Affirmations

What Are Affirmations?

Generally speaking, an affirmation is a positive statement a person repeats to themselves regularly to enable an outcome to become a reality. The goals a person has can cover many things such as decreasing unhelpful mental states like anxiety, stress, and depression or increasing more positive things such as confidence and persistence. As well as internal changes, affirmations can also be used to bring about more tangible things such as increased wealth, better sporting performance, or increased carrier prospects. In short, positive affirmations have no limits and can be tailored to match any desired outcome of any individual.

Affirmations such as these.

The Difference Between An Affirmation And A Mantra.

At first glance, an affirmation and a mantra might seem to be the same but in fact, although they both require you to repeat a series of words they are done for very different reasons. A mantra is used in meditation to calm the mind and give focus. However, an affirmation is a statement designed to change one's mindset and behaviour to bring about a desired positive change in one's life.

The Power of Words.

Words are the most powerful tool that we have. Have a look at the great political leaders of the past and you will see how the words they used were so powerful that they changed people’s beliefs. Examples of this can be seen in human rights activists such as Martin Luther king and political leaders such as Gandhi or John F Kennedy. People such as these achieved the things they did because people listened to the words that were chosen and the way the words were used. Once we study these powerful historical figures, we soon realise just how influential their words were. unfortunately, a look at the dictators of the past will also show just how destructive negative words can be.

As we can see, the words you use can have a huge impact on others but they also have a great influence on one’s internal belief system. The simple act of repeating a positive statement over and over can in time make that statement a reality. Just as practising a physical act will improve the neural pathways of the brain to such an extent that even the most complicated skill can become second nature. The same is also true of the things we say and therefore, if you repeat a positive affirmation often enough your conscious and subconscious mind will eventually believe it is a reality.

The Different Types Of Affirmations.

Affirmations fall into two main categories, positive affirmations that you deliberately say to yourself to bring about beneficial changes and negative affirmations that you may not say, but might think, even without realising it. Unfortunately, it is these that can bring about destructive results. As well as there being two main categories, affirmations can be broader than that because positive affirmations can cover many different topics. Among such topic’s affirmations can be used for obtaining wealth, health, better sporting performance, reduced anxiety, stress and depression, or better romantic outcomes, friendships, and countless other goals. In fact, here are no limits to the thing’s affirmations can be used for and you can be sure that whatever beneficial goal you want to reach there we be a suitable affirmation for it, whether that is one written by somebody else or one you written by you.

Types of affirmations.

The Danger Of Negative Thoughts.

Once you begin your affirmation journey you get the benefit of deliberately filling your mind with positive messages regularly. While the benefits of this are incredible, it is important to remember that your daily affirmation routine will only take up a small amount of your time. With these in mind, don’t let negative thoughts take over the rest of your day and reduce the effect of your hard work. Negative affirmations such as “It will never happen with my bad luck” or “I only need to look at food to put weight on “or “I am really bad in interviews” and “I am not clever enough to do that job” are things people often say. The problem with such sayings is they can easily become self-fulfilling prophesies. The thing that you don’t want to happen might become a reality simply because you have told yourself the negative affirmation so many times that your subconscious mind acts accordingly.

However, the good news is that such destructive behaviour can easily be eradicated. To help with this, try to pay more attention to what thoughts you have during the day and if you find yourself indulging in negative ones try to override them by repeating your affirmation a few times. If you do this, you will soon find that your mood changes from a negative one to a positive one very quickly, in fact, almost like magic.

How Positive Affirmations Can Work For You.

Let’s suppose for a moment that you would like to become more popular with work colleagues. You might repeat an affirmation such as “I am becoming more popular every day”.After a certain amount of time has elapsed, the belief that you are indeed becoming more popular with your work colleagues would drift into your conscious and subconscious mind to such an extent that you would genuinely believe the statement to be true.

Once you believe such a statement to be true you would start engaging with your colleagues from a standpoint that they do like you. You would then (perhaps without even realising it) begin to interact differently. Gone would be the awkwardness that accompanies all of us if we are unsure what people think of us. Instead would be the natural love and respect that we all have with people we know like us. The result would be, you said enough times that your colleagues liked you, you believed it, and therefore acted differently which did indeed made your colleagues like you more. In short, what you believe to be true becomes true.

How To Build On Your Affirmation Success.

Once you have had success reaching a specific goal with your first affirmation you will be filled with positive energy and enthusiasm grown from the realisation that the plan you put into action brought about the success you desired. At this point, things can become even more exciting for you when it becomes apparent that you can now take things further and reach not just one goal but change your whole life.

The way to do this is to write a comprehensive list of everything you would like to change in your life and number them in order of importance. You can then take one goal at a time, create an affirmation for it, put it into action, and when you have achieved it move on to the next goal.

