If you’re looking for mantras for anxiety, we’ve got 35 ideas to inspire you!
I have struggled with anxiety since I was 9-years-old. There was a time when I was completely debilitated by it, but I grew up at a time where mental illness wasn’t discussed or tolerated, and I was left to figure it out on my own. I managed to overcome my anxiety by the time I was 11, and while it barely played a part in my teenage years and most of my 20s and early 30s, it has threatened to swallow me many times since my dad died in 2014.
I am familiar with the physical symptoms of anxiety, as well as the lack of control and feelings of loneliness and despair it can cause, and even though I’m able to identify my cognitive distortions and have coping strategies in place to help keep myself grounded, I still have seasons where my anxiety is more pronounced and harder to manage.
I’m currently experiencing a tough season, and my regular coping techniques – running, clean eating, and limiting caffeine and alcohol – aren’t helping as much as they have in the past, which has forced me to step up my game. I’ve had success with mindful breathing and prioritizing regular self-care, and I recently started playing around with mantras for anxiety.
And I’m hooked!
Mantras are an incredibly simple yet powerful tool you can use anytime – and anywhere! – to calm your mind when anxious thoughts threaten to take over, and I love that you can personalize mantras for your specific fears. Check out 35 of my favorite mantras for anxiety below for a little inspiration!
What is a Mantra?
A mantra is a word or phrase that is repeated frequently to keep your mind focused. Mantras are typically used in meditation, but they are also a fabulous tool to shut down anxious thoughts and feelings. The idea is to pick a word or phrase with meaning to you, and each time you start to experience the signs of anxiety, repeat your mantra over and over until your thoughts shift and your body calms down.
Some people find it helpful to display their mantra somewhere prominent in their home and/or office, and others go so far as to have their mantra tattooed on their body. The sky really is the limit!
How Do Mantras Help Anxiety?
Repeating mantras for anxiety silently or out loud can help:
- Calm the physical symptoms of anxiety
- Remind your mind that you are not in physical danger
- Keep your mind focused and in the present instead of dwelling on anxious thoughts
- Challenge distorted thinking
How to Use Mantras
If you’re looking for mantras for anxiety, but have no idea how to actually use them, here are some ideas to get you started.
1) Identify the things that make you anxious
Spend a few days writing down all of the things that make you feel anxious. You’ll probably notice a common theme (i.e. school, work, a challenging relationship, fear surrounding a specific phobia, etc.), and the idea is to identify the things that cause you the most anxiety. This could be one specific worry or fear for some people, but others may have a few things that make them feel anxious throughout the day.
Once you’ve identified the areas you struggle with most, spend some time brainstorming a mantra you can use to shut down those thoughts or feelings. One overarching mantra may suffice, but if you have several very distinct things that cause you worry each day, you may benefit from selecting a few mantras for anxiety that are specific to each kind of fear you experience.
2) Create a ritual
Once you’ve identified the things that cause you the most anxiety and have selected a mantra to shut down your worries, spend some time brainstorming when and how you will put your mantras for anxiety into practice. In a perfect world, you would repeat your mantra(s) several times a day to help combat negative thinking before it even happens, but this can be challenging when you’re juggling work/school, a home, a family, a relationship, etc. Be realistic and identify at least 3 times throughout the day when you can commit to this practice.
3) Pick your technique
There are many ways to use mantras for anxiety, but in order for this to be really effective, you need to pick a technique that works best for you and that you are most comfortable with. Here are some ideas to consider:
- Look in the mirror. Repeat your mantra to yourself out loud while looking at yourself in the mirror. Pay attention to your facial features, and make sure you are exhibiting confidence as you speak. Stand tall, speak loudly, enunciate clearly, and smile.
- Sit tall and smile. If using a mirror makes you feel uncomfortable, but you still like the idea of repeating your mantra out loud, do so by sitting alone in a quiet room. Remember to sit tall and add a smile to promote feelings of positivity and confidence.
- Keep a journal. If repeating your mantra out loud isn’t your bag, consider keeping a journal whereby you spend time writing the things that cause you to feel anxious, followed by writing out your mantra over and over until you return to a place of calm. Writing things out by hand is a much more effective strategy than speaking out loud for some people, and you may find it helpful to record your worries and keep track of how many times you have to write your mantra before you return to a state of calm.
- Breathing. If you need a way to use you mantra while on the go, take a deep breath in and think about your mantra as you slowly exhale. Repeat until your feel calm and collected.
4) Use prayer beads
Prayer beads are a tool many people use to keep track of the number of times they repeat a mantra, and they can be extremely helpful in keeping your mind and body focused and in the moment. Keep a set at home and consider investing in a set that doubles as a necklace or bracelet so you always have a tool with you for on-the-go anxiety management.
35 Mantras for Anxiety
1. I am calm
2. Be still
3. I am enough
4. Breathe
5. Fear is a liar
6. I am stronger than my anxiety
7. I am not alone
8. This too shall pass
9. I am safe
10. Inhale, exhale
11. Oh yes I can
12. Still I rise
13. I am not my anxiety
14. Be here now
15. Mind over matter
16. Keep moving forward
17. I am in control
18. I am doing my best
19. Just keep swimming
20. Be the change
21. I am prepared
22. I accept myself unconditionally
23. I am worthy
24. This is temporary
25. I choose calm
26. Let it go
27. I am resilient
28. No regrets
29. I choose to be happy
30. I am love
31. I am calming down
32. I deserve to be happy
33. I can only control myself
34. I am grounded
35. One thing at a time
Mantras for anxiety are an easy, portable tool you can use to calm down the physical symptoms of anxiety, keep your mind focused and in the present, and challenge distorted thoughts. Once you’ve identified a phrase that helps you feel calm and grounded, remember to repeat it to yourself as often as possible to help combat anxious thoughts before they happen. And when your anxiety does take hold, take a deep breath in, repeat your mantra either out loud or silently to yourself, and breath out. Repeat as many times as needed until your body and mind return to a place of calm.
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