What is an affirmation?
The word affirmation comes from the Old French word: ‘Aferemacion’ and also the Latin word: ‘Affimare’ which directly translated means: ‘to assert’. To assert means ‘to state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully’.
It refers primarily to the practice of creating positive thoughts, upliftment and self-empowerment.
An affirmation is a statement that is read, spoken, written or listened to repeatedly to evoke deep changes to ones thoughts and therefore to ones life.
The affirmation needs to be powerful enough to make chanes in the concious, unconscious nad subconscious parts
The belief is that if the mind is working positively with a positive outlook on life this filters down into all avenue of ones life. So changing behavior, and beilfs nad therfore results and how we feel.
that that should be repeated to one’s self and written down frequently. For affirmations to be effective, it is said that they need to be present tense, positive, personal and specific.[2]
An affirmation is usually a sentence, a sentence of powerful words put together, like a positive statement, and this sentence is aimed to tap into your conscious and unconscious mind to motivate you, to challenge you, to push you to reach your full potential in life.
The New Thought movement is not part of New Age but does share certain practices. This concept has grown popular due to Rhonda Byrne‘s The Secret (also a 2006 film) These books and teachers express similar ideas to Napoleon Hill‘s book Think and Grow Rich. Byrne was inspired in particular by Wallace D. Wattles‘ 1910 book The Science of Getting Rich. Affirmations are also referred to in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), Neuro Associative Conditioning “NAC” as popularized by Anthony Robbins, and hypnosis.
A related belief is that a certain critical mass of people with a highly spiritual consciousness will bring about a sudden change in the whole population.[3] And that humans have a responsibility to take part in positive creative activity and to work to heal ourselves, each other and the Earth.[4]
In 1984 Louise Hay a Religious Science Practitioner published You Can Heal Your Life, a guide to changing thoughts and beliefs. Hay’s affirmations are designed to help the user re-program their thought patterns, the intention being that harmful underlying beliefs which Hay believes psychologically support illness will be replaced with healing beliefs, and thus remove a barrier to healing.[5]
How to choose a positive affirmation
There’s no one-size-fits-all affirmation, so you’ll have to figure out which feels right to you. “It could be something positive about a certain quality or a good choice you’ve made, or just something affirming of your self-worth,” Dr. Alexander says.
Avoid toxic positivity
Employing positive affirmations doesn’t mean talking yourself into denying the difficulties of your life or the world around you.
“Standing in front of the mirror and saying, ‘You’re awesome’ and ‘You’re beautiful,’ can feel very inauthentic,” Dr. Alexander says. And honestly? “Good vibes only” isn’t realistic or all that helpful.
Instead, identify positive affirmations that acknowledge the reality of your current situation but call on your own ability to push through and to thrive.
Acknowledge hardship
Positive affirmations should be tailored to the issues and concerns you’re facing, Dr. Alexander says. “I advocate for affirmations that acknowledge the difficulty you’re going through but also remind you of times when you’ve been successful.”
Examples of positive affirmations include:
- “My feelings make me uncomfortable right now, but I can accept them.”
- “I am strong enough to handle what’s happening to me right now.”
- “This situation is difficult, but I have the skills and abilities to deal with it.”
- “I can ride this out and not let it get to me.”
- “I’ve survived other situations like this, and I’ll survive this one, too.”
Remember: Denial isn’t a healthy coping strategy. If you simply proceed through hard times as though your feelings don’t exist, they’ll still lurk beneath the surface, weighing you down. Affirmations like these make space for your feelings while also calling on your ability to get through them.
“Affirmations acknowledge that what’s going on right now isn’t ideal but that you can get through it like you’ve gotten through other difficult things,” Dr. Alexander says.
Do affirmations work?
But do they actually work? Kind of.
Affirmations generally work as a tool for shifting your mindset and achieving your goals, but they’re not a magic bullet for instant success or healing.
