What are affirmations? Affirmations are simple, short and powerful thoughts or expressions. When you say, think, and hear them, they become thoughts that in turn can create reality.
Affirmations are sentences aimed to affect the subconscious mind so that in turn they can be reflected in our conscious mind. They affect our behavior, thinking patterns, habits, and environment.
When you read, say and think affirmations, you are teaching your brain a new way to think about the world. This changes what your brain processes on your behalf, leading you to see things differently. You will have different thoughts until your mindset has changed enough that you get what you have affirmed. The best affirmations are specific. This is because it gives your brain a clear set of guidelines on what to process for you.
Affirmations You're Already Using
Technically, all of our self-talk or internal dialogue are affirmations. You’re using affirmations every moment and you probably don't even know it. You’re affirming and creating your life experiences with every word and thought that you have.
Your beliefs are habitual thinking patterns that you have learned as a child. A lot of them probably work very well for you but on the other hand some beliefs may be limiting your ability to create the very things you say you want. What you want and what you believe you deserve can be very different. You need to pay attention to your thoughts. That way you can begin to eliminate the ones creating experiences you do not want in your life.
Every complaint you utter is an affirmation of something you think you don’t want in your life. Whenever you have a negative feeling, such as anger, you’re affirming that you want more of that feeling in your life. Every time you feel like a victim, you’re affirming that you want to continue to feel like a victim. If you feel that your life isn’t giving you the things you want, then it’s certain that you will never have those amazing things you see others have. Well, until you change the way you think and talk to yourself through your daily affirmations.
10 Reasons Why You Need Them
- Affirmations motivate you.
- They keep your mind focused on your goal.
- Affirmations can influence and activate the subconscious mind and their powers.
- They change the way you think and behave.
- Positive statements make you feel positive, the more the merrier.
- They can make you more energetic and active.
- Affirmations can put you in a better position to transform your inner and external self/world.
- They give your day intention.
- Affirmations help you consciously make better decisions for your life.
- Daily affirmations can change your mindset for the better.
What if your affirmations aren't working?
The secret to having your affirmations work quickly and consistently is to create an atmosphere for them to grow in. I know that sounds hippie woo woo but hear me out. Affirmations are like seeds so if you plant them by thinking, saying or writing them down into poor soil, you're going to get poor growth in return. Rich soil= amazing growth. The more you choose to think thoughts that make you feel good, the quicker the affirmations work.
What if they still aren't working? You might be saying them wrong. I know, but how do I possibly say and I can or I will statement wrong? There is research that shows that sometimes statements aren't enough to get you to actually believe what you're saying is true. So instead of saying, “I can accomplish my goals today.” Try asking yourself the same thing in a question. “Can I accomplish my goals today?” and see if that simple change helps.
Another thing that might be holding you back is if you only focus on your affirmations in the morning. Your morning routine might look like:
Wake up, read all my affirmations 50 times, shower, go to work, etc..
Don’t blame affirmations for not working if you’re not really giving them a chance. Give it a real try. The point of affirmations is to get you to reframe your negative thoughts when they start to creep in. When you start to get down on yourself, you have to flip the narrative to be positive.. What if you really are a terrible person who deserves to have negative self talk? If that's the case, here's where the work comes in.. you have to make a conscious effort to make decisions that are good for you. You can't continue to to make poor choices and hope the positive affirmations will work like some sort of magic trick.
To piggy back off my previous statement, if affirmations don't seem to be working, you might not be putting in the work. There is no affirmations fairy that waves her magic wand and *poof* makes them reality. The idea is that you become a more positive and productive person because by stating you intentions, you're telling your brain that those statements are important to you. In turn, your brain starts to make decisions that lead to your best life.
Positive Daily Affirmations
If you've made it this far with me, you might be asking, but how do I incorporate daily affirmations into my already hectic schedule? Well, I've got you covered because my app, Simply Balanced Teaching greets you with a new affirmation each time you log in. It also has lists of affirmations that you can utilize that are broken down into categories to fit your needs. I have also created this printable that provides you with a new affirmation each day. It can be assembled like a desk calendar or printed and displayed in different areas of your home or classroom.
You can also incorporate them into your morning and nightly routine. The more often you can bring positive daily affirmations into your life, the happier you will become.
If you're looking for more tools to help you live your best life, be sure to check out these resources: