Whether you’re in recovery from an eating disorder, learning about intuitive eating, breaking up with diet culture, or just working on a non-diet approach to wellness, affirmations could play a helpful role in your journey.

What are affirmations?

Affirmations are statements that are encouraging, affirming, and offer emotional support. Positive statements alluding that something is true. An example could be: “I am learning to trust my body and honor its cues.”

What are the benefits of affirmations?

Affirmations can be used in a variety of ways; thinking them in your head, stating them out loud, writing them out/journaling them, or posting them on sticky notes so you see them throughout the day. They can also be used as part of a regular yoga, breath-work, or meditation practice. 

A study in 2018 found that positive affirmations helped improve girl’s body image. The study found that “mediator analyses showed that the effects were due both to increases in self-esteem and shifts away from using body shape and weight as a source of self-esteem.” 

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21762160/.

Regularly using affirmations can help:

• improve self-confidence
• increase motivation for change
• improve body image
• improve self-talk
• increase well-being
• decrease stress & anxiety

Since eating disorders and diet culture involve very critical, negative self-talk, it can instill hope and positivity by adding in some daily affirmations during your recovery journey. Once again, have them easily accessible so you can see/say them daily!

Try these positive affirmations for your ED recovery journey:

• I am in the process of learning to accept my body.

• I can do hard things.

• I strive to be present, over perfect.

• My body deserves care and respect.

• I am learning to trust my body.

• I deserve to take up space.

• I am not good or bad based off the food I eat.

• My worth is not determined by the number on the scale.

• Aim for progress over perfection.

• I have the power and freedom to change my story.

• I am enough, just the way I am.

• My body deserves nourishment.

• You can’t live a full life on an empty stomach.

• I am here. I am whole. I am right where I’m meant to be.

• I believe in my abilities.

Did any of these affirmations resonate with you? Let me know!

Want some affirmation cards to help you on your journey? Try these Feel Good Flashcards as a pretty & fun way to incorporate affirmations into your day to day life.