What are Positive Affirmations and How to Use Them?
Are you looking for a way to change your negative self-talk and boost your confidence? Try using positive affirmations! In this post, we’ll explore positive affirmations, how they can help you, and some tips for incorporating them into your daily life. With a little effort, you can start making positive changes in your life today. So let’s get started!
This post may contain affiliate links. That means that if you click on a link and purchase something I recommend, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep my website up and running and is very appreciated. Thank you for your support! You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Most people use positive affirmations in conjunction with visualisation techniques, repeating phrases or sentences to themselves while picturing achieving their goal. For example, suppose your goal is to get a new job. In that case, you might repeat the affirmation “I am confident and capable” while visualising yourself nailing the interview and landing the position.
While it may sound hokey at first, research has shown that positive affirmations can be quite effective in helping people achieve their goals. So, if you’re looking for a way to boost your confidence and motivation, give them a try!
Affirmations, What Exactly are They?
If you’ve ever read a self-help book or attended a personal development seminar, chances are you’ve come across the concept of affirmations. But what are they? Put simply, positive affirmations are statements that emphasise the good in your life. They help solve problems by countering negative thoughts with more powerful and optimistic ones.
Positive affirmations are a great way to stay on track with your goals and objectives, both professionally and personally. They help you stay focused, inspired, and motivated despite any roadblocks that may arise. Positive affirmations are a type of self-talk that not only assures you of success but also helps you maintain a positive attitude during times of stress or struggle.
When creating an affirmation for yourself, the words should be specific and direct to foster belief in your abilities and inspire. All it takes is a few minutes each day to take a deep breath and give yourself some much-needed pep talk.
What are Negative Affirmations?
Negative affirmations are the opposite of positive affirmations. Instead of reinforcing self-empowerment, they can create a negative attitude about ourselves. Negative affirmations centre on things we don’t want to do and don’t think we’ll be able to do, such as “I can never learn this” or “I will never pass this test.”
Rather than motivating or helping us stay focused on a goal, these statements instead focus our attention on failure and lack of control. Because of this, it is important to be aware of how you talk to yourself and to eliminate any negative self-talk from your dialogues. Otherwise, it can become increasingly embedded in our minds and prohibit our ability to grow and succeed.
In some cases, negative thoughts can lead to negative behaviours. Not only do our negative thoughts affect our self-esteem, but if repeated enough, they may create stubborn, limiting beliefs. These beliefs will dictate how you respond to situations and your life choices.
In some instances, these beliefs may make you feel like a victim, focusing on what is going wrong in your life, making you feel stuck in a situation and unable to cope. Prolonged negative beliefs and low self-esteem have also been linked to the development of some mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety.
By changing your mindset, whatever circumstances you find yourself in, you can always make a positive change! Even if it’s small, it’s a start; you have to trust the process and grow with it!
What are the Benefits of Using Affirmations?
As we have said above, positive affirmations can significantly improve self-confidence and self-worth. However, there are several other benefits to using them, such as:
- They motivate you to act, actioning your goals, further boosting your desire to continue your actions.
- They make you concentrate on your goals.
- They change your negative thought patterns into positive ones.
- They influence your subconscious mind to access new beliefs.
- They help you feel positive about yourself and boost your self-confidence.
Although most of us will benefit greatly from using daily positive affirmations, for some of us, it can be a much harder process with no real results. This could be due to several different reasons.
Firstly, if you are already so caught up with negative thoughts and feelings, simply saying positive thoughts and phrases may not be enough. Instead, start with more neutral affirmations such as “I’m learning to accept myself” or “Today I’m going to be OK”. This way, we don’t put too much pressure on ourselves and set ourselves up for failure, deepening our negative beliefs further.
Secondly, your affirmation practice and structure are wrong. Don’t try to practice positive affirmations if you are not in the best state of mind. If there is too much conflict between what you are saying and feeling, then the brain can’t understand what you want! Try instead to practice when you are feeling relaxed; this way, the brain will be more open and engaged.
Finally, it’s important to format your affirmations correctly. Aim to focus on what you want to achieve rather than what you are trying to move away from.
How to Write Your Affirmations:
You can use positive affirmations provided by someone else or create your own. For most people, using other people’s affirmations is often the easier choice. However, as you get used to affirmations, you’ll want to use your own.
Below, I’ve set out a simple way of writing your affirmations. This process will make it easier to make personalised affirmations that you can use to focus your mind on creating your dream life.
Start With I am….
Always start with I am, I will, I can etc. By using ”I”, you are directly stating what YOU are going to achieve!
Always Use the Present Tense.
Always write your affirmations in the present tense. If you use words like “In 3 months I would like….” you are saying you are still three months away from reaching your goal. Instead, focus on more achievable goals. Break down bigger goals if needed. Use ‘Today I will…” or “I am getting better at…”. This way, you will create an inner experience of having what you desire right now.
Speak About What You Want to do.
What do you want to achieve? Is it a feeling, something you want, or a career goal? To do this, write down a list of goals and break them down into smaller chunks. Write affirmations to support these goals.
Keep it Short.
While length will vary according to your goals and personal style, shorter affirmations are generally quicker to remember and roll nicely off the tongue. The easier it is to say, the more often you’ll say it!
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a long affirmation. I have seen some powerful affirmations that are long but specific to the person using them. After all, it depends on your goals and what works for you.
Be Positive.
Rather than focusing on things we want to change or let go of, focus on more positive behaviours. For example, don’t say, ”I refuse to eat junk food”. Instead, say, ”I will embrace healthy eating”.
Make it Personal.
Affirmation statements are most effective when they are spoken in our language. Be sure to write down your affirmations in the same way as your inner voice. After all, these statements are for you and you only!
How to use Affirmations.
There are several ways to use affirmations. What’s important is that you find affirmations that resonate with you.
Ways you can use affirmations include:
Say them out loud – Start the morning by looking at yourself in the mirror and repeating your positive affirmations out loud.
Visualisation – Every morning or evening, allow yourself time to visualise yourself doing the actions you need to do to achieve your goals.
Write them down in a journal – Journaling is one of the best ways to understand your inner thoughts and feelings. For those of you who journal regularly, this may be a more natural approach to start with.
Repeat them like a mantra – This works especially well for shorter affirmations. Choose a statement that resonates the most with your goals and make it your regular mantra or life chant if you wish.
Pin them to your workspace – Or somewhere you go regularly. This way, you read them throughout the day, and they are little reminders of the actions you need to complete your goals.
Record them – Record them on your phone and set timers to read them back to yourself.
Final Thoughts:
Positive affirmations are a powerful way to change your mindset and improve your life. By using positive statements about yourself, you can train your brain to start believing them and acting on them. Start with small goals and work up to bigger ones, and before you know it, you’ll be living the life you always wanted- thanks to the power of positive affirmations!
Remember to check out our related resources for more tips and guidance on this important topic. Take control of your life and embrace a brighter future!
Thanks so much for stopping by; I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read and make it to the end! I have lots of exciting new content in the next few weeks, so make sure you pop back to catch up!
