Positive Affirmations: a Simple Approach
You may be familiar with positive affirmations, or maybe you have never heard about them before. Positive affirmations are brief phrases repeated to oneself, designed to encourage positive feelings, thoughts, and attitudes. Practicing positive affirmations will only take a couple of minutes out of your day, can be done anywhere, and at any time. Here is a simple approach to positive affirmations.
What are the benefits?
Decrease stress
Boost self-confidence and self-worth
Improve cognitive performance
Allow you to focus on your goals
Many of us experience negative self-talk, whether it is before an important event, or more frequently on a daily basis. These undesirable thoughts can impact our mood, productivity, interactions with others, and confidence, which in turn can have a negative effect on our relationships, careers, and day-to-day tasks. By continuously repeating affirmations, we can train ourselves to have a positive outlook and prevent negative thoughts from occurring.
Make it applicable.
When creating your positive affirmation you want it to apply to a current situation, thought, or feeling. This could be wanting to improve your productivity or gaining confidence in public speaking. For example, if you have an important event (meeting, interview, test, etc.) that you are lacking confidence in, you can create a positive affirmation to prepare for this. Instead of saying “I can’t do this” or “I’m not talented and intelligent enough,” say something like, “I am confident in my abilities to succeed.” You want to create an affirmation that holds value to you, that way you will feel motivated to achieve it.
Less is more.
Starting with one or a couple of positive affirmations is best. This will allow you to focus on a few specific things, rather than many different affirmations. It is important to note that it may be beneficial for some individuals to start with a neutral statement. This allows a slow transition from a negative mindset to a positive one.
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Repetition is key when it comes to implementing positive affirmations. It is best to say them daily, but don’t sweat it if you forget to. If it helps, set an alarm on your phone to remind you to do them. You can choose any time of the day to say them, so pick a time that resonates with you. If you are up to it, repeat it various times throughout the day to reap the benefits even more!
Don’t know where to start?
If you’re finding it difficult to come up with a positive affirmation, here are some examples that you can try out. Once you get the hang of it, try creating your unique affirmation!
I have the ability to create change
I am learning to accept myself as I am
Today is going to be a great day
I am confident in who I am
I am capable of anything that I put my mind to
Whatever challenges come my way today, I can overcome them
I am in control of my thoughts and feelings
I am willing to have an open mind and cooperate with others
Let me know in the comments below if you practice positive affirmations or are inspired to give them a try! I’d love to hear how they have impacted your everyday life.
