Have you ever wondered how positive affirmations work?
How can simply telling yourself positive things change your life?
Well, get ready to be amazed because the science behind this simple yet powerful technique is fascinating.
Positive affirmations are simple statements that we consciously repeat to ourselves with the aim of influencing our thoughts, beliefs, and behavior in a positive direction. So how do these positive affirmations work? Let's find out!
In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about positive affirmations, including:
● What are positive affirmations?
● How do positive affirmations work?
● Tips and tricks to start practicing!
Read on to find out what positive affirmations can do for you!
What are positive affirmations?
Positive affirmations are simple statements that we consciously repeat to ourselves with the aim of influencing our thoughts, beliefs, and behavior in a positive direction. The purpose of using those affirmations is to shift negative or limiting beliefs and replace them with positive and empowering ones. This practice is rooted in the belief that our thoughts have a powerful impact on our lives and that we can change our reality by changing the way we think and feel about ourselves and the world around us.
How do positive affirmations work?
"The map is not the territory"
The quote "The map is not the territory", often used in NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming, explains that the way we perceive the world is not the actual world. Every second, our minds get bombarded with over 2 million stimuli. If we were to see, hear, or know them all, we would go crazy. Instead, to protect us, most of these stimuli are filtered out and stored in our subconscious mind. This is part of a survival mechanism that's embedded in our system so our brain can focus on what’s most important. But how does our brain distinguish what's important and what's not?
The answer is simple: beliefs.
The power of beliefs
Beliefs play a crucial role in shaping our reality, and they’re a part of our survival mechanism. If you have the belief that you need to watch out for predators to survive, either consciously or subconsciously, you will have a greater chance of seeing the predator coming and surviving the attack. On the other hand, if you don't believe you need to watch out, you’ll probably keep enjoying the view until it's too late. This is an example of beliefs in a survival situation. But in this day and age, beliefs are applicable to almost everything we come into contact with. These beliefs can be created through thoughts or through experience.
An intense experience can hardwire a new belief in your system instantly. Like being attacked by a tiger, for example. After the intense experience, your subconscious already created the belief that tigers are dangerous and you need to watch out for them.
The other way to create a belief is by repeating thoughts. Just like studying. By repeating certain thoughts, you will rewire your brain to focus on those thoughts. These thoughts then become beliefs, and those beliefs become an attitude. All those beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes are stored in the neural pathways of our brains, creating these filters. However, our mind can't distinguish positive thoughts from negative ones. So if you keep telling yourself that you are not worthy, your mind will make this into a belief. A belief that can profoundly distort the way you perceive yourself and the world.
Positive affirmations
This is where positive affirmations come in. When we repeat positive affirmations to ourselves, we are essentially rewiring our brains to focus on positive thoughts and emotions. By rewiring our brains positively, we make our minds less susceptible to negative influence.
Positive affirmations can take many forms and can be customized to fit each individual's unique needs and desires. Some examples of positive affirmations are "I am worthy of love and respect", "I am capable of achieving my goals," and "I choose to focus on the positive."
Incorporating positive affirmations into our daily routines can be an easy and effective way to change our thoughts and ultimately change our lives. You can start with small affirmations and gradually build up to more complex ones. You can incorporate affirmations into your meditation practice or write them in a journal. The key is to repeat them regularly, ideally daily.
Tips & Tricks to start practicing
When we incorporate positive affirmations into our daily routine, we start to see changes in our thoughts, emotions, and behavior. We begin to feel more empowered, self-confident, and optimistic about our future. So, how do we start?
1. Find yourself a good affirmation
A good positive affirmation should be short and simple.
You can start with affirmations like: "I am...".
"I am beautiful"
"I am worthy of..."
2. Repeat the affirmation
Repeat the affirmation, out loud or in your head. It takes repetition to allow your brain to adapt to the new belief. You can start out by saying it 5 times, 3 times per day.
3. Write it down
Write down your affirmation somewhere you can see it often. A fridge or a bathroom mirror are very good examples. This way, you repeat it even more, and it reminds you to repeat the affirmation as well.
4. Be patient
It takes time before our brain starts to rewire our neural pathways. Although it gets easier every day, don't expect big results on the first day. Be patient, and you will start seeing the impact of positive affirmations.
5. Keep at it
Just keep on using positive affirmations!
Conclusion
In conclusion, positive affirmations are powerful tools that can transform our lives. By changing our thoughts, we can change the way we view ourselves and the world around us. It’s all a matter of perception and belief. By using positive affirmations, we allow ourselves to improve our lives in a positive way. Why don’t you try it out and see for yourself?
Whatever you do, Stay Positive!
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