Even if you are new to the term “positive affirmations”, I am sure you must have come across it a lot, especially on social media.
Positive Affirmations are powerful, and there’s a lot of science to back this up.
Our brains constantly bombard us with self-criticism, negative thinking, fear, anxiety and so on. It is essential to make a constant effort to turn this negativity into positive thoughts.
Positive affirmations have potent effect on our brain.
Let us see how to make these affirmations more effective.
Easy Steps to Use the Positive Affirmations Effectively
1. Make It Personal And Specific To You
The affirmations work the best when they are personal and meaningful.
When you read an affirmation somewhere – see if it makes logical to you? Think what encourages you? be it confidence, overcoming a fear, presence of something, anything – then come up with a sentence in the form of an affirmation and make it personal.
2. Speak The Affirmations Aloud Or Write It Down
When we say the affirmations aloud, we are conditioning our minds to listen, accept and believe.
You can also write down your affirmations.
The easiest way to start writing affirmations is, to begin with, “I AM” statements that describe what you would like to have or experience.
For example – I am strong. I am healthy. I am peaceful.
Remember, it’s all about training your monkey mind.
3. Control your Inner Critic
For most people, affirmations do not work because our inner critic won’t allow us to believe! Every time you say affirmations, that little voice in your head will tell that this is not true!
It’s good to have a self-critical inner voice but not at all times. Detach yourself from it when it refuses to believe your new thought.
So next time when your inner critic flares up while using affirmations, remember it’s just a voice. Do not hand over the mic to this inner critic and take control of your thoughts.
Bring awareness to your mind and BELIEVE in your positive affirmations.
Try to combine mindfulness (be in the present moment) and positive affirmations that help you decide how to respond.
For example, if you say an affirmation like “I am confident and strong”, and your inner critic rakes up past experiences to show otherwise. Ask the critic to step back so you can introduce and make space for new positive thoughts to your mind.
4. Affirmations Work Best When Used In Present Tense
Did you notice in the examples above we did not use the term “I Want” but instead, “I AM”? The positive affirmations are always in the present tense to reflect that – “it’s already happening.”
Positive affirmations work best when used in the present tense because your brain will always optimally respond to present-tense affirmations.
Instead of using a statement like “I am never worried”, use “I am always calm”. If you use terms like “never”, “don’t”, etc., your brain has to work extra to evoke meaning from such negative words.
You have to train your subconscious mind to think in terms of what you want.
5. Repetition Is The Key
Say and repeat the affirmations throughout the day, anytime, including while doing your mundane work! If you can’t speak aloud, say it silently but say it repeatedly.
The more you practice, the better results you’ll see.
6. Take Action
Remember, positive affirmations lead to positive thoughts. You have to change these thoughts into action.
The relationship between your thoughts and actions is deep.
The more you think you are confident, the more you’ll behave confidently.
The more you behave in a certain way, i.e. take actions, the more your mind will cement the idea of confidence in your head.
It’s simple. When you genuinely believe in something, actions will follow.
How Many Positive Affirmations A Day?
Guess what? There are no set rules!
If you ask people who are practising positive affirmations, each will have a different approach.
Do not get overwhelmed by all this.
Start with fewer specific affirmations and let them sink. It can be anywhere between 1 to 10, or you can combine it and make it 1. Please do whatever you are comfortable with to practice it regularly.
You’ll find some positive affirmations here. Feel free to use it and tweak it according to your goal.
Final Take Away
Every now and then, you’ll feel that using these positive affirmations seems like a stretch of your imagination. Do not let that thought overpower you.
The idea behind the positive affirmations is repeated statements to influence your brain’s thoughts and behaviour.
Remember, your brain control your habits and is always looking for instructions. You have to instruct it in simple language and keep repeating it.
A daily affirmation practice is a solid step towards a journey.
So, will you start your affirmation journey from today? 🙂
You may also like to read Self-Love – What Every Women Should Know About It
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