What Are Affirmations & How Do You Use Them?

Did you know that your mind affects your actions far more than any other physical part of your body? It has the power help you realise your dreams if you just let yourself do it. Often, you can feel like there is an overwhelming negative force trying to prevent you from achieving your goals.

And let’s face it, no one wants negativity dominating their life. So the key to combating negativity is using meaningful affirmations.

Affirmations: What are they?

You might have heard of affirmations and that they can be really powerful, but do you know why?

An affirmation is a short, powerful statement. They allow you to consciously be in control of your thoughts. An affirmation is carefully constructed to have the most impact. When you say them or think them, they become the thoughts that shape your reality.

Research has proven that around 80% of the 50,000 subconscious thoughts you have in a day are negative ones. That is a lot of negativity! Affirmations make you consciously aware of your thoughts. So when you consciously think positive thoughts, it is easier to control the negative ones that are always threatening to take over.

To affirm is to say something positively. So an affirmation is firmly declaring a positive thought and assertively stating it as a truth.

By making these positive declarations part of your daily life, you are helping your mind to prioritise positivity over negativity.

How to write affirmations that actually work

Writing affirmations that do what they are meant to is an art form. There are several steps you should take to craft a meaningful affirmations. They are…

Step 1: “I am…”

Beginning your affirmation with the words ‘I am’ makes it powerful. It uses language that gives your subconscious mind a command. Your mind then interprets it as a directive that it must follow through on.

Step 2: Use present tense

Speak about things as if you already have them. It helps your mind to visualise the outcome. For example, you can use ‘I have a beautiful beach house flooded with sunlight’ instead of ‘this year I am going to buy a beach house’.

Step 3: Speak about what you do want

Do not use negatives in your affirmation. Your subscious mind does not recognise negatives. So if you say, ‘don’t shut yourself off to new opportunities’, all your mind hears is ‘shut yourself off…’ Instead, try saying ‘I am open to new opportunities’.

Step 4: Keep it brief

Don’t write an essay. It is easier to remember something that that is short and snappy. Think “I naturally choose healthy foods”, rather than “I always choose healthy foods over junk food because I’m mindful of my health”.

Step 5: Be specific

Including a specific makes it easier for your mind to visualise the outcome. So instead of saying, ‘I will increase my income this year’, say ‘I am enjoying my $100,000 earnings this year’.

Step 6: Write it for you

Make sure your affirmations describe your own actions and not the actions of others.

Step 7: Make it mean something

Make sure your affirmation means something to you. It has to be meaningful on all levels. Speaks to you and crafted correctly.

Affirmations are powerful when used correctly

Whether negative or positive, affirmations work

But only if you use them correctly. Embrace the positive and repel the negative to guarantee success.

Your affirmations are the strongest if you see them in several forms. Thinking them, saying them and writing them down.