Some people say “You are what you eat”, but did you know that you are also what you THINK? Much of humanity has devolved into a default state of perpetual negative and self deprecating thoughts. The weeds of negativity in the mind become a self-fulfilling prophecy that are validated by comparison to others, and/or social media thus embedding their roots deeper. BUT there is a simple way to help break the cycle: Affirmations
You may know words of affirmation as one of the 5 love languages cited by Gary Chapman. While Dr. Chapman’s love languages have guided many couples, all 5 can be applied to loving yourself - Especially words of affirmation. So, what are affirmations? Simply put, affirmations are positive statements that can help overcome challenging, negative, or self-sabotaging thoughts. Affirmations work much like exercising the body; we repeatedly lift weights and exercise in hopes of seeing physical results. By repeating these statements, preferably out loud or written down, a mental shift results and you begin to think and act differently. Through this repetition, the brain begins to rewire so that these statements manifest into your physical reality.
Affirmations are proven to improve performance, lower stress, and boost confidence. The practice of affirmations stimulates parts of the brain that have a positive effect on our health and can cause profound changes in our lives. Consistent affirmation work can boost self confidence and alter how you value yourself that will in effect make improvements in all areas of your life! Better relationships, greater productivity, more purposeful work, achievement goals / aspirations / dreams, and living a pain-free life all can be expected through affirmations work. Studies show that long term affirmations exercises can also help treat depression and chronic stress as well as allow you to achieve your goals by sparking motivation and inspiration!
Affirmations can be as simple and generic as “I am____” statements such as, “I am strong.”, “I am beautiful”, “I am confident”. The amazing thing is that, just as negative thoughts can be incredibly specific such as “I’m going to stumble on stage and mix-up my words, I just know it!!!”. Affirmations can be just as detailed, “I’m going to walk commandingly onto stage to give my speech and articulate, moving my audience”! Verbalizing and writing down these affirmations reinforces the affirmation by stimulating multiple senses (sight, sound, hearing and kinesthetic). If you would like to go a step further, visualize yourself either doing the task or solving the problem, and think about how it would feel in your body if the affirmation was true. For example, if you say “I am strong”, How does it feel to be strong? What does that look like? How does that feel? Embody this feeling and mental image while saying the affirmation, “I am strong”.
Begin with thinking of areas in life you’d like to see a shift or change; if the root of the change can be identified, then you can formulate an affirmation to get you to your goal. For example, if you need to finish a project, but feel like you just don’t know what to do, take a few moments to tell yourself “I am intelligent. I have plenty of creativity to do this. I trust in myself to finish this.” While addressing the problem itself is valid, looking for the underlying cause of what is creating stress in the situation can impact multiple areas of your life at once. Negative thoughts are common, but for every negative thought, there is an equal and opposite positive affirmation that can be spoken.
Written and verbal affirmations bring you back into alignment with yourself. If we become too busy during the day, the day has a tendency to weigh on us as it goes along.There are ways to use technology for your benefit, set an alarm or notification on a phone or clock to help break the negative thought cycle and add an affirmation or use an affirmation app. It is most effective to write affirmations in the present tense, as it’s your current self. Affirmations spoken with others can help drive the group collective in a home or workplace. If you know someone struggling, you can also speak an affirmation into their life! There is joy to be found in seeing others thrive.
Affirmations are a habit, and they can seem difficult in the beginning. Just as with any health improvement, start small, develop a simple plan that works, and then carry it out. Start out writing down an affirmation and placing it somewhere it can be seen. Let an affirmation be one of the first thoughts you welcome into your mind in the morning. Start small and let it create a habit that will uplift your spirit, improve performance, and pave the way to being your best self.
To see a list of Affirmations for Birth, Click here