Finding ways to nurture our mental and emotional health is essential to our overall well being. One powerful tool for this is the practice of affirmations...
What are Affirmations?
Affirmations are short, powerful statements that can help us to consciously shift our mindset, promote self-love, build resilience, and install positive changes in our lives. These can be used to challenge our negative or unhelpful thoughts, reinforce self-worth, encourage a more optimistic outlook on life, and add some extra oomph to our manifestations.
Why are they important?
Research has shown that around 80% of the 50,000 subconscious thoughts we have in a day are negative ones. That’s a lot of negativity!
When we repeat things to ourselves, overtime, we start to believe these thoughts because our subconscious can’t distinguish between the truth and a lie. Whether positive or negative, these statements then shapes our reality. Affirmations encourage us to consciously think more positive thoughts, which makes it easier to manage the negative ones that creep in. When repeating our affirmations, we are firmly declaring these positive thoughts and assertively stating it as a truth and training our minds to believe in them. By affirming our strengths and potential, we can intentionally shape our reality in the way that we desire while cultivating more optimism, boosting confidence, reducing stress and worries, uplifting our moods, empowering ourselves, aligning ourselves to achieving our goals and manifesting our dreams.
How to practice Affirmations -
There are a number of techniques you can use to make your affirmations as powerful as possible…
1. Identify Your Needs: Reflect on areas in your life where you seek improvement or empowerment. Whether it’s building self-esteem, reducing anxiety, enhancing your motivation, any particular goals or things you desire to call in, understanding your needs will guide your affirmation creation.
2. Write your affirmation
Putting pen to paper and writing your own affirmations is a powerful way to personalise your mantras.
Start with the words "I am" or "I will" or "I have"
Use the present tense to create a sense of reality, making your desired outcomes feel tangible and achievable, and enhancing your belief and emotional connection to this statement.
State the positive, affirm what you want - not what you don't want
For example, instead of saying, “I am not anxious,” try, “I am calm and centred.” This framing helps to reinforce the desired state of being.
Make It Personal
Tailor your affirmations to resonate with you personally, making them feel more intimate and relatable. Write your affirmations for yourself, not others.
Keep it brief
Concise affirmations that are easy to remember and repeat are more impactful and effective, allowing for quick reinforcement without overwhelming the mind.
Be specific
Provide a clear direction and focus to clarify your goals and intentions, making it easier to visualise your desired outcomes and enhancing motivation.
Include action words (often they end with an -ing. ie: doing, growing, living)
These words energise our affirmations tells us that these intentions or goals are in action. This energy can inspire us to engage with our affirmation with a more proactive mindset and see ourselves taking the steps needed to get there.
3. Speak your affirmation
Repeat your affirmations to yourself out loud and state them with feeling. Saying affirmations out loud is far more effective than simply reading them or saying them in your mind. Affirmations are declarations, proclamations or statements and when we say them out loud, we form auditory links in our memory which subsequently leaves a trail in our subconscious and becomes embedded in us. Consistency is key when it comes to affirmations, so try to incorporate them into your daily routine—whether it’s in the morning, during meditation, or before bed. The more you repeat them, the more they can influence your mindset.
4. Practice your affirmation in the mirror
Mirrors reflect back to us the feelings we have about ourselves. Practicing affirmations in front of a mirror can enhance our self-connection, and by combining visual and audio engagement we can deepen the impact of our affirmations on our subconscious. Mirror work can also help us become more aware of where we are resisting and where we are open and flowing. This can totally feel a bit awkward at first, but over time it can become a really beneficial tool in strengthening and improving our relationship with ourselves.
5. Visualise your affirmations
Visualisation and affirmations are closely linked.The more real we can make our affirmations, the easier it is for our minds to embrace how true they are. As you say your affirmations, take a moment to visualise the desired outcome. Imagine yourself embodying the affirmation, living in this truth. You might also find it helpful to use meditation, art, sounds, scents and more to stimulate these visualisations.
Remember, the journey to wellbeing is personal, so find what works and make it your own. Step into your power with this simple yet powerful tool, and watch as affirmations transform your life from the inside out.
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