Neuroplasticity, or your brain’s ability to change and adapt to different circumstances throughout your life, offers a clue to help understand not only what makes affirmations work, but how to make them more effective.
Your brain sometimes gets a little mixed up on the difference between reality and imagination, which can be surprisingly useful.
Creating a mental image of yourself doing something — like acing a nerve-wracking interview or conquering your fear of heights by bungee jumping — activates many of the same brain areas that actually experiencing these situations would.
Regular repetition of affirming statements about yourself can encourage your brain to take these positive affirmations as fact. When you truly believe you can do something, your actions often follow.
For example, you might replace a negative or anxious thought, like:
- “I’m so terrible at interviews. I’m probably not even as qualified as the other candidates. There’s no way they’ll hire me, I should just leave.”
With a positive affirmation:
- “I have all the necessary skills and experience, and I’m the perfect candidate for this job.”
Using affirmations may help you feel more relaxed before your interview, and knowing you’re fully prepared can also help you avoid self-sabotaging thoughts or behaviors potentially interfering with your success.
Remember, action is key
Repeating an affirmation can help boost your motivation and confidence, but you still have to take some action yourself. Try thinking of affirmations as a step toward change, not the change itself.
Consider that nosy co-worker who always asks questions about your personal life. You don’t want to say anything to offend, but you also have no intention of answering their questions.
An affirmation like “I can remain calm even when I feel annoyed” might guide you to a habit of deep breathing or grounding exercises when you start to feel your blood boil.
These tactics, combined with your affirmations, help you get through the stressful moment until you can politely make an escape.
The affirmation didn’t make the change, you did. But it did offer a starting point.
Affirmations are just one self-help tool. Like other strategies, they can offer some measure of relief, but their benefits usually depend on how you use them.
Creating your own can help ensure you’re choosing affirmations that will help you most. Try the tips below to start developing and using affirmations more effectively.
Set them in the present
While affirmations can seem similar to goals, they don’t work in quite the same way.
Remember neuroplasticity? You’re using affirmations to help change long-standing patterns and beliefs. A good way to bring this change about is to act as if you’ve already succeeded.
A goal remains something you have to work toward. An affirmation, on the other hand, strengthens your confidence by reminding you of what you can do right now.
Avoid stock affirmations
You can find affirmations pretty much everywhere: T-shirts, inspirational images on social media, internet articles, and self-help blogs, to name a few places.
It’s perfectly fine to use an affirmation you read somewhere that really stuck with you, but creating an affirmation specifically tailored to your goals may work best.
Affirmations can be about anything, so why not get creative and consider ways to make yours as specific as possible?
Many people find it helps to link affirmations to core values, such as kindness, honesty, or dedication. This can help you remain focused on the broader picture of what really matters to you.
Example
Say you’ve felt a little down lately because your career hasn’t proven as financially rewarding as you imagined. To counter these negative feelings, you want to remind yourself of the things you do appreciate.
You might construct an affirmation along the lines of:
- “I have wonderful co-workers and a loving family. My work satisfies me, and I know I’m making a difference.”
This statement reminds you of the things a large paycheck alone can’t provide.
Keep it real
Affirmations tend to have the most benefit when they center on specific traits or realistic, achievable changes you’d like to make to those traits.
Change is always possible, but some changes happen more easily than others. Affirmations alone can’t produce change in every situation, and if your affirmation focuses on a statement you don’t accept as true, it may have little effect.
Example
Perhaps you don’t think much of your body shape. An affirmation about desired changes might increase your motivation to work on getting fit or bulking up.
But exercise, however beneficial, can’t change every aspect of your body.
A more effective affirmation might involve a more neutral statement, such as:
- “I appreciate what my body does for me each day, and I keep myself in good health with regular activity and nutritious foods.”
Similarly, affirming your favorite traits (physical or otherwise) can help you see yourself in a new light.
Compassion, quick wit, strength, speed: Everyone has unique talents. Focusing on yours can help prevent frustration and self-criticism when affirmations don’t manifest into improbable outcomes.
