Do you use affirmations effectively? What are they, why and how to use them?

In this article, I will talk about positive affirmations in more detail, explain what they are, why and how to use them, and give some examples of affirmations so you can try them out for yourself to make a positive change in your life.

What are affirmations?

Affirmations are positive statements that can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging patterns and negative thoughts. When you repeat them often and believe in them, you can start to make positive changes. Whatever you feed your mind with every day is what determines your reality. The life you want to live in 5 years’ time is created by what you feed your mind with today! By creating a different reality inside your head, in time, your external reality changes to match it.

Every single thought we have and every sentence we speak is an affirmation. It is either positive or negative. Positive affirmations create positive experiences and negative affirmations create negative ones. If we continually repeat negative statements about ourselves or about our life, we only keep creating more negative experiences.

I used to be negative about myself, my life, and the people around me. Things didn’t go well for me at that time. Luckily, I learned about positive thinking and affirmations and since then I have been seeing life in a much positive way. Negative thinking can cause severe health problems and, in extreme cases, death. So, stay away from negative people as they have a problem for every solution!

Here are some examples of negative affirmations:

“I suck at public speaking!”

“I am not good enough!”

“I can’t do it!”

Many of us have negative thoughts like these, sometimes frequently. When we think like this, our confidence, mood, and outlook can become negative, too. There’s this great quote from Henry Ford that captures this idea well: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” Here’s where positive affirmations come in, as they’re the ideal tool to train your mind and reverse the negative beliefs and self-talk. And what happens if we do the opposite and use positive thoughts about ourselves? The effect can be just as powerful but far more helpful! 😊

Practicing positive affirmation every day has the following benefits:

• Decrease stress levels and depression.
• Increase confidence and self-esteem.
• Motivate to achieve fitness goals and eat healthier.

Positive affirmations are more than just wishful thinking–there is a fair bit of science behind them. Repeating an affirmation can help boost your motivation, confidence, resilience to stress, and general outlook on life, to name just a few of the benefits. They can lift you up when you are feeling down.

When you say your affirmations out aloud it will increase their effectiveness. Using “Power Poses” (for example superman’s pose, arms outstretched pose) will increase your testosterone and power by as much as 20%. So, combining this with your affirmations massively increases their effectiveness! Along with Power Poses, MOVEMENT during your affirmation is critical!

Try saying your affirmations while bouncing, skipping the rope, or even practising yoga as I do! 😊 The more times you repeat the affirmation, the more it becomes part of you! And the more intensively you say it, the more you start to reflect it!

Here are some useful guidelines on creating effective positive affirmations:

• Begin with the words “I am” as they are extremely powerful.
• Do not talk or think about what you don’t want.
• Keep it positive and simple.
• The best times for affirmations are in the morning, before going to bed, and during stressful or negative situations. It may take some time before you notice any changes, so stick with your practice!

Please note, that affirmations can only be positively worded! Negatives are not recognized by the Universe or our subconscious minds. For example, “I don’t want to be…!” The Universe and subconscious mind will only hear that you want to be overweight! Instead, say it positively like “I want to be…!” Staying focused on what you need to do to achieve your goal, is the key to creating the future you want. This process will transform how quickly you achieve whatever you want in life!

So, remember, create positive thoughts, repeat your positive affirmations daily and believe in them! 😊