Caregiving is not a job for the faint of heart…it is HARD. There is so much to do; responsibilities to juggle, emotions to manage, fires to put out, emergencies to tend to. When circumstances get you down, it’s easy for self-doubt and negativity to creep in. If we aren’t careful, those feelings can infect our spirits and become as destructive as cancer is to our souls. We need to speak life to our souls through daily affirmations for caregivers.
Caregiving is emotionally, physically and spiritually exhausting! There are good days, even great ones! The days where you feel on top of your game, things are rolling along smoothly, you are feeling loved, fulfilled, appreciated and accomplished! Then, there are the other days…where nothing goes right! You are overwhelmed, your spirit is deflated, and you are ready and willing to admit defeat! Playing in traffic or locking yourself in the bathroom and refusing to come out sound like viable (and attractive) alternatives!
Protecting our minds, guarding our hearts and speaking life into our souls, are things we must be proactive and intentional about. This is NOT a task we can delegate to others. We have to choose this for ourselves. This is one commitment to ourselves that we cannot afford to break.
Positive Self- Talk
I want you to think for a minute about what your inner dialogue and personal self-talk sounds like these days (especially on the DOOZIE days)! You know the ones I am talking about! Go ahead…I’ll wait right here.
Please, for the love of all things holy…BE HONEST with yourself! God already knows your heart and mind. But the question is, do you?
Our words carry so much power. They have the ability to breathe life or cause death! When God created humans, he gifted us in a unique way. Human beings are like no other creature on the planet. We are able to communicate and interact with our environment and with other human beings through sharing our thoughts, feelings and ideas with words!
Unfortunately, we have become flippant with the words that cross our lips. Instead of thoughtfully speaking, we unconsciously spew whatever comes to mind all over others and ourselves. We speak thousands of words a day.
But, how many of those words are being used to speak encouragement and life into our weary souls?
What is a Positive Self Affirmation?
Have you ever seen the movie Evan Almighty? There is a scene in the movie where Evan (Steve Carrell) is getting ready for work in the morning and while he is dressing in the mirror, he repeats several positively affirming statements over himself and his day. Check out this clip.
Positive affirmations are statements that you speak over yourself, your day, and your life. This form of affirmative self- talk is a way for you to reframe the negative thoughts and feelings you are experiencing and turn them into something more life giving. This practice is a way for us to take responsibility for our thought life and retrain our brains to reinforce a desired behavior, thought, outlook or attitude.
Speaking affirmations over your life might sound “woo woo” or silly, but I would highly recommend not knocking it until you try it! This is a form of self-care that is absolutely FREE and has the power to transform your heart and mind and breathe life into your weary spirit! Making these affirmations a part of your daily practice is a simple, yet profound way to show yourself love, appreciation, grace and gratitude!
What Makes a Good Affirmation?
Positive affirmations for caregivers do not have to be complex or take a long time to say. However, the best affirmations are:
-Positive, Life Giving and Compassionate
-Spoken in the present tense (I am ______)
-Unconditional (not dependent on the outcome of situation or another person)
-Repeated often
-Written down
20 Positive Affirmations for Caregivers
- I am blessed and grateful for my life.
- I am enough.
- I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve my loved one in this special way.
- I am human and will make mistakes. When I do, I expect to forgive myself generously.
- I am in control of my feelings and my responses.
- I have an army of people who love and care for me.
- I am strong and capable of doing hard things.
- I am worth taking care of.
- I have control over my choices.
- I am full of energy and passion.
- I am hard working and I do not give up.
- I am calm and full of God’s peace.
- I am radically loved by Christ.
- I am able to overcome challenges and respond positively to obstacles.
- I am holding on to God’s truth and letting go of lies and excuses.
- My body is healthy and my soul is peaceful.
- I am uniquely gifted by God to make a Kingdom impact.
- Everything that is happening now, God is using it for good in my life.
- I will extend grace to myself and others.
- I am a conqueror through Christ!
As a caregiver, I know how difficult your job is. The pain, doubt and exhaustion that you are feeling is real. Please remember to be kind to yourself.
Use your words to speak life to yourself and others. Changing your mindset is a process and will require practice and consistency. Make a commitment to yourself to incorporate positive affirmations for caregivers into your daily caregiving routine and watch how your thoughts and attitudes begin to transform and evolve over time.
The only thing left to do now is START! Don’t wait…your best self is waiting for you!
“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24, NIV).
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