Self Affirmations & Positive Thinking Exercises

Positive thinking can offer you better coping skills, lower rates of depression, and even higher resistance to the common cold, according to the Mayo Clinic. Some people are naturally more optimistic, but if you tend towards negativity, positive thinking and self-affirmation techniques may help you feel better and deal better with life's inevitable challenges.

Play a Role

Before he made the 2004 convention speech that catapulted him into the national spotlight, Barack Obama reportedly said, "I'm Lebron, baby! I can do this! I can play on this level." Identify someone who inspires you and, when the going gets tough, pretend to be that person for just a moment. Imagine their courage and confidence, and then take those qualities into situations that you find difficult. Your heroes may be doing the exact same thing by picturing the people who they themselves find most inspiring!

Question Your Thoughts

Question your thoughts when you start to tell yourself things like "I can't do it!" or "It's too hard!" Self-help author Byron Katie teaches a four-step process to help you do just that in her book titled "Loving What Is." The fourth step of the process involves what she calls a "turnaround." When you find yourself believing "I can't do it," turn that thought into an "I can do it." Then identify three reasons why "I can do it" might be just as true as your original negative belief. For example, "I can do it because I've successfully done things like this before." You may find that your original negative assumptions are not so true after all.

Creative Visualization

Creative visualization is a technique used by many athletes to mentally picture themselves perfectly executing their performance before they enter the arena. You can try this with any endeavor where you need extra confidence. If you are giving a speech, imagine yourself confidently striding to the podium and crisply delivering your speech to loud applause. Shakti Gawain, author of "Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life," recommends picturing yourself "being, doing and having" your goal.