If I may, if the dissonance between the affirmation and the perceived reality is too great (I know that’s kind of the point, but sometimes it still gets in the way or feels too fake)—I have found that choosing an emotionally resonant symbol or picture (say, Duir the oak few from the Ogham, or the Star from the tarot, or even a favorite photo of myself/my family) and visualizing that, accompanied by positive emotion if I can muster it, works well. The Ogham fews work well for me because I can “draw” them in my imagination over and over to combat intrusive negative thoughts.