Before becoming a fully pledged member of the #ttc community, I did not understand the power of positive affirmations. Fast forward two IVF cycles later and into the third trimester of my pregnancy, I finally get it. What are positive affirmations? Rather than blanket positive thinking, 'today is going to be a good day', affirmations put YOU in the steering wheel of YOUR thoughts thereby resulting in a huge beneficial impact on not just the way you feel but the experiences you have.
There are many incredible studies showing the impact of the mind and body connection. It makes total sense in all elements of our life. Feeling good in ourselves leads to healthy relationships, a belief to succeed equates to success (ask any athlete) and so on. However many experiences in life can have the opposite effect. Strong feelings of sadness, fear and anxiety can put stress on the body, affecting our overall energy, the way we feel and can be detrimental to our health. To be clear, I am not saying the mind is a miracle cure, we as the human race will always need physical drugs and treatments whether that is for fertility or an illness. BUT there is an overwhelming amount of evidence supporting that our minds drive biological changes that are crucial for physical health.
IVF can be exciting but the waiting and anticipation can make the process nerve wracking causing stress and anxiety. Because of this, it is important to nurture the mind.
Benefits of IVF affirmations in particular are;
* Release fear
* Letting go of anxiety
* Shifting negative thoughts to positive ones
* Practice being grateful
* Manifest an outcome
* Attracting good things into life
By using positive affirmations as a way of letting go of the negative thoughts weighing you down, you can switch your perspective so your in control of your thoughts and feelings. Focusing on a positive mind plan can have a positive and powerful outcome on conception. IVF is emotional enough, especially with your body being pumped with hormones, the excitement, the nerves and not to mention the two week wait. I know first hand how feeling strong and powerful can completely change the experience from feeling like your a passenger on rickety rollercoaster being thrown in every possible direction to being in the driving seat. You have the power to change your thoughts as only you know how you are feeling.
I can speak first hand of the impact positive affirmations had on my own experiences. My acupuncturist recommended throughout our treatments I practice affirmations, after a failed cycle she picked up on my worry and nerves. Struggling with what these should be exactly, she gave me a few examples which I put into practice and would repeat out loud 5 times once a day. I would normally tie it in with doing 10 minutes of mindfulness with an app at the end of the day or when feeling anxious and in need of some time out. The outcome? It truly put me in a calm and serene headspace where although I had a lot going on with IVF and in general life, I shifted my energy from constrained and anxious to positive, relaxed and open.
Of course affirmations will be completely personal to you and your journey but the key is to create something simple and positive. If you have an upcoming IVF cycle, here are some examples:
Fear: The stress is going to make this cycle fail
Positive affirmation; I am doing everything to be my healthiest mentally and physically for this IVF.
Fear: I am scared of the impact on my relationship/marriage
Positive affirmation: I am in a loving, honest relationship and my partner/husband loves me no matter what.
Fear: I am scared of injections / upcoming procedure
Positive affirmation: I am strong, focused and powerful - I can deal with anything.
Fear: What if I miscarry?
Positive affirmation: I put my faith and trust in my body and the power of creation.
*When doing the affirmations exhale stress and inhale peace.
You and only you, can change your thinking. You have got this mama!