The Best Affirmation Schedule.

Generally speaking, the more often you repeat your affirmation the better. You should try to say it daily and several times a day is even better. Therefore, if you can put in place a routine of repeating your affirmation at certain times of the day you will be more likely to ensure that you keep to it. It is also true that our subconscious minds are more susceptible to information during the alpha state of mind and so repeating your affirmation during the time spent in meditation or self-hypnosis is very beneficial. However, as most of us live busy lives spending time getting into the right alpha state is not always possible and that’s fine as the most important thing is that you repeat your affirmation regularly.

How Long Do Affirmations Take To Get Results?

Quite understandably one of the first things a person wants to know when they begin using affirmations is how long it takes to get results? This can be difficult to answer because of so many variables. The biggest factor would be the person and his or her mental makeup. For example, a person who naturally has a positive nature would perhaps expect to get results, quicker than a person who tends to hold a negative attitude. Other factors such as how determined and consistent someone is with their affirmation work will also play a part. The goal itself would also have a big impact as one would expect a small change such as committing to start saving regularly to be reached quicker than a more ambitious one like becoming wealthy.

Should You Create Your Affirmations?

When choosing an affirmation that fits your own particular needs, picking the right one can be very important. While you can simply choose an affirmation from here or many other websites and use it effectively, it is preferable if you can too create your own. The reason for this is because the very act of thinking and then writing down an affirmation that you have created yourself means the work you have put into it makes it far more personal and more therefore more powerful to use.

Should You Keep An Affirmation Journal?

One useful aid that can be added to help you reach your goals is keeping an affirmation journal. Such a journal can be used in several different ways. The obvious way is to simply record your affirmations in your journal and read from it daily to repeat the affirmation you are working with at that particular time. Another way to use your journal is to use it as a crossword puzzle and write your affirmation down but with some words missing. You would then go through your journal and fill in the missing words. The act of filling in the missing words requires a deeper level of thinking than just repeating them and this can have a positive benefit. An alternative way to use your journal would be to record your affirmation progress, noting how you were feeling each day as well as any positive or negative thoughts you were having. Doing this would be a very valuable way of evaluating the progress you were making using affirmations in general and the specific affirmation you are using at that time. As we can see, an affirmation journal can have useful benefits but keeping one is not essential and ultimately it will depend on the individual and how they feel about it.

How To Write An Affirmation?

If you want to write your affirmations there are well-designed structures that experts recommend you follow. While these structures do offer beneficial guidelines to point you in the right direction, I would not get to hung up on following any particular structure to the letter. I believe the most important things needed for an affirmation to be powerful are that it is believable and true to the individual and his or her needs. Having said that, I have put together some tips most experts agree on, to point you in the right direction.

1) Although it might seem obvious, make sure your affirmation is about something that you desire and not about something you want to remove.

2) Always create an affirmation in the present tense, for example, “I am getting stronger” not “I want to become stronger.

3) Be as specific as possible on your goal. For example, the affirmation “I am becoming a better person” Is not likely to be very successful because your mind would be confused about exactly what becoming a better person meant. A far better affirmation would be “I am becoming a more tolerant person every day” or whatever trait of becoming a better person you wanted to encourage.

4) Design your affirmation as if it is a reality rather than something you would like in the future. For example, “I am not an anxious person” is better than “I would like to become someone who isn’t anxious”.

5) As humans, we are driven by emotions and it could be argued that our emotions are the driving force for all that we do. Therefore, if our emotions are so powerful it makes sense to include positive emotional words in affirmations designed to create change.

6) Keep it short, although your affirmation should say exactly what you want it to say, try to ensure it is not too long

7) If you have a specific negative thought that you would like to change, write down the opposite positive thought and put it in an affirmation. For example, if you think you always mess up in job interviews you could use an affirmation such as “I am always brilliant in job interviews”.

8) Keep your affirmations realistic as the mind finds it hard to accept things it cannot believe. Therefore, although you should never limit your aspirations it makes sense to stake small steps on the way to gigantic changes. For example, it would be better to set a goal such as “I now feel more confident meeting people” and build on it, rather than trying to affirm “I am the most charismatic person in the world”.

9) Create affirmations using language that is true to your personality and your subconscious mind will accept them easier than a string of words put together in a way that you would never use.

10) Take three deep breaths and smile before you say your affirmations. This simple trick works a treat because it puts you in a relaxed and happy state of mind before you begin. This is far better than trying to repeat positive statements while feeling tense and displaying an angry face.

Affirmations And Visualisation.

