Repeating this phrase can help alleviate depression
Repeating this phrase can help alleviate depression.
Affirmations are like seeds; the more we say them, the more they develop and produce something positive.
If we want our seed to develop, we must reject our negative inner voice and replace it with positive thinking, one sentence at a time.
How one affirmation put me on the road to recovery from depression
There was a time when I believed there was no way to pull myself out of my depression. However, I wasn’t ready to give up on my life, and I felt I had enough stamina to give, being helped, one more try.
I heard about TMS and decided to give it a try. While there, I became friendly with one of the technicians, who gave me the name of her therapist, with whom she thought we would get along. I was skeptical.
Over the years, I’ve seen eight or nine therapists, some better than others. There were a few I didn’t connect with, a few who had relocated or changed jobs, and one who wanted to chat only about where I used to live.
I looked at it like this, what’s the worst that can happen if I try therapy again? I will feel worse than I already do? That wasn’t possible.
When I had my second appointment with my new therapist, Marnie, I began to sense a glimmer of optimism that this time might be different.
How I learned my therapist’s tip for understanding that “tomorrow is a new day.”
After meeting this new therapist, whom I liked, I agreed to go back. During my second appointment, I began to sense a glimmer of optimism that this time might be different.
I wondered if I felt hopeful because I was desperate to feel better. Or was it because my new therapist made it so simple to relax and let her assist me? It was a little of both.
How I learned my therapist’s tip for understanding that “tomorrow is a new day.”
Regardless, I knew I couldn’t let myself fail. Marnie focused only a little on my backstory. She was much more interested in learning about my current situation.
Before the therapy session ended, she handed me a pen and a pad of paper. She instructed me to write “Tomorrow is a New Day” across the top of the page. Marnie then asked me what I thought it meant. Thinking this was a trick question, I answered, “It means what it says.” “The meaning is the phrase, and the phrase is the meaning.” From her face, I could tell it wasn’t the response she was hoping for.
Then she asked, “What else do you think it means?” I had to read it a few times before I realized what she was trying to get me to see. “Wait, are you suggesting that if I literally think tomorrow is a new day, I can live a new day tomorrow?” At the time, I didn’t realize how a straightforward statement would become a life-changing affirmation.
I told Marnie, “I’ve never thought of anything other than that my tomorrows are just extensions of my todays.” Is it possible to change a perspective that you’ve had your entire life?
She explained that it makes no difference how long you have held this belief. What is important is your willingness to change. Marnie finished our session by telling me about my homework. I had to write “Tomorrow is a New Day” on post-its and place them all over my home.
That way, I could read the message whenever I saw it. That sounded easy enough. “Please do all my assignments, even if they appear simple or insignificant.” “It would be unfair to yourself if you didn’t give every insight or tool we worked on a chance.” “It’s normal to be discouraged if a new habit you’re attempting doesn’t stick right away,” she said.
That night, I went around my house and put the notes where I’d see them the most. I wanted to know how I would react to the sticky notes or whether I would even notice them.
The first note I read was on the back of my bathroom door the following day. Then I read the one on my bathroom mirror.
After that, I told myself, “You can’t keep giving this depression power.” “You need to just start letting go of your stockpile of pain.”
Over the following few days, I waited for something different to happen. Looking back, I realize something had changed. I never considered quitting. Reading the phrase sometimes made me cry; at other times, I told the message to f**k off. But I kept working on the assignment.
I was having a horrible day the first time I felt hope from my own actions. While angry, I reread the same post-it note for the 20th time, and that’s when I truly understood and internalized the affirmation. realizing that even though today wasn’t going as planned, I needed to remember that it doesn’t mean that tomorrow will have to be the same as today.
I couldn’t believe the gift Marnie had given me. Like a trapeze performer who always has a safety net beneath them, this notion became my safety net. It gave me the security of letting go of certain things I had been hanging onto and moving forward rather than staying in the present.
It’s been a few years since I put up my first post-it note. If someone had told me that a five-word phrase would help ease my constant sadness, I would have laughed.
When an affirmation finally starts sticking, it feels like finding the image in a “magic-eye” photograph; once you find it, you’ll never stop seeing it.
*To see the “Magic Eye” image within the picture, you must focus your eyes so that the image or message can be seen.
*To see the “Magic Eye” image within the picture, you must focus your eyes so that the image or message can be seen.
Focus on one affirmation at a time.
The Washington Post‘s Allyson Chiu published “How to Make Self-Affirmation Work, Based on Science.” An extract from her article discusses a study that discovered that when students write good attributes about themselves before taking a test, it helps them earn a higher grade. In addition, it aided them in increasing their grades and academic performance.
Try to experiment with self-affirmation. There are many ways you can use your words to create self-confidence. For example, use phrases like “I can switch my mindset,” “I can get past this unpleasant situation,” or my personal favorite, “Tomorrow is a new day.” We all need to recognize that every one of us has the power to change our thinking.
Conclusion
It’s been four and a half years since I hung my first affirmation post-it note around my house. If someone had told me that a sentence consisting of only five words would alleviate my deep sadness, I would have laughed at them. But the phrase “tomorrow is a new day” has taught me that even on the worst days, tomorrow does not have to be the same as today. This in itself helps motivate me to wake up the next day and begin again. About me
