Positive Affirmations for Sobriety
Positive affirmations are a proven method of self-improvement because of their ability to rewire our brains. Much like exercise, affirmations can reduce stress and raise the level of feel-good hormones such as dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. Studies show that affirmations can improve education, health, and relationship outcomes, with benefits that sometimes persist for months and years. Affirmations are also great for helping with depression after getting sober and breaking patterns of negative thoughts, negative speech, and, in turn, negative actions.
According to Psychology Today words cannot change reality, but they can change how people perceive reality. Words create filters through which people view the world around them. By giving yourself an optimistic statement to repeat when you start feeling down, you’ll be more likely to overcome negative thoughts. This can enable you to start taking control of your emotions and make positive changes in your life.
Patmccashin.com is supported by its readers. When you purchase something using the links on my site, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own.
Table of Contents
An Easy Way to Come up with Positive Affirmations for Sobriety
Start out by simply doing some day dreaming about what you want in life. Consider what core personal values, attributes and characteristics are most important to you and write them out in a list. Keep your affirmations positive and in the present tense. As suggested in the excellent book The 30 – Day Sobriety Solution end your affirmations with ‘thriving in sobriety’. For example, if being healthy is a core personal value, write out ‘I am healthy thriving in sobriety’. And don’t just mindlessly say the affirmations. While repeating the affirmation think about what it means to you, what barriers are in place that are stopping you from achieving that affirmation, and what you have to do to overcome those barriers and realize that affirmation. To use the above example – ask yourself what you consider healthy and how you would like to be healthy? What is stopping you from being healthy and how do you overcome those barriers to become healthy?
Include Obstacles and Barriers to Your Goals and How to Overcome Them
Affirmations work so well that if we just repeat something over and over we can trick ourselves into believing it’s true… and leave it at that. If we repeat ‘I am healthy and wealthy’ over and over again we can trick ourselves into believing we are healthy and wealthy and might not do any of the work needed to actually become healthy and wealthy.
This was part of the big backlash over the book and movie called The Secret. They are both great and worth reading and watching. However, you can repeat ‘I am healthy and wealthy’ as much as you want, but if you sit on the couch all day watching TV and eating potato chips, chocolate bars and hamburgers, you will be sick and broke not healthy and wealthy. That is why we need to consider and include barriers and impediments to our goals in our affirmations, as well as strategies and solutions to overcome those obstacles and barriers.
Use Visualizations with Your Affirmations
Along with writing down your affirmations and saying them regularly, use visualization to help internalize your affirmations. Visualize yourself thriving in sobriety while personifying whatever core value you are focusing on. Be as specific as possible. Picture the scene in as much detail as you can and include sounds, smells, tastes and sensations. Be especially aware of and try to evoke emotions and feelings associated with the affirmation. Keep your visualizations positive and have fun with it.
When to Say your Affirmations
The most beneficial time to say your affirmations is right when you go to bed, just before falling asleep. This puts those positive thoughts in your mind for further contemplation during sleep. It also allows our sub conscious to contemplate strategies to overcome obstacles and achieve your affirmations. The next best times to say your affirmations are right when you wake up in the morning and whenever you are feeling low, depressed or down. In reality, you can say them anytime, anywhere. Other good times and places to do your affirmations include:
- When looking at yourself in the mirror.
- When waiting at a red light.
- When you can’t fall asleep.
- When you are holding your breath during your Wim Hoff breathing.
- When you are walking.
- When you are running, hiking, biking or swimming.
Non Positive Affirmations and When to use Them
When you first quit drinking and start thriving in sobriety it is okay, in fact it is encouraged, to use one negative affirmation. When you first quit you need to not only focus on the pleasure sobriety will bring you, but also the pain drinking has and will continue to bring you. Humans will do more to avoid pain than gain pleasure, and we need to utilize this phycological fact.
One of the most important things you must do is convince yourself that alcohol brings you pain, and not just pain but massive amounts of pain. The insidious and difficult thing about alcohol is that it does, in the short term, bring pleasure. The first few drinks of alcohol triggers a release of endorphins – chemicals that bring feelings of pleasure – and after years of drinking this is ingrained in your brain.
To break this pattern you need to stop drinking for one, but you also need to think deeply about how alcohol has brought you pain and how abstaining will bring you pleasure. Affirmations are meant to be positive but you can turn this into an affirmation of sorts. Remind yourself daily of all the different ways alcohol brings you pain and how quitting will both stop that pain and bring you pleasure. It can be helpful to think of alcohol as poison. This is easy to do because alcohol truly does act like a poison. It poisons your mind and body.
