#HEYGRRRLFRENNNS How is everybody doing? I loved talking with you all last week during #GrrrlsNightIn! We are officially in our seventh month of restarting our radical self-care journey together! Every single milestone we hit reminds me of just how far we’ve come. Remember when I started this whole thing like two years ago, fell off the face of the earth, rose like a phoenix from the ashes and then wrote our first blog post back on a paper towel begging you grrrls for forgiveness? Ah, we have come soo far from the quicker picker-upper energy from the old days and we have grown soo much in the process!! This summer has been filled with a lot of laughs and easy going fun filled topics, and while I absolutely love that for us it’s about time we got back to more serious business. Now don’t go deflating your pool floaty just yet, even though my mind body and soul is already picking out which cozy socks I am going to wear this fall it is still technically hot grrrl summer! So I am going to eaaaaase us into the more serious topics slowly, to make the transition just a little easier for everybody. This week, we are talking all about affirmations!

Affirmations are positive statements you repeat to yourself to build confidence and shift your mindset. Think of them as your personal cheerleaders, helping you stay focused on your strengths and goals. 2-4-She-ATE! Who do we appreciate? When you practice affirmations, you’re essentially setting yourself up for a more positive and confident mindset. It’s a way to tell yourself, “Hey, I’ve got this!”, “I’m capable and worthy”, or “I’m all that and a bag of chips!” By integrating these affirmations into your daily routine, like during your morning coffee or while getting ready for the day, you create a positive mental environment that supports your well-being. Think of affirmations as your fun, feel-good tool for radical self-care. They’re a simple way to remind yourself of your awesomeness and keep your spirits high. Plus, who doesn’t love a little pep talk now and then?

Setting The Mood

Affirmations are a verbal love letter from you to you, so in order to feel comfortable pressing send you have to first set the mood. It’s all about romanticizing every moment and creating an environment conducive to showing yourself some love! For some grrrlies, this can be a little difficult and that is completely normal but why make things more complicated when they don’t have to be? The more comfortable you feel, the more free you feel to express yourself which is key because this is a very personal moment with yourself and that should be respected. If you know that you would probably feel corny hearing yourself talk about how amazing you are then you need to nix the noise until it doesn’t feel soo lame. The perfect solution to this is to create a playlist of songs that convey the message that you want to give yourself. Find a song where the perfect words have already been written! Is it about forgiveness? Is it about happiness? Is it about deleting his number and never looking back? Hasta La Vista Bad boy! Get into it! If you know that you would rather tweeze your leg hairs one by one, and I’m talking dead of winter thick not I’ll just put jeans on thick, than have someone accidentally walk in on you performing your affirmations give yourself the privacy that you deserve. Whether you want to scream your affirmations from the roof top or you don’t actually want to go toe to toe with your upstairs neighbor on who is the most obnoxious in the building you should give yourself the space and time to say what you have to say with confidence! So either wait until you know that you are going to be alone, or start creating more moments where you can indulge in a more me-time. Anyone who doesn’t understand that they can’t be glued to your hip 24/7 is hopefully under the age of seven and can be easily distracted with an iPad, so go do you grrrl!

Finding The Words

This is for all my grrrls who have literally no idea what to talk about. Sometimes you can set the mood just right, stand in the mirror proudly, and open your mouth and have absolutely nothing to say. Trust me grrrls, I have been there. Sometimes it’s not about figuring out what to say but where to start! We have been experiencing life with ourselves our entire lives and, excuse my french, we have seen some crazy shit! Unpacking that can be overwhelming and leave you, well… speechless. My advice here is to pick any day and then take it day by day. What do you need to hear today? What did you need to hear yesterday? What do you wish someone would’ve told you that one day you accidentally spilled coffee on your shirt in public?? You still looked Brew-tiful! Practicing affirmations doesn’t have to look like a scene out of a coming of age movie where you recite this beautifully crafted haiku about how amazing you are and then fly into the sun. It can look real! It’s funny how we can always find the words to say when something is going wrong, so if you need inspiration start there. If you need a moment to reflect and review and just vent about how cray cray life has gotten lately do it, but the power comes from reminding yourself at the end of all that madness what you are most grateful for and how you are proud of yourself for not letting anything stop you. For example, if your boss has you twisted, your dog just ripped up your shoe, and your latest boo is NOT blowing up your phone you are not going to feel like repeating “I am a princess warrior angel baby and everything always goes my way” ten times in a row. NO! You are going to feel like taking your princess warrior angel baby feelings out on the next person who slightly inconveniences you. Instead, take a moment to validate your feelings and try to find the silver lining. “Yea they’re lucky I am such a princess warrior baby angel! This isn’t even worth my time because everything literally always goes my way!!” sounds soo much more realistic and more likely to be put to use then pretending life is going to always present the perfect opportunities for radical self-care.

Keeping It Up

This one is coming straight out of the vault and on to the blog because it is literally magic. It will take a radical self-care rookie straight to all-star status and it all comes down to one word: autopilot. OOH! I love an opportunity to turn my brain off and not think soo much about everything, but in order to unlock autopilot mode you’re gonna need the master key aka consistency. Wait, wait, wait!! Don’t run away! There is no reason to be scared, I am a fellow sporadic and often times spontaneous grrrly myself and I can safely report that consistently practicing affirmations is not that bad, in fact it was actually kind of easy. The secret to my success has been to pair my affirmation with an action. When I first started doing this, I used water as my affirmation safe space. Every time I would take a sip of water, I would say a kind word about myself in my head. Like this: *Sip Sip* I am beautiful *Sip Sip Sip*. Pretty simple and hydrating! I wouldn’t recommend over complicating this process, like trying to say too many affirmations at one time because I wouldn’t want anyone to accidentally drown but if you are a good swimmer and an even better multi-tasker who am I to stop you? Water you waiting for?? Now, here is where the magic comes in. One beautiful day you are going to take a sip of water and forget to pair it with an affirmation BUT YOU WILL STILL THINK IT! Congratulations grrrl, you’ve just achieved autopilot!! Every time you do this action for the rest of your life you will now think of the affirmation you’ve paired it with! Just kidding, that sounds like a curse from a Disney villian or something. Yes, the chances of you remembering the affirmation are significantly higher but you aren’t doomed to a constant state of thinking positive (am I the only one who thinks that could get annoying really fast?) Without maintenance, your affirmations will probably begin to fade like your favorite big t-shirt but that with a little refresher here and there you will be as good as new!

Integrating affirmations into your routine can be a literal game changer! They’re a straightforward yet powerful tool for boosting your mindset and setting a positive tone for your day. They help reinforce your strengths, remind you of your worth, and give you the confidence boost you need to feel more comfortable being yourself. With just a few moments each day, you can shift your focus from self-doubt to self-assurance, making it easier to handle whatever comes your way. Embrace affirmations and let them be your secret weapon for staying motivated and building a stronger and healthier relationship with yourself. Affirmations can also help you stay grounded and focused, especially when life gets hectic or challenging. They’re like a mental reset button, reminding you of your goals and keeping you on track. By consistently practicing affirmations, you build a more resilient mindset that’s ready to face obstacles with grace and determination. Embrace affirmations and let them be your secret weapon for staying motivated and building a stronger, healthier relationship with yourself. It’s time to turn those positive thoughts into powerful actions! Now go and be great you lil grrrly pop! TTYL!