What is an Affirmation?
An affirmation is really anything we say or think. As Louise Hay explains: “Every thought you think and every word you speak is an affirmation. All of our self-talk, our internal dialogue, is a stream of affirmations. You’re using affirmations every moment whether you know it or not. You’re affirming and creating your life experiences with every word and thought”.
Read that again. Pretty powerful, right? So by using positive affirmations, we create positive statements to repeat to ourselves in order to help shift our mindset. Think of it like this: when we “affirm” something, we are stating it to be true. Take a second to notice the types of thoughts you have during a day. This feel difficult to do at first – this is normal. Take your time. Have your thoughts been helpful or harmful? Accurate or fear-driven? Now that you may note the harmful and fear-driven messages you have been affirming in your life how do you change the energy?
You have don the hard part and acknowledge it. Now it is time to use affirmations to your advantage. Positive affirmations are known to help us shift negative thinking patterns and can help us overcome behaviors we would like to change. There is an additional bonus to this process as it has been proven to lower our stress levels, decrease our anxiety, improve our focus and concentration. As a result we improve our confidence, and help us feel more in control of our well-being.
Practicing Positive Affirmations
Each week I share an affirmation for the week on Thursday’s. Or at least I attempt to. When I forget, I realize that the particular affirmation from the week(s) prior is something that I need to work on more. Use my affirmation for the week or create a positive message that you might need to hear.
You can write them in a journal, write them on your bathroom mirror, write them on a post-it note, write them on your hand, make them the background on your phone, say them out loud to yourself, say them out loud to your pet, send them to your friend – the options are endless. Whatever it is you do, make it work for you and make sure you receive the messages multiple times a day to reap the benefits.
Repeat this affirmation after me: “I can do this”. Give it a try, what do you have to lose?
