I AM : Affirmations & Prompts to Get You Over the Autumn & Winter Slump

By LySaundra Campbell

Y’all, I just joined the weighted blanket club, got a refill on my CBD oil, and I’m stocked on Vitamin D. As much as I love Autumn and Winter (the decor, holiday music, wardrobe, the beautiful colors of changing leaves, and my birthday), these seasons can be hard. There are fewer daylight hours and a lot of gray days, which can cause a problem for people like me who intentionally don’t live in Seattle—we love the sunshine! The realities of this year and uncertainty for the rest of the year can only compound depleted energy levels. I’m sure seasonal depression and anxiety don’t mix well with pandemic depression and anxiety. Consider this your writer’s emergency kit.

During Autumn and Winter, to keep my emotions (writing process) afloat, I like to incorporate affirmations that guide my journaling and challenge my creativity. I created these prompts based on the Pillars of Wellbeing and the Five Domains of Wellbeing. They can be useful year-round, but I hope you’ll find some comfort in them as we close out this year.

I’d invite you to pick a prompt each day, listen to the song, and allow yourself to write and be creative for creativity’s sake.

Affirmation: I am safe and I belong.

Song: Enough (Aisha Badru)

Prompt: Do you like your own company? What do you learn when you’re alone? Write an ode to your solitude.

Affirmation: I am connected and creative.

Song: Central Park West (Lakecia Benjamin feat. Jazzmeia Horn)

Prompt: Imagine you are in a park. Check in with your senses. what do you smell, hear, taste, feel, and/or see

Affirmation: I am confident

Song: MY POWER (Beyoncé feat. Moonchild Sanelly, Busiswa, Tierra Whack, Nija, Yemi Alade, and DJ Lag)

Prompt: Write about something that you or someone else tries to hide about yourself/themselves, but makes you/them feel confident. What would it look like to not shrink yourself for other people’s comfort?

Affirmation: I am compassionate to myself & others.

Song: Space and Time (Mya)

Prompt: Write a permission slip for yourself to do something you have been wanting to do.

Affirmation: I am a truthteller

Song: nina (anaïs)

Prompt: What's a lie you've told yourself often? What can you tell yourself instead? How does life change in light of this newfound truth?

Affirmation: I am wise.

Song: Rose in the Dark (Cleo Sol)

Prompt: Chaos and beauty can co-exist. Write about your current relationship to each.

Affirmation: I am connected to a higher purpose.

Song: Strength Courage & Wisdom (India.Arie)

Prompt: How do you define strength, courage, and/or wisdom? Where do you see one or all of these attributes in your own life?

Listen to the playlist on Spotify or YouTube.

LySaundra Campbell is a storyteller and creative activist based in Harlem, New York and the creator of Social Soundtrack. When she isn't advocating for social liberation, you'll find her with friends, at a piano, curled up with a book, or fangirling over Issa Rae.