intended to create. Anxiety, In my body anyway, Doesn't feel spacious. It feels constricted, Kind of like being stuck in a room that's too warm and stuffy with a window that won't open. So in today's if-formation practice, We're trying something a little different. We're not trying to convince ourselves that any particular thing is true. We're just asking some questions and seeing if they can let us crack that window open, Even a tiny bit. You don't have to believe what the questions are suggesting. You don't even have to answer them. Just notice what happens in your body as they float through the air between us. Before we get started, Let yourself land here. Find a position that works for your body right now. Maybe that's lying down. Maybe that's sitting. Or maybe you're walking or stretching or chopping vegetables. Any of those things is perfectly fine. If it's safe to do so, And you'd like to, You can close your eyes. But if you're chopping vegetables, Please keep your eyes open. So first, Just settle in. And let's take one deep breath together. Maybe let's do one more. Just an inhale and an exhale. What if you've done enough for today? What if there's nothing else that you need to decide? What if your thoughts don't define you? What if your feelings make sense in the context of what you have lived through? What if it's okay not to be sure about things? What if you don't need a perfect plan? What if some things are quietly working themselves out in the background? What if you can put down some of the responsibility for making sure that things turn out okay? What if it's safe to rest now? What if the things you're worried about don't end up happening? What if you are basically good? What if you can be safe even if you don't do everything right? What if it isn't a problem to have a problem? What if the future contains moments of relief or joy that you haven't imagined yet? And what if you do not need certainty about any of that right now? Anxiety and worry really want us to be sure that things either will or they won't be okay. But maybe certainty isn't possible. And what if that's okay? Notice what happens in your body when you imagine sitting with not knowing. Maybe there's a constriction, A tightening. A pang in your chest. Or maybe there's a loosening. An opening. Some kind of relief. What if whatever you're feeling in this moment is perfectly fine? What if it's okay if the feeling passes quickly? And also okay if it doesn't. What if it's okay not to even be sure what you're feeling? What if there is space right here and now just to be with yourself with all of your questions and worries? And not fix, Change, Or do anything. You might notice anxiety showing up or getting bigger as you consider pausing, Resting, Or not trying to solve anything right now. What if not moving is not the same thing as being stuck? What if resting is also an action? What if you have nothing to prove? What if what you're feeling right now doesn't have to be the same as it was a moment ago? Or the same as it will be a moment from now. What if you're okay exactly like you are in this moment? You don't have to force yourself into a calm state in order to rest here. You don't have to solve your whole future tonight. You don't have to figure out the meaning of every feeling, Thought, Sensation, Or possibility. For just this moment. Maybe. Nothing needs to be added or removed. What if you can simply notice that you're here? You're breathing. Listening, Just being. What if this moment can be enough all by itself? And if your mind starts moving again, Planning again, Worrying again, That's okay too. Minds have a tendency to do that. Just check in and see if there's anything in your body that feels supported and held right now. Maybe your feet feel supported by the floor. Maybe your sit bones feel connected to the chair beneath you. Maybe your ears feel held by the sound of my voice. Just notice whatever is here. When you're ready. You can let your attention widen a little bit. To take in the room you're in. If your eyes have been closed, You might open them. You might want to stretch a little bit, Wiggle your fingers and your toes. Notice the temperature of the air. You're still here. Let's take one more deep breath in and out together. Thank you for spending this time with me today.