if you have ever heard of affirmations, chances are you have heard about them in the context of weight loss. but did you know that affirmations can help you achieve any goal? this blog will teach you everything there is to know about using affirmations and how they can change your life for the better.
what are daily affirmations?
affirmations are positive statements that you repeat to yourself. they're a powerful tool for changing your thoughts and beliefs about yourself, others, and the world around you. by repeating these positive statements over time, you can improve your self-esteem and confidence as well as achieve your goals.
here are some examples of daily affirmations:
i love myself without condition or reservation. i accept who i am in this moment, just as i am right now. there is nothing wrong with me at all; my body is beautiful exactly as it is today, no matter what other people say or do not say about my weight or appearance. when someone makes a negative comment about me (or anything else), instead of taking it personally and believing that they were talking directly to me because they knew something was wrong with me (or whatever else), i will remember that whatever happened was not about ME at all—it was about THEM!
how to use affirmations.
"affirmations are just positive statements you say to yourself," said Dr. Hall. "the key is to be specific about what you want to achieve and repeat your affirmations until they become a part of who you are."
for example, if your goal is to have a successful career, your daily affirmations could include:
- i am focused and calm when working with others.
- when problems arise at work, I solve them quickly and efficiently.
if the problem persists or if it's too difficult for me to solve on my own, i make sure that other people know about the issue so we can collaborate on a solution together!
identifying your negative self-talk.
the first step in using affirmations is identifying your negative self-talk. this can be achieved by keeping a journal of the thoughts and emotions you have throughout the day. while this might feel like an intimidating task at first, it is quite simple and very helpful in the long run.
here are some tips to keep in mind when doing this:
- recognize the negative thought: recognizing your negative thoughts are important because it helps you recognize that these thoughts are not true, but rather just beliefs you have about yourself or situations around you. in other words, recognizing a belief as a mere belief allows one to see past its perspective and move on from there with a more positive mindset towards oneself and life itself.
- write down your negative thought: writing down our thoughts helps us give them power over us by allowing us to dwell on them too much or at all times of day without realizing we're doing so until it's too late (which happens often). writing down our thoughts also allows us to recognize patterns within ourselves which may lead to some sort of disorder if left untreated long enough! that said - writing things down will allow us time later on tonight when we go through these steps together again tomorrow morning before work ;)
- identify whether any given thought is irrational or rational based off previous experience/experience gained thus far with similar situations," wrote author randall munro."
write it down.
- write it down. The more you write, the more you'll remember.
- Write in a notebook. you can even get fancy and go to target or something and buy a cute one with a beautiful cover that looks like a lot of work went into making it look so nice (and also makes you feel like your affirmations are getting more attention than they deserve). this will help you keep track of what's going on with your affirmations as well as give them some much-needed encouragement when they're feeling down.
- write on post-it notes.* they're great for sticking up around the house or office, and they allow for easy removal should you need to take them down for any reason (like if someone gets offended by what you've written). plus, post-it notes have pictures on them so everyone knows how much work went into making this little piece of paper!
when to do them.
you can do affirmations in the morning and night. if you're not a morning person, that's okay! pick another time of day to be more likely to stick with it.
i recommend doing your affirmations immediately after you wake up and before you go to sleep. in the morning, this will help set your mood for the day—and at night, affirmations help get into bed with a positive attitude so that you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. this can also help prevent insomnia or night terrors if they're something that happens regularly.
another great place to practice is when driving in the car (or taking public transportation). you don't have to keep your eyes on the road constantly; instead, try focusing on what comes naturally for most people: listening to music or podcasts—or even just listening intently as someone talks about their life experiences with joyous wonder!
consistency is key.
you've probably heard about the importance of consistency when it comes to affirmations, but you may be wondering how exactly you're supposed to do this. the first step is to choose an affirmation that resonates with your values and intentions. then, make sure that you say it every day—even if it's just once or twice a day. if you miss a day, don't beat yourself up: just pick right back up where you left off and keep going!
you can also set reminders on your phone or computer as a way of keeping track of the times when your affirmation should be said. this will help remind yourself of what needs saying at each point during the day—and even if there are days when life gets hectic (and our phones get lost), there's no excuse not to put in at least some effort toward improving yourself through affirmations!
don't beat yourself up for bad days.
don’t beat yourself up for having a bad day. you or I, for example, are not perfect; we all have ups and downs. when you find yourself in a negative state of mind, remind yourself that it is only temporary and that your body is going through some kind of adjustment period.
focus on the positive instead of thinking about what's wrong with your life or what mistakes you've made recently. instead focus on the good things in your life and how they make you feel when they happen (e.g., “This glass of water makes me feel refreshed after that long run”).
don't dwell on the past—it's over now so there's no point dwelling on it! if something happens that upsets you, then let those feelings go as soon as possible by telling yourself: "it's okay; I'm fine now." this will help keep them from getting out of control by making sure they don't getting stuck inside your head where they can do damage to both mind AND body if left unchecked long enough!
a positive attitude goes a long way and when you remind yourself of it over and over, you can start to make your dreams a reality.
whether you're a professional athlete or simply someone who wants to improve your life and the lives of those around them, affirmations can help.
- affirmations are positive statements that focus on the things you want to achieve rather than what you don't want. you may have heard affirmations referred to as self-talk or positive thinking exercises. they all refer to the same thing: repeating a statement over and over again until it becomes a habit in your life.
- remember that when using affirmations, every time you repeat one, it's also important that you believe it! your mind has trouble distinguishing between fact and fiction if they're repeated often enough so if an affirmation doesn't feel genuine at first, keep practicing until it does feel right for YOU.
as you can see, affirmations are not just for people who are trying to change their lives for the better. they can be used by anyone and everyone. the more familiar you become with your negative self-talk, the easier it will be for you to identify it in others. then when someone says something that triggers your feelings of anger or sadness, instead of reacting negatively toward them (which would only make things worse), try saying one of these positive statements instead!
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