Hi Reader ,

Here's something nobody in the wellness or manifestation world wants to say out loud:

Using affirmations can actually make you feel worse about yourself.

You're standing at the bathroom mirror, trying to get ready, repeating "today is going to be a great day" — while the kids are screaming down the hall, your spouse is already irritable, and you just realized your period came for the second time this month. Or you're spiraling before a big work meeting, heart pounding, and someone told you to just tell yourself "all is well."

It doesn't land. It can't. And now you feel like a failure on top of everything else.

Here's what's actually happening.

When your body is stuck in an activated state — anxious, agitated, frantic — or collapsed in shutdown — exhausted, numb, hopeless — your brain is running a survival program. Cortisol is high. Your thinking brain is offline. And no amount of positive words can override a body that believes it's under threat.

The subconscious mind doesn't accept beliefs that don't match its current state. It rejects them. That's not a mindset failure. That's biology.

So the real question isn't what you're saying. It's where you are on the ladder before you say it.

You have to regulate first. Then affirm.

That means meeting your nervous system where it is, whether that's a box breath, a walk outside, or simply rocking gently and putting on a favourite song, and climbing back toward Calm and Connected before you speak a single word of intention.

I've put together a free Nervous System Regulation Guide to help you do exactly that.

Shift the state. Then speak the words. That's when affirmations can really work.

Dr. Dominika Zarzeczny Naturopathic Doctor ​ 📧 hello@drdominika.com​ 🌐 www.drdominika.com ​🗓️ Schedule an Appointment​ ​​​

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