With Christmas fast approaching, I’ve thought about how the holidays can be a stressful, and even depressing time for some, and how easy it is to forget what this season is all about. This is the season of gratitude and giving. It’s the season of peace and joy and love. Remember to slow down and think about what the holidays mean to you and how you can make the most of it.
Enjoy yourself this week and remember that pleasure is part of wellness! You are deserving of love and happiness and compassion, don’t let anyone make you think differently. Show yourself some love this week and be kind to yourself and those around you.
Some holiday affirmations to help you find peace:
- I prioritize joy this season
- I make sure to express my love and gratitude to those around me.
- I allow myself to let go and enjoy the festivities.
- I cherish every moment with my loved ones.
- I choose gratitude and present-moment living at all times.
- I allow myself to slow down and find peace this season.
One of the most important things to me, and one reason why I love the holidays, is the opportunity to gather and spend quality time with loved ones. It is well accepted that interpersonal connections and healthy relationships are extremely important to our health and happiness. Now is the perfect time to reflect on how we’re doing as a partner, friend, sibling, parent, child, etc. and is a great opportunity to focus on developing healthy relationships.
One thing you can do now to start improving your relationships is practicing self-affirmation!
There is a wealth of prior research showing that those with low self-esteem have less healthy and satisfying relationships, romantic and other, and there is also plenty of research demonstrating that self-affirming individuals have higher self-esteem.
In a recent dissertation published at the University of Vermont studying the literature on affirmations and relationship functioning, it was found that exposure to self-affirmations limits defensive distancing in those with lower self esteem and helps to increase self-esteem.
And those with high self-esteem report more commitment, closeness, and satisfaction in relationships compared to those with low self-esteem.
Recent self-affirmation studies also provide hopeful evidence that it may be possible to stop self-fulfilling prophecies of rejection within romantic partnerships. In one intervention, for example, individuals with low levels of self-esteem successfully used self-affirmations to promote positive relationship outcomes and reported higher investment in their relationship, whereas before they reported worse relationship outcomes and were predicted to have future, self-initiated relationship destructive behavior.
Start improving your relationships now by practicing self-affirmations! Check out the Selfpause app to find a variety of affirmations to grow healthy connections and resilient relationships, or use the app to write and record your own affirmations and meditations!
