Daily life in the digital age can feel like an emotional liability. One minute you’re full of awe watching a three-year-old perform Mozart; then the video ends and you wonder if you’ll ever feel talented at anything again.

It doesn’t stop there. Next, you’re scrolling through your friend’s engagement photos, both totally excited for them and simultaneously jealous of them. Next, you’re giggling at a silly video. After that, you’re getting an influencer’s promo for the next trendy skincare product that if you don’t run out to purchase, you might as well be an ogre. And finally, your mind goes into hyperdrive as you watch warzone coverage of unfathomable destruction. 

“This zig-zagging rollercoaster of emotions isn’t an exaggeration, it’s a typical scroll on the internet — and the effects of it show in our mental health.”

This zig-zagging rollercoaster of emotions isn’t an exaggeration, it’s a typical scroll on the internet — and the effects of it show in our mental health. As we’re bombarded incessantly by ads, breaking news, misinformation, memes, and hostile comment sections, this flood of attention-yanking content proves how little control we have over our focus when we hand it over to the algorithm.

And when life is full of enough twists and turns as it is, things feel especially hard during periods like election season when every nuanced, complex issue is brought to the surface for heated debate. 

We all know that cutting down screen time, unplugging, and mindfully using the internet helps dismantle this monster of anxiety. But just as powerful is realizing that within the chaos, there is one thing I can control: Me. 

In the face of unmanageable anxiety, I have a choice to anchor my mind in the environment I create inside myself, creating a refuge I have access to at all times. Mindfulness practices like meditation, which studies have suggested are significant tools for mental wellbeing, could be the greatest avenue we have to foster an inner environment of calm even when the world screams at us all the reasons we have to be anxious.

“I have a choice to anchor my mind in the environment I create inside myself, creating a refuge I have access to at all times.”

“I find meditation absolutely critical,” Melody Beattie, author of “Codependent No More,” shared in a podcast episode. “It’s about the home inside of ourselves and how that home feels to be in.” She goes on, “No, I can’t control everything in my environment, but I can make choices to make an optimum environment in my own home.” 

If you feel pulled back and forth by anxiety, consider integrating meditation into your daily routine. It doesn’t matter if it’s 20 minutes or two. Practicing the direction of your focus, breath, and energy can calm your nervous system, ground yourself in the present moment, and relieve you of the tension locked inside.

Here are 99 mantras to help aid you in your practice. Find one that resonates, or take it as inspiration and make it your own. And if you’re new to mindfulness or prefer a little guidance, you can use apps like Insight Timer, Calm, or Headspace to help direct your meditation.

Relationship to self

1. I have much to give and nothing to prove.

2. Feelings are for feeling. They’re here to help, not harm.  

3. I can survive any emotion. 

4. Challenges are opportunities to water the tree of peace inside. 

5. The most important environment is the home I make inside me. 

“I have much to give and nothing to prove.”

6. My inner world is my sanctuary. I am safe to unfold here.  

7. I have access to a reservoir of calm at all times inside me.

8. I commit to finding ways to soothe my soul. 

9. My body is telling me what it needs every moment of every day. I can trust it. 

10. Every difficulty is an opportunity to practice something I want to grow in. 

11. I will honor how my anxiety is working to protect me and move toward it compassionately.

12. The most important relationship I have is the one I hold with myself.

13. I refuse to match a pace I did not choose. I will set the rhythm of my life to what feels good to me. 

14. My patience creates organic, long-lasting growth. 

15. My gut is the bedrock of my wisdom. I will listen intently.

“I refuse to match a pace I did not choose. I will set the rhythm of my life to what feels good to me.”

16. I will trust the voice of knowing inside me. 

17. I exhale tension. I inhale calm. 

18. Patience is my buoy in the ocean of waiting. I will not drown. 

19. I do not need to push away my anxious thoughts, but I calmly acknowledge them, knowing they mean only to protect me.

20. I choose to adore my body, my heart, and my mind. 

Relationship to others

21. I will seek to listen and understand before I speak. 

22. Time spent with loved ones is a healing balm. 

23. Kindness towards my friends, neighbors, and community is my priority. 

24. Clear communication is kind communication. 

25. I commit to seeing the humanity in those I love before all else.

“I commit to seeing the humanity in those I love before all else.”

26. I’ll share my story and beliefs with those who have earned my trust.  

27. A question seeks to connect. A lecture seeks to bully. 

28. No one is entitled to the energy of my confrontation if I don’t want to give it. 

29. My energy is limited. I get to choose where I spend it. 

30. I am not alone. 

31. I will seek to be the first to extend empathy, compassion, and grace. 

32. Changing the world starts with loving the person in front of me. 

33. Conversations that seek to bully instead of connect are not worth my focus. 

34. Compassion is the first step to connection. 

35. My peace is mine to protect. 

36. I will give the same empathy I hope to receive. 

“I will give the same empathy I hope to receive.”

