To preface this blog, I need to tell you something that helps me with stress: watching children’s movies. I know this may sound, well childish, but it is something that helps turn bad and stressful days around for me. I love watching a “make believe” world where there are good morals, encouraging messages, and life lessons that can be applied to so many different things that may be going on in your life.
I recently came home from a rough day and decided to watch Moana again. In the movie, Moana repeats a mantra to herself saying, “I am Moana of Motonui. You will board my boat, sail across the sea, and restore the heart of Te Fiti.” This got me thinking about how useful mantras are for athletes, people trying to lose weight, people trying to increase their confidence, or anyone just trying to get through the day.
One of the most popular pieces of the movie, “The Help,” was how Aibileen used to tell the young girl, Mae Mobley, a mantra repetitively: “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”
How different would you feel about yourself if you heard those statements everyday? How differently would you feel about your day when you repetitively told yourself what you were hoping to accomplish like Moana?
The thing about this is that YOU have the power to tell yourself positive affirmations. If you want to use these movies as general outlines of your affirmations, fill in the blanks for what you want to say about and to yourself.
My name is _____. I am _____ (insert positive attribute about yourself like confident, strong, tough, determined, friendly, anything at all!). I will _____ (insert your goal).
If you want to use the format from The Help, then think of at least three positive attributes that you like about yourself.
“I am kind. I am smart. I am important.”
Once you have your mantra or affirmation chosen, find a way to implement that into your routine. One of the best times to use these affirmations are when you first wake up. Most people wake up and go right into their bathroom. When you are in there, look yourself in the mirror and repeat your affirmations. This will not automatically become a habit so what are some things you can use to remind yourself to do this each morning? Set a reminder on your phone, write your affirmations on your mirror, use a post-it to remind you, etc.
Pretty soon it will become part of your normal day. Then, it becomes part of something that you can tell yourself before or during competitions.
What are your affirmations? How can they help change your mindset?