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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCD chapter.

Hello, my lovely readers!

Today we are manifesting growth, healing, resilience, and self-love. That is, we are finding ways in which we can assist ourselves in our personal journeys of mental health and being our own #1 fan. Now, I am not saying that maintaining one’s mental health is always easy. However, I will say that from my experience, I’ve learned certain things along the way that have had quite a lovely domino effect on my well-being. These are some ways in which I center myself, encourage myself, recognize myself and my needs, and take care of myself. And y’all, I can’t emphasize enough… 

LANGUAGE MATTERS. 

So first, let’s start with some phrases:

I CAN… 

I WILL… 

I AM…

I DID…

And, 

I WILL CONTINUE TO…

These phrases are incomplete on their own, but that’s because they are for you to finish in accordance with what you need to hear right now. 

Some examples I have for you are:

I CAN GET THROUGH TODAY!

I WILL FIND PEACE IN THIS MOMENT!

I AM HEALING!

I DID WHAT I SET OUT TO DO!

And, 

I WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT REFLECT WHAT IS BEST FOR ME!

Language matters — the way we talk to ourselves is the way we manifest our future selves. These phrases are a template to construct a more accomplished, focused, and positive narrative for yourself — whether you use them at the start of your day, at the end of it, or throughout it. I hope you will play around with these phrases and find what feels right for you and don’t be afraid to look yourself in the eyes in the mirror when you say them. While it might feel a bit silly or ridiculous, your brain is subconsciously adopting and processing the beautiful power of these “I” phrases and the positivity within them. I promise, eventually it becomes second nature and with that, a new level of self-love and self-appreciation. 

Now, let’s try putting these into practice. There are a few ways in which these “I” phrases can appear throughout your day!

Orange LED sign that says
Photo by Mohammad Metri from Unsplash

Positivity POST-ITS

You might be wondering, “What is a positivity post-it?” To be honest, I made it up and I’ve been using this method for about four years now. Positivity POST-ITS, or POST-IT mantras, are simply POST-ITS filled with lovely words, comforting ideas, and inspiring statements. The fun part about them is that it’s a POST-IT, so not only are they colorful but you can literally put them everywhere for a flash of joyful spirit and an affirmation reminder. Some of my favorite spots are the walls, my bathroom mirror, random pages of my notebooks/weekly planner, my laptop case, and my phone lock screen (digital version). I will emphasize the importance of the first-person writing style when creating your positivity POST-ITS, so that your brain acknowledges that you’re speaking kindly about/ and towards yourself, rather than about an ambiguous person. To get you started, here are some of my favorites that I keep on my household positivity wall (and yes, my housemates and I have an entire wall covered in POST-IT affirmations, mantras, and positive sayings… what can I say, we love self-love)!

  • I CAN
  • I WILL
  • I AM
  • I DID
  • I AM CAPABLE
  • I AM BEAUTIFUL
  • I AM LOVED
  • I AM LOVE
  • I AM WORTHWHILE
  • MY BOUNDARIES ARE IMPORTANT
  • I LIVE IN MY TRUTH
  • I LOVE MYSELF
  • I AM POWERFUL
  • I AM RESILIENT
  • MY DREAMS ARE LEGITIMATE

Along with the positivity POST-ITS, a fun new way to remind yourself that YOU ARE AMAZING is to set little love note alarms on your phone throughout the day for a wonderful surprise! 

post it wall of love
Kyle Glenn

Love Letter Alarms

The love letter alarms are pretty similar to our positivity POST-ITS, but you have a bit more writing space… and also… Emojis!

Typically, I have a morning message, an evening message, and some messages throughout the days of the week! You can do this in your calendar or in the alarms app on your phone and I normally don’t put a sound on them because the idea is for them to be a peaceful reminder and peaceful encouragement throughout the day. 

  • Good Morning Beautiful
  • I Got This, Keep Going
  • Sweet Dreams Superstar
  • Happy Monday Lovely!
  • I LOVE YOU (your name here)
  • I Am A Legend
  • I Am So Worthy Of Love
  • I Am Doing Great Today
  • Productivity Does Not Define My Worth
  • Don’t Forget To Drink Some Water You Sexy Bastard
  • Self Check
  • Self Check-In Moment! How am I feeling? What Do I Need Right Now?
white iphone on white background with pink notification cards
Cristian Dina via Pexels

I hope these tricks can be a simple reminder that you are doing the work to love and honor yourself in your truth, and while that might not always be easy- it is necessary! These are little tricks to remind you that you’re amazing and to recognize how much you’re doing. You are so capable! So many people are so proud of you! Keep it up! And don’t hesitate to spread the love! 

And LASTLY, just remember

You CAN, you WILL, you ARE, you DID, and you WILL CONTINUE to!

Sage Lang

UCD '23

Sage R.J. Lang is a fourth year at UC Davis, majoring in Sociology with a minor in Education. Sage has pursued their undergraduate degree while traveling abroad, including Davis, Santa Barbara, Washington D.C., and most recently Thailand. Sage has been writing since 2015 and looks forward to sharing their voice with the readers of Her Campus before graduating and pursuing their many career dreams. While Sage's focus is more usually creative prose, they look forward to expanding their horizons towards a more journalistic and personal style. Sage hopes to improve the experiences of current, new, and incoming Davis Aggies with their articles and looks forward to engaging with campus doing something they love deeply.