37. My worldview is intertwined with my story. I will only share it with those who will hold it with honor. 

38. I get to choose who I lower the drawbridge of connection to.

39. I commit to respond; not react. 

40. I commit to finding our commonalities even when we’re at odds. 

Relationship with the world

41. When things feel out of control, I can access grounding peace within. 

42. I will learn how to carry the weight of my life first so I can help shoulder the burdens of others.

43. The biggest difference I can make starts with the community I’m a part of. 

44. I give myself permission to step away when I’m overwhelmed. 

45. I am not myself when I’m burnt out. I will choose guilt-free rest when I’m exhausted.

“I am not myself when I’m burnt out. I will choose guilt-free rest when I’m exhausted.”

46. I cannot give peace until I cultivate it for myself. 

47. There is good in people. There is good in the world. 

48. Everyone in my life is helped when I take time to rest.

49. I cannot write the world’s story, but I can write my own. 

50. I am resilient. The world is resilient. We’ll be okay. 

51. I choose to believe there is more good than bad in the world.

52. I will shine a spotlight on kindness whenever I see it. 

53. I am allowed to step away from what’s causing stress when I’m overloaded.

54. I believe that people are good at their core.

55. When things get scary, I will reconnect with the earth, my body, and my breath.

56. Everything has a season. Everything must pass.

“Everything has a season. Everything must pass.”

57. The world is a miraculous, gorgeous, and vibrant place. I’m grateful for it. 

58. The world needs my compassion, empathy, and love. I will not withhold it. 

59. I cannot give everything the world needs, but the world needs everything I can give. 

60. I choose to believe everyone is doing their best with the tools they have. 

Relationship with the future 

61. Abundance will find me. I need only to open my hands and receive. 

62. I surrender to the next bend in the river of life. 

63. What is happening now is preparing me for what’s to come. I choose to embrace it. 

64. Where I direct my attention is my greatest weapon.  

65. I am right on time. 

“I surrender to the next bend in the river of life.” 

66. I will move towards uncertainty with curiosity. 

67. Every change coming is unlocking a gift I wouldn’t have otherwise had. 

68. New doesn’t mean dangerous. 

69. I am strong enough to face what’s unpredictable. 

70. I trust my future self to keep me safe.

71. I trust clarity will come when I need it.  

72. When I cannot see, I will listen more intently.

73. No matter what happens, I commit to not abandoning myself in the process. 

74. I am willing to accept the life I’ve been given to live, and I will live it wholeheartedly.

“I am willing to accept the life I’ve been given to live, and I will live it wholeheartedly.”

75. I commit to assigning value to every twist and turn of my story.

76. I will not resist the flow of time. I will learn to befriend and appreciate it.

77. I do not need to overthink. I listen to and trust my inner knowing. 

78. I have confidence in myself to live well. 

79. I accept that anything worthwhile takes the time it will take. I’ve made peace with the pace. 

80. My future self is cheering me on, saying “Keep going. Keep trusting. I’m so proud of you.” 

Relationship to the present 

81. Gratefulness is my antidote to panic. 

82. I release the pressure valve of worry, letting it drain from me completely.

83. I cannot grow tomorrow if I don’t give today my full attention. 

84. This moment is all I have control over. Let me be present for it. 

“This moment is all I have control over. Let me be present for it.”

85. In everything, there is a gift. It’s my job to find it.  

86. When I make a mistake, I commit to practicing real-time self-compassion. 

87. I slow down time by paying closer, more thoughtful attention to the world around me. 

88. I choose presentness over perfection. 

89. I’m coming back to my breath.

90. I acknowledge my mind, heart, and body, giving gratitude to every part.

91. This moment is my refuge and sanctuary. I will let myself sink into it. 

92. I gently move along anything lingering in my mind that is causing anxiety, panic, or stress. I gently let it slip into frame and then move out, returning always to my breath.

93. I acknowledge the sounds, smells, and sensations of this moment, noticing how I feel within it. 

94. I give thanks to this day that’s never come before and will never come again. 

“I give thanks to this day that’s never come before and will never come again.”

95. I breathe in, sending oxygen, love, and light to every cell of my body. I exhale, releasing excess energy. 

96. I belong in this moment. I am meant to be here. 

97. Everything I need at this moment, I have.

98. I slowly receive the colors, shades, and textures I see around me. I acknowledge each, noticing how I feel. 

99. I plant my feet barefoot on the ground, feeling the earth supporting me fully.

    Cheyanne Solis is a copywriter relieving entrepreneurs to rest and invest more in what they love. She writes on practical wellness and mindful productivity from the perspective of sustainable work-life balance. Explore her work and connect here.