EDITOR’S NOTE: Motivating employees to work safely is part of the safety professional’s job. But who motivates the motivator? In this monthly column, veteran safety pro and professional speaker Richard Hawk offers his entertaining brand of wisdom to inspire safety pros to perform at their best.

Do affirmations work? Does repeating a reassuring or inspiring phrase – whether aloud or in the mind – help us deal with negative emotions like anxiety or move us to perform better?

I believe they do, because they’ve helped me in both areas. For many years, affirmations have aided me during hard times and energized me to do my best when I’m challenged. As a professional speaker, I use them to ease any trepidation I feel the night before a keynote and to “pump myself up” before I go on stage.

And if you search, “Do affirmations work?” online, you’ll find a wealth of reliable research and anecdotal information that shows they influence mental state and performance. Because of the neuroplasticity of your brain, affirmations can help you “rewire” your response to stimuli and emotions. They’re not a “magic bullet,” but they are a helpful stimulant or soother.

Here are the five affirmations I repeat every day. The first two are about handling situations, and the remainder are about how I feel about myself. I tell them to myself every morning when I first wake up and before I go to sleep – and at various times throughout the day.

“Rise above it.”
“This too shall pass.”
“I am mindful.”
“I am grateful.”
“I am kind.”

I’ve been using these affirmations for over a decade. One of the challenges of repeating them is staying attentive to their meanings. Sometimes while I’m saying them, I’ll catch myself thinking about other things – some as mundane as what I’m going to eat for breakfast! When this happens, I nudge my mind to refocus.

If you already use affirmations or would like to try, here are a few tips: Keep them short and simple. Four of my five daily affirmations are only four syllables, and the last is only three. They’re easy to say and remember – but also contain a wide range of meanings.

Once you get used to using affirmations regularly, you can certainly make them longer and more intricate. The Serenity Prayer is an example. For a situation such as a job interview, you may want to include specific details such as, “I will maintain good eye contact and talk confidently.” No one size or shape fits all, so tailor your affirmations to your personality and situation.

Use your breathing as a meter. This is my favorite part of my morning affirmation routine because it’s calming. While you say or think an affirmation, slowly breathe in for the first part and breathe out as you finish. For example, I’ll breathe in while thinking, “This too” and breathe out during the “shall pass” part. You’ll be surprised at how effective it is.

Place reminders in your work or living space. My office walls are covered with all kinds of inspiring paintings, humorous sayings and unusual objects, but front and center on the wall that faces my computer is a picture of a soaring hawk. It reminds me to use my affirmations. Put a reminder somewhere that you’ll see every day.

You can also use “habit tags.” One of mine is making my bed. It’s one of my regular habits, so it’s a fine way to remind me to say my affirmations. I sometimes pick just one affirmation and think about what it means and what I can do to include it in my behavior.

Contemplate why you’ve chosen them. It took me a while to come up with my daily affirmations, but I feel good about what they mean to me. For example: “Rise above it” is a well-known saying. It encourages me to be objective and observant during trying times and to learn from every situation – positive or negative. It also helps me stay calm when I’m distressed. When you choose an affirmation, ask yourself: How will this statement help me and make a difference?

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