Positive affirmations are undoubtedly common on social media, in posters, and on greeting cards. They’re all over Facebook and Instagram, and they can seem a little cheesy sometimes. But did you know that positive affirmations can actually be powerful tools for change?
What are Affirmations? And How do They Work?
Affirmations are, to put it simply, anything you think or say. They represent for a considerable proportion of the constant mental chatter that everyone has going on in their head most of the time. Even though we may not be consciously aware of them , we all use affirmations. This gives permission to our default, negative beliefs to control our daily activities and run our lives.
Take a moment to consider the messages you frequently tell yourself. Do you have kind, positive, encouraging self-talk, or does your Inner Critic dominate with harsh words of criticism? Many of your messages were probably planted while you were still a child. Did you receive support and encouragement to put forth your best effort, or did you receive criticism for being incompetent or unmotivated? You are still being influenced by those messages.
Your thoughts and beliefs affect your reality, whether you have a positive or negative script going through your mind. Self-doubt is fueled by negative beliefs, and they prevent you from attempting to reach your full potential. If you believe you’re no good at giving presentations, you’re not going to feel confident enough to give it your all.
Change up Your Self-Talk
The good news is that by making the decision to use affirmations that are positive, you may alter the way you talk to yourself and rewire your brain to adopt a positive outlook.
The process is pretty straightforward if you stick to some basic rules:
- Always use the present tense. Your brain reacts in the moment, so make that moment as positive as you can.
- Keep it positive and simple. It is considerably more useful to use brief, positive, empowering sentences like “I am calm” than to tell yourself, “I mustn’t become irritated.”
- Use repetition. Affirmations will strengthen those neural connections in the brain if you repeat them frequently and persistently. Positive thought and belief patterns will start to become more automatic for you. Aim to say your chosen affirmations aloud for at least five minutes three times each day.
Choose to Change your Life
The experiences you have in life are entirely up to you. Whatever you tell yourself affirms that you want to have more of it in your life. So if you’re angry or resentful, you’re setting yourself up for more of that in your life. Things will go exactly as you expect them to if you are optimistic and self-assured and believe that everything will work out fine.
You can choose to feel good and positive about your life. Using conscious affirmations is a great way to start making those positive changes today.