Affirmations are short powerful statements, which allow you to consciously control your own thoughts. When you say them aloud, or think of them consciously, they can become the thoughts that shape your reality. ‘To affirm’, is to declare or proclaim something (positive). Therefore, an affirmation is firmly declaring a positive thought and assertively stating it as the truth.
Why should I use them
When you make affirmations part of your daily life, you can help your mind prioritize positive or self empowering thoughts over negative thoughts. Engraving these affirmations in your mindset enables you to make a decision in certain situations which you wouldn't have done without the practice of these affirmations.
One of my personal affirmations is "You get what you ask for". There have been multiple situations in real-life in which I did ask for something, which I wouldn't have done without practising this affirmation because I was too shy.
How to write affirmations that work?
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Step 1: Begin your affirmation with the words ‘I am’. Beginning a sentence with ‘I am’ is a powerful way to use language which gives your subconscious mind a command. Your mind then interprets it as a directive that it must follow.
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Step 2: Use present tense. Speak about things as if they already exist. This will help your mind visualize the outcome. For example, you can use ‘I am strong’ instead of ‘this year I am going to be strong’.
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Step 3: Phrase your affirmation positively. Do not use negatives in your affirmation, because your subscious mind does not recognise negatives. So if you say, ‘don’t shut yourself off to new opportunities’, all your mind hears is ‘shut yourself off…’. Instead, try saying ‘I am open to new opportunities’.
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Step 4: Keep it brief. It is easy to remember a short sentence. Think ‘I am a healthy eater’, rather than ‘I always choose healthy food over junk food because I’m mindful of my health’.
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Step 5: Be specific. When you are specific, it makes it easier for your mind to visualize the outcome. So instead of saying, ‘I am increasing my income this year’, say ‘I am increasing my income this year with €5.000’.
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Step 6: Write it for yourself. Make sure your affirmations describe your own actions and/or goals and not those of others.
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Step 7: Make it mean something. Make sure your affirmations mean something to you. They have to be meaningful and speak to you personally.
How to affirm
Speak the world out loud and speak slowly and deliberately. Repeat that multiple times, several times a day. Basically, the more often and the more thoughtful you think about your affirmations, the more it will be ingrained into your thoughts. That is the ideal situation but in real life you don't always have time for this. In some situations you aren't able to speak out loud. Then it is fine to only read them of course, but the effects will be less.