As we have discussed, affirmations use the power of words to train the mind to become more responsive to positive changes. Visualisation techniques use internal images to imagine a change that has taken place. Both of these techniques are often used individually with great success but can be even more effective if they are used together. One way to do this would be to create a scene in your imagination where you are successful at whatever goal it is that you have. Once you have created the scene you would mentally rehearse it several times until you could recall it at will. The final step would be to visualise the scene you have created every time you repeat your affirmation. As mentioned, the technique of combining affirmations and visualisation can be very powerful and is worth experimenting with if it appeals to you.

Affirmations In Sport.

Affirmations can be used in many areas of life to reach many different goals and one area that they are used extensively in sport. It is quite common for top sportspeople to use specific affirmations to reach certain goals. These goals can be, increased physical prowess or enhanced mental states such as the ability to remain calm during the most critical points of sporting performance.

Affirmations Mirror Work.

A very popular technique used with affirmations is to repeat them while looking at yourself through a mirror. This practice, commonly known as mirror work was first made popular by the self-help guru Louise Hay and can be an effective and intimate way of using affirmations. This technique can feel awkward at first because seeing your reflection looking directly back at you can be quite unnerving. However, if you persevere with it, you can soon overcome the initial awkwardness, and then repeating your affirmations becomes a far more personal experience. Louise Hay believed that mirror work enabled a person to connect with their inner child and therefore allow affirmations to take on a whole new level of intensity.

Using Affirmations While You Sleep.

For people who want the benefits of using affirmations but struggle to find the time to use them regularly, all is not lost. One way to get around time constraints is to listen to your affirmations while you sleep. Your subconscious mind is responsible for enabling the changes you desire and your subconscious mind never sleeps. Therefore, if you are struggling to keep up with your affirmation program, maybe, listening to them while you sleep might be a better option. If you do decide to try this method there are many CDs and downloads available on the net or you can record your affirmations on your phone and have them play throughout the night.

My Opinion On Affirmations While You Sleep.

While this method does enable people with busy lives to get some of the benefits of using affirmations. I believe that if you can stick to a schedule of daily affirmations done with conscious thought, you will get better results. There are several reasons for this such as, making the effort to put aside a little time each day for your affirmations reminds you that you are serious about making positive changes. Also repeating your affirmations can instantly make you feel great for the rest of the day because you have positively framed your outlook. It is also true that consciously repeating your affirmation enables you to be aware of how you feel about what you are doing and therefore more attune to subtle changes.

Yoga And Affirmations.

For anyone who practises yoga the good news is that it can complement affirmations perfectly. The reason this combination can work so well is that yoga relaxes both the mind and body. This relaxed state makes us more receptive and thus a great time for affirmations to take effect. Therefore, if you practise yoga, you now have the perfect time to put your affirmation schedule into practice. All you need to do is spend the first part of your yoga session relaxing your mind and body and then repeat your affirmation slowly as you move from one posture to another.

Affirmations We Have Created For You.

If what you have read has lighted a fire within you and you want to begin your affirmation journey but don’t want to write your own. I have put together a series of affirmations on wealth creation, romance, health, confidence, depression, anxiety, shyness as well as many other topics. Why not pick the affirmations that most appeal to you and use them to take the first steps toward becoming the person you want to be?

Affirmations For Wealth Creation.

(1) I am ready to earn the money that my talent deserves.

(2) I am unique and my income reflects that.

(5) I give all that I have to create wealth and wealth gives me all that I ask in return.

(6) The harder I work the wealthier I become.

(7) I am ready to become wealthy and wealth is ready for me.

(8) I become richer every day because I enrich the world.

(9) To become rich, you must first believe that you are rich, and I do.

(10) Money is a reward for hard work and no one works harder than me.

Affirmations For Love And Romance.

(1) People love me because I am ready to love myself.

(2) I attract people because I see the attraction in me.

(5) People think I am special because I treat everyone I meet as special.

(6) I am ready to be loved.

(7) I am now ready to find my soulmate and my soulmate is ready to find me.

(8) I will always show people, the love, respect, and sensitivity that I wish them to show to me.

(9) I know in my heart that I am worthy of a special person loving me, and I am ready to love someone special.

(10) I know that the day I meet the person to spend my life with gets closer all the time.

Affirmations For Better Health.

(1) I am now ready to live my new healthy life.

(2) Every day I feel my mind and body getting healthier.

(5) I do whatever is needed to live a healthy life.

(6) I now eat only what heals my body and my body is healing as a result.

(7) Forget wealth, I have my health and that is more important to me.

(8) I feel the joy of being truly healthy.

(9) I feel each breath I take fills me with health and wellbeing.

(10) My body is healthy so I feel wealthy.

Affirmations To Increase Confidence.

(1) Only I can give myself confidence and therefore I do.

(2) Confidence shines like a bright star and no star shines brighter than mine.