As time goes by it is best to focus on your positive affirmations and how thriving in sobriety brings you pleasure. But, at the beginning you need to remind yourself why you are quitting on a daily, if not hourly, basis.
My Personal Positive Affirmations for Sobriety
My personal affirmation is ‘I am happy, humorous and healthy, mindful, wise and wealthy – thriving in complete sobriety’. Feel free to use mine or parts of mine but also come up with some of your own. I further break mine down into the following strategies to accomplish those affirmations.
I am happy – thriving in sobriety.
I am mindful.
- I live in the present moment.
I am accepting of what is.
I am forgiving, especially of myself.
I enjoy the present moment – thriving in sobriety.
I am humorous – thriving in sobriety.
- I am egoless and prideless.
- I am funny.
- I amuse myself and others.
- I can be silly.
- I love a great joke and enjoy comedies.
- I don’t take myself too seriously – thriving in sobriety.
I am healthy – thriving in sobriety.
- I am healthy both mentally and physically.
- I am healthy mentally by being mindful of the present moment.
- I am content.
- I am accepting of what is.
- I am healthy physically by doing my workout and eating a whole food plant based diet
- I do my breathing exercises and cold water therapy regularly.
- I love drinking water, juice, tea, coffee and kombucha – thriving in sobriety.
I am mindful – thriving in sobriety.
- I live in the present moment.
- I live in the here and now.
- I realize that the present moment is the only moment we ever have, the only time we ever experience.
- The past is gone and the future may never come.
- I live in the present moment passively witnessing my thoughts, feelings, emotions and inner dialogue.
- I am grateful for the present moment.
- I enjoy the present moment – thriving in sobriety.
I am wise – thriving in sobriety.
- I live in the present moment.
- I am content.
- I am accepting of what is.
- I am forgiving, especially with myself.
- I forgive myself.
- I am compassionate, especially with myself – thriving in sobriety.
I am wealthy – thriving in sobriety.
- I appreciate the things I have.
- I am grateful for all the loving friends and family I have in my life.
- I enjoy my work.
- I find work fun and fulfilling.
- I find work rewarding and relaxing.
- I always do my best.
- I do my best to avoid self doubt and self recrimination.
- I also do my best because I am focused on the task at hand, living and enjoying the present moment – thriving in sobriety.
As you can see, many of these are repetitive and focus on the same themes. However, that is what you want to do with affirmations. It is how they work. Figure out what you want and then focus on those things and how to acquire them, repeating it over and over to yourself.
The Four Agreements Turned into Positive Affirmations for Sobriety
- I am impeccable with my word – thriving in sobriety. I never lie, especially to myself – thriving in sobriety.
- I never take anything personally – thriving in sobriety. People can be very disagreeable. Mostly because they are in pain. They try to make themselves feel better by spreading that pain. Do not take anything anyone says or does personally. They are in their own personal hell. Forgive them and forget about them. Always remember that holding a grudge and not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to get sick.
- I never assume – thriving in sobriety. I have the courage to ask questions. I have the courage to ask for help – thriving in sobriety.
- I always do my best – thriving in sobriety. I do my best to avoid self doubt and self recrimination. I also do my best because I am focused on the present moment, living and enjoying the here and now – thriving in sobriety.
Other Great Examples of Positive Affirmations for Sobriety
- I am calm, cool and collected – thriving in sobriety.
- I am confident and clear headed – thriving in sobriety.
- I forgive those who have harmed me in my past and peacefully detach from them – thriving in sobriety.
- I am awesome – thriving in sobriety.
- I am forgiving – thriving in sobriety.
- I forgive myself – thriving in sobriety.
- I love myself – thriving in sobriety.
- I live in the present moment – thriving in sobriety.
Affirmations as a Daily Habit
Affirmations are a great resource and habit to help with your sobriety journey or any other positive change you want to make in your life. Remember to say the affirmations and include strategies and solutions to achieve that goal. Repeat affirmations in the morning, before you go to sleep and anytime you are feeling down or depressed. And, like I say in my second personal affirmation, Be Humorous, don’t take yourself too seriously and have fun with it. Best of luck!
Pingback: What are the Best Movies About Getting Sober? - Pat McCashin
Pingback: The Power of Now Book Review - Pat McCashin