Ultra-positive affirmations along the lines of “I am beautiful” and “I love myself each and every day” often fail because most people don’t truly believe those things.
More neutral or specific statements, such as “I love my smile and kind face” or “I treat myself with kindness every day,” generally prove more helpful.
Practice affirming yourself every day
To get the most benefit from affirmations, you’ll want to start a regular practice and make it a habit:
- Start with 3 to 5 minutes at least twice a day. Try saying affirmations upon waking up and getting into bed, for example.
- Repeat each affirmation about 10 times. Listen to yourself saying it, focusing on the words as they leave your mouth. As you say them, believe them to be true.
- Ask a trusted loved one to help. Listening to someone else repeat your affirmations may help reinforce your belief in them.
- Make your routine consistent. Try not to skip any days. If you meditate, affirmations can be a great addition to your daily practice.
- Be patient. It may take some time before you notice any changes, so stick with your practice!
Another benefit of a daily routine? Practicing affirmations can activateTrusted Source the reward system in your brain, which can have an impact on the way you experience both emotional and physical pain.
Knowing you have the ability to manage stress and other life difficulties can help boost confidence and self-empowerment, further promoting faith in yourself.
Get the most out of your affirmation
How to get the most out of positive affirmations
Dr. Alexander shares tips for choosing the right affirmations for you and boosting the likelihood that they’ll help you.
1. Practice being positive
Like anything else, positive affirmations take work. If you’re not used to saying them and don’t do so on a regular basis, they probably won’t make much of a difference in a moment of need.
“If we want to start to make less room for the negative thoughts, we have to intentionally practice positive thoughts,” Dr. Alexander says.
She explains that according to a psychology concept called “survival of the busiest,” the thoughts we think the most are the ones that take root in our brains. It requires practice, then, to push back on our usual way of thinking.
2. Put your skepticism on hold
Let’s be real: It can feel kind of weird to stand in the mirror and say nice things to yourself, but try to resist the temptation to give up.
“If you’re typically a negative thinker, it’s not realistic to expect to become a positive thinker overnight,” Dr. Alexander says. Be patient and give it some time to sink in and feel normal.
3. Say them aloud or to yourself
Whether you say your positive affirmations aloud or just mentally repeat them to yourself is up to you, but the former is probably the best way to start. “Sometimes hearing things out loud is more impactful than saying them in your mind,” Dr. Alexander says.
She shares ideas for when and how to say your affirmations:
- Write your positive affirmations on notecards or sticky notes and post them throughout your home.
- Leave them on your nightstand so you look at them when you wake up and before you go to bed.
- Keep your affirmations in an app on your phone so you can access them throughout the day.
- Set a timer to remind yourself to look at or repeat your affirmations at the same time every day.
Pair your affirmations with action
Positive thinking is one of the first steps toward positive action — but positive thinking alone won’t do the trick.
Think of it this way: If someone said they were going to give you a million dollars, would you believe them? You’d probably be pretty skeptical, right up until you saw that check hit your bank account. The same is true of positive thinking.
“I always tell people that changing their thinking is super important but that what’s really convincing to us, as humans, is when we see a change in behavior,” Dr. Alexander says,
If you believe you’re unlikable, for example, work up to smiling at a couple of strangers during the day and then, eventually, to inviting a colleague to grab coffee on a break.
“You have to give yourself the chance to have interactions that prove your negative thinking wrong,” Dr. Alexander says. “When you end up seeing that what you assumed would happen didn’t bear out, that helps reinforce your new style of thinking.”
When positive affirmations don’t work
Positive affirmations might help you persevere and keep faith in yourself through a difficult time, but if you can’t seem to shake persistent feelings of self-doubt and low self-esteem, it may be time to speak with a mental health professional who can help you learn to cope.
“Life can certainly be miserable at times, and we can’t always change the stressors accounting for that misery,” Dr. Alexander says. “But our way of thinking during those miserable times can either stagnate us or help us move forward.”