(5) Confidence is a state of mind and my mind states that I am confident.

(6) I am one hundred percent confident that I am growing in confidence.

(7) I can feel confidence growing within me every day.

(8) Every day I feel more confident that I did the day before.

(9) To others, I seem confident which gives me more confidence.

(10) Wherever I am and whatever I am doing I am confident I will succeed.

Affirmations To Reduce Depression.

(1) The exhilaration I feel makes depression impossible.

(2) Negative thoughts float away like a ship in the distance.

Affirmations To Reduce Depression.

(5) The only way is up, and I am reaching for the skies.

(6) My spirit protector ensures my life will always be full of happiness.

(7) The light within me shines brighter every day.

(8) I open myself up to a beautiful world and all the wonderful things in it.

(9) Positive energy washes over every cell of my being.

(10) The more I give to this wonderful life the more wonderful it becomes.

Affirmations To Reduce Anxiety.

(1) If I have given my best, then I should feel my best, and let all negative thoughts be a thing of the past.

(2) I permit myself to let my anxiety disappear.

(5) I have never had a time when an event was as bad as I worried it would be so there is no need to worry now.

(6) Anxiety is a fear of the unknown, preparation prevents this fear, so I will always be prepared.

(7) Stress is an emotion designed to help me survive. I will always acknowledge it as something here to protect me, and then I will ignore it.

(8) Today I feel like I am the confident, powerful person that I was always meant to be.

(9) Anxiety is like an old friend that I know is not good for me. It is time for me to say goodbye old friend.

(10) Today is the start of my new life without anxiety. From now on, I am self-assured, confident, and at peace with myself.

Affirmations To Reduce Shyness.

(1) I know people like me because I like people.

(2) Shyness is just a lack of confidence. I have many reasons to be self-assured so I am shy no longer.

(5) I now make the effort to engage with people and put shyness behind me.

(6) The shy person I once was has gone forever and I am now the confident outgoing person I was always meant to be.

(7) I will no longer let fear run my life. From today and forever, I will be brave, confident, and outgoing.

(8) Every time I am outgoing, I become more confident, self-assured, and at ease with myself.

(9) I have locked the shy me in a safe place and let the real me out.

(10) I now know it is ok for me to not be perfect and this gives me all the confidence I need.

Affirmations To Improve Strength.

(1) Every day, in every way, I get bigger, better, and stronger.

(2) I believe I am strong and therefore I am.

(5) True strength lies within me and I now let it free.

(6) I plant the seed of strength within me and I do all that is necessary to nourish it and let it grow.

(7) I know that I am stronger today than I was yesterday because I have put in all the work required to make that so.

(8) I reach every strength goal I set because I have the strength to do whatever is needed to achieve my goals.

(9) There is no pain, no obstacle, and no barrier that I won’t overcome to become stronger.

(10) Every day my body becomes stronger because every day my mind becomes stronger.

Affirmations To Improve Fitness.

(1) I feel fitter, healthier, and more energetic, each day.

(2) I am a fit, healthy, and positive person because, I eat the right food and do the right exercise to make it so.

(5) Fitness is my new passion and it fills me with happiness, enthusiasm, and positive energy. 

(6) Every time I exercise it gets easier and more enjoyable because I am becoming fitter and stronger all the time.

(7) Fitness makes me feel wonderful and I look forward to every exercise session in the knowledge that I will be more positive, energetic, and inspired after it.

(8) Fitness enables me to get the best out of life and in return, I give my best to my fitness.

(9) The fitter I get, the better I feel, and I am getting fitter all the time.

(10) Fitness is more than just exercise, it is a way of life, and the life I choose to live.

Affirmations For Improving Sporting Performance.

(1) My performance will be just as I have visualized many times.

(2) My performance will be the best that I have and my best is all I can ask for.

(5) The perfect performance starts first within my mind and my mind sees a perfect performance.

(6) Winning is a habit and my habit is winning.

(7) There is no amount of pain, discomfort, or self-denial that I won’t endure to be the best.

(8) I have already run this race a thousand times in mind and I always win. Today is just one more time and the outcome will be the same.

(9) There is a time in every competition when the outcome is decided by who wants it most and nobody wants it more than me.

(10) When I win today it will be because I always knew I would.

How To Use Your New Knowledge About Affirmations?

You now know affirmations have the power to change the way your brain processes both positive and negative thoughts. In fact, if you use affirmations regularly, and in the right way, they can give you a different outlook on life. To achieve this and get the most from your affirmations it is important to first be clear on what you want to change and why? The next step is to decide on the best affirmations for you and then create a schedule to use them diligently. If you do this, you will be on the right path to becoming the person you want to be, so let nothing stand in your way.