“You create your thoughts, your thoughts create your intentions and your intentions create your reality.” – Wayne Dyer
Did you eye roll when you saw the title of this post? You might consider affirmations to be unrealistic “wishful thinking” and that’s okay because I used to think the same too! Well I did A LOT of research and now that I understand how our brain works, I have a lot more faith that positive affirmations do work. Before you disregard the power of positive affirmations it’s important to know that an affirmation is really anything you say or think so chances are, you’re already using affirmations whether you know it or not.
Have you ever watched a scary movie and felt your heart beat race in anticipation to what is going to come next? Did you know that this is because your mind doesn’t know the difference between what is real or fantasy, so your brain is preparing you for the perceived danger? If watching a movie can trick our brain into thinking its reality imagine what negative thinking does to you. If you wake up thinking “I hate work, it’s going to be the worst day” your brain may unconsciously work to affirm your belief by ignoring the positive, amplifying the negative, and behaving in ways that are unlikely to contribute to an enjoyable day. The good news is that starting the day with a positive thought can have just as a powerful consequence.
If I have inspired, you enough to keep reading to this point you might as well continue reading my 5 easy tips to start your affirmation journey today.
Make it personal – There is no point in repeating an affirmation that has absolutely no relevance to you. Take some time to write a list of areas you notice negative behaviour start, it might be something physical, or self-judgement or a place that fills your stomach with dread. The affirmation has to be for yourself, not others!
Be positive – Depending on what you are wanting to change make sure you put a positive frame around it. Affirm what you DO want, not what you don’t and start with the words “I am.”
Keep it in the present tense – Write and speak your affirmation as if it’s already happening. This will send reminders to your unconscious mind to stay focused on your goals and to come up with solutions to challenges and obstacles that might get in the way.
Be brief yet specific – You want to be able to easily recite your affirmation at anytime and anywhere. Words are very powerful so choose them wisely and add at least one feeling word to make it meaningful to yourself to really inspire change.
Repeat – At the very least commit to saying your affirmation 3 times a day, it could be morning, afternoon and night. Say it out loud while looking in the mirror or write it down if you feel yourself slipping into that negative behaviour.
So what do you think? Will you start using positive affirmations in daily life?
Thanks for reading and make sure you share your smile with the world today ☮