Practicing positive affirmations is a great way to boost your self-confidence, focus on your goals, and stay away from negative thoughts.
Unfortunately, we spend a significant part of our day with negative self-talk, and this inevitably affects our general mood and performance. To change our lives, the transformation needs to begin from within ourselves, so we need to start by changing the way we perceive ourselves. That is where positive affirmations come into play.
So, are you ready for a change? Let’s find out how this practice can improve our lives.
What Are Positive Affirmations?
Before exploring the most effective ways to use positive affirmations, it is important to understand what they are.
Positive affirmations are positive statements that help you challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts. While you might find it difficult to believe that these affirmations will have an impact on your life, I recommend you give them a try. The best way to describe them is as exercises for your mind. Just like your body needs exercise to become stronger, your brain also needs to be trained to improve your mental health.
How does this work?
Basically, you repeat these affirmations to yourself to feel more motivated and focused and to stop self-sabotaging. In time, your brain will learn to replace the negative thoughts you have about yourself with positive ones. Keep in mind that results will appear in time, and there is no magic recipe that will change your life overnight. You need to practice affirmations regularly and actually believe in them in order to gradually change your mindset.
So, how can you practice positive affirmations efficiently? Take a lot at some tips:
Use the Present Tense
One of the first and most popular rules of affirmations is to use them in the present tense. The purpose of affirmations is to change your mindset, so using them in the present tense helps you remind yourself of what you are capable of right now.
Keep in mind that affirmations are different from goals. While goals help you focus on what you want to achieve in the future, affirmations remind you of the power and qualities that you already have.
Writing affirmations in the present tense helps you rewrite your subconscious mind. Once you believe something is true, you will subconsciously find a way to make it happen. Therefore, instead of using affirmations such as “I will feel good about myself once I lose weight,” start saying “I am accepting and loving my body.”
Make them Personal
Affirmations need to be about you, so make them as specific as possible. While you can find many examples of affirmations on the internet or in books, they will be less appealing than the ones you create and speak directly to your needs and desires.
For example, let’s assume you’ve been going through a busy period at work and you had to deal with many stressful situations. This is the perfect time to reflect upon the things that you appreciate about your job and write down affirmations such as “I am appreciated by my manager and my co-workers” or “I have the necessary skills to handle difficult tasks.”
Furthermore, when writing your affirmations, I recommend that you write first-person statements.
Practice Positive Affirmations Daily
Consistency is key when it comes to affirmations. To change your mindset and the opinions you have about yourself, you need practice. Therefore, in order for affirmations to work, you need to make them part of your daily routine.
I recommend you practice affirmations as part of your morning routine. This way, you will start the morning on a positive note, and this will reflect in all the actions you take throughout your day.
Keep in mind that you won’t see results immediately. However, as you begin to practice affirmations regularly, you will begin to notice how your life becomes better.
Speak them out loud
While it might feel unusual at first, I recommend that you speak your affirmations out loud. Research shows that our subconscious mind is very likely to believe the things that we say out loud, so it’s important to speak positive affirmations about ourselves.
Many people are reluctant to do this, but it can actually be more effective than writing your affirmations down. Also, once you get used to it, it will no longer feel weird or uncomfortable.
You can look in the mirror when doing this, as it will make you feel more empowered.
However, if you are not comfortable with speaking your affirmations out loud, that is perfectly fine. You shouldn’t force yourself to do it if it is not for you. Writing your affirmations is also effective, so feel free to choose the option that works best for you.
Final Thoughts
I hope you will begin to use positive affirmations to improve your life if you haven’t already. This simple practice can be very effective in stopping or at least reducing the negative self-talk and boosting our confidence. Remember that what you think about yourself reflects in everything that you do, so loving and appreciating ourselves is the first step towards a better life.
Are you practicing positive affirmations? How do they work for you? Let me know in the comments below!
Also, don’t forget to download the Beautiful You app and get access to weekly tips on how to improve your lifestyle.
