By simply repeating phrases more often, you can make these phrases a reality. It’s called using positive affirmations.
Every experience we have creates new chemical connections in our brains. Repeating actions or phrases reinforce these connections, and you start to act and behave differently to achieve these things.
It’s a simple, yet powerful and effective form of self-improvement. If you want to start making positive changes in your life, here’s what you need to know about affirmations and some phrases you can say to yourself to achieve your goals.
What Are Positive Affirmations – How Do They Work?
One way to think of affirmations is this: If we want to improve our physical health, we do repetitive exercises. Why would improving our mental health be any different?
Affirmations are sentences that we repeat to ourselves to affect our conscious and subconscious minds. As we repeat the same sentences, our behaviors, the way we think, and our habits and actions change over time.
Most of us use affirmations without even realizing it throughout our lives. If you ever had a task or challenge to complete, you might recall giving yourself some encouragement or a pep talk. These were affirmations.
So, do positive affirmations really work?
There are always skeptics. If you listen to the naysayers, those are usually the people that focus on negative. But you should never write something off before giving it a try yourself.
The fact is, affirmations absolutely do work. They’ve worked for millions of people across the world.
There are numerous studies into the effects positive affirmations can have on a person. One of the more thorough studies tracked how 73 students handled problem-solving activities under stress when they practiced self-affirmation.
The study concluded that there is “evidence that self-affirmation can protect against the deleterious effects of stress on problem-solving performance.” In other words, self-affirmation techniques helped the participants reduce their stress levels and operate more efficiently.
This is one example of how positive affirmations can help in the short-term, but the real value of affirmations is in the long-term. By telling yourself certain things every day, you can literally change the way you think, act, and behave. Then, you can start to build the future you always wanted.
15 Phrases You Need to Say to Yourself More Often
Here are 15 examples of phrases you should repeat:
1. I am in control of my life and can achieve whatever I want.
2. I will not allow negative thoughts to cloud my judgment.
3. I am capable of forgiving others and moving forward.
4. I have all the skills I need to be successful.
5. I work hard to earn everything I desire in my career and personal relationships.
6. I am courageous and stand up for myself.
7. I have positive thoughts and believe in myself.
8. I do not let negativity get me down.
9. I trust in my own judgment.
10. I stick to my exercise routine and continue to improve my physical fitness.
11. I make time every day to meditate and work on my mental wellness.
12. I make time for friends and family.
13. I inspire others around me.
14. Today will be great, tomorrow will be even better.
15. I value honesty, integrity, and will not compromise on my beliefs.
Tips to Make Your Affirmations Work for You
It takes some thought, practice, and persistence before most people start to see their affirmations come to fruition. Here are some tips to help you write better affirmations and maximize your chance of success:
Make them memorable – You want to recite them from memory eventually, so make them easy to remember.
Make them positive – The goal is to make positive affirmations that lead you to the position you want to be in. There is no room for negativity.
Repeat them often – The minimum you should repeat your affirmations is twice daily: once in the morning and once at night. The more often the better, though.
Visualize with them – Visualizing what you aim to achieve with your affirmations makes them more real. It gives you a feeling of familiarity and reduces the element of surprise when you get there.
Believe in them – Why are you doing this if you don’t believe the affirmations or yourself? Repeat them with passion, conviction, and the belief that they will come true.