Monday Mantras

It’s the start of a new week. You’ve had an amazing weekend and don’t want it to end. Or maybe your Sunday was stressful and you just need one more day to recharge. Maybe, if you’re like me, (not all the time, trust me.) you meal prepped, wrote out a weekly goal list, meditated, and feel ready to jump into the week headfirst. Whatever the case, everyone can use some motivation on a Monday. I like mantras because they don’t need to be complex to be effective. Usually, I prefer general words for my mantras. (You could also consider them affirmations.) They fit in any situation.

What’s the point? A mantra is “an instrument for thinking,” as according to the article “The Magic of Mantras” in Runner’s World. They “focus the mind for meditation” and result in fulfilling a goal by staying fixated on it until completion.

Mantras are very trendy right now but think about it, they’ve been around for thousands of years for good reason. They work. You can repeat your chosen phrase wherever, whenever. A mantra is free! No strings attached. No hidden fees. No equipment required.

I think my car is mantra-powered. Any time I’m driving I end up visualizing and only thinking about positive thoughts. I, semi-unwittingly, made my car a place of positivity. It started with driving to the gym at 4:55 every morning when I’d have no music playing, just me driving in silence with my thoughts in the dark. I would think about my upcoming day and all I wanted it to bring me. It was too early to start worrying and my brain was a little too sleepy to think of anything other than happy thoughts. Yes! I would have an amazing workout! Yes! I would have an amazing hair day! Yes! I would find a $20 in the parking lot! All those things came so easily to myself when driving that it is almost second nature now to have some of the most positive, insightful soul conversations that I’ve ever had. With no traffic blocking the freeway, my mind is an open road after a long trip.

Anyway, I love mantras. You could repeat “I am strong” when you’re taking a hard workout class. Or, you might need to tell yourself “breathe” after a fight. Perhaps you chant “B 6” during a spirited bingo game! Whatever the case, you probably already use mantras in your daily life but, I believe, that once you recognize the power in a practice, the power increases. Pick a mantra for a specific task and try it out!

A few Monday Motivational Mantras I love: