Affirmation Cards - A Project in Positivity

After my accident on March 13 2018 , I developed Post Concussive Syndrome. The first few weeks I felt awful and didn’t need to worry about finding things to do. As I started to improve, the days got longer and longer. Since my mobility is limited to using a walker, I’m limited in the sort of things that I can do to pass the time. So on to the internet I went looking for ideas.

On Pinterest it is easy to get distracted by all kinds of articles that show up on your feed. I read a whole bunch of articles but nothing really seemed to excite me. Somehow I ended up on Amazon, shopping. I can’t remember exactly what I was looking for, but an ad for a book of daily affirmations showed up on my screen. This perked my interest ! Rehabilitating from this injury has been just as mentally taxing as physically, so I knew I could use some positive vibes in my life.

Reading a whole book at that point would have fired up my symptoms big time, so that wasn’t an option for me. I brainstormed on how I could turn this into something that I could do to pass the time. What I came up with was that I was going to make affirmation cards.

I thought that it would be perfect for me. I could do a little bit at a time. As much as I felt like I could handle, depending on how I was feeling. Plus, I already had everything I needed to get started here at home, which was even better since I’m not able to drive anywhere at this point.

Anything to make you feel good, lift your spirits or remind you of happy memories. I used inspirational quotes, bible verses , quotes from books, song lyrics…. You know the sort of things that will make you smile, so run with it and make them your own.

I cut pictures out of magazines and also used family photographs. I have been getting get well cards frequently , so I even cut out of some of them to use, Either pictures from the front of the card, or encouraging words that someone wrote inside. I used both sides of the card and hand wrote the text I wanted on them. I’m weird about typing things. To me it is more special that I hand wrote and decorated all the cards. There is no reason that you couldn’t type up the text on your computer and then print it out if more formal is your style.

That was the great thing about this project , I had everything I needed right here at home. I used index cards because they are a handy size, but you could really cut the cards out of any paper material you wanted. I like the index cards since they are more stiff and I felt they would hold up better.

For the text I wrote, I used markers and coloring pens ( the fancy ones for adult coloring books). You can write with whatever you like. Remember these are for you so if you prefer to type your text that works too, You can also cut words out of magazines. I thought that was kind of fun ! It makes your words look like it is for a ransom note and then you can’t help but laugh.

Before you start you should gather up magazines that you want to cut things out of. Get your computer ready so you can google for quotes. If you have a favorite book get that out , I bet you can find cool lines in there to put on your cards.

To attach the pictures to the cards I used clear tape. I chose tape over glue because after my head injury sometimes my hand coordination isn’t great. I thought glue might be too messy.

If you are into scrapbooking you probably have a ton of stuff to use for your cards, some decorative scrap paper or stickers. I was going for making them with stuff I already had at home. If you wanted to make a craft store trip beforehand the sky would be the limit.

Now that you have made your cards it is up to you how to use them. I try and make one or two each day to add to my collection. Some days I look at all of them. Other days I just pull one at random and read it.

If you are having a particularly bad day , one of them might say just the right thing to help you get your positive attitude back. You could put it on the refrigerator or carry it in your purse.

I’m a big letter writer and I have sent a couple of my affirmation cards along with my letters. Everyone was enthusiastic to get them.

If you have a friend going through a particular trial you could even make cards specifically for that person. I think you will find that making them and giving them to friends and family will have just as positive effect on you as when you are making them for yourself.

I’m thinking about running with this affirmation card making idea and making Christmas gifts for family members, using photos. It seems like we all have a box of photos under the bed somewhere that could be put to good use. They could be a photo with a inspirational quote on the back. You could even add memories and details that you remember of the day the photo was taken.

Handmade gifts are always special. If you make a few a day or dedicate a certain time each week for it, than you can get it done ahead of time. No last minute Christmas shopping this year !

You can make affirmation cards as a rainy day activity or as a gift for friends and family. No matter what the reason it will bring you positive vibes, I promise !