The Power of Positive and Self-Affirmations
Hello KMPM Readers!!!
How many of you have heard of or even use this phrase…
“Watch your thoughts for they become words.
Watch your words for they become actions.
Watch your actions for they become habits.
Watch your habits for they become your character.”
And do any of you talk to yourself on a regular basis? You know that inner dialog you have with yourself, it might not be spoken aloud but it’s always there in your mind. When you’re driving to work, when you’re making dinner, when you’re taking a shower, etc. Well when you talk to yourself, about yourself, what kinds of things do you say? These things that we tell ourselves on a constant and daily basis are so powerful and we don’t even know it.
When we look in the mirror, are we constantly looking at things we could change to make better, because we a.) Hate ourselves or b.) because we Love ourselves? When you’re eating your food, are you rewarding yourself or punishing yourself? When we are upset or down, are we hard on ourselves with such thoughts, as, “I could have done so much better,” or “ugh this sucks,” or even better, “I am a loser, this sucks!” Or do you give yourself compassion and praise? In this life it is so much easier to reach for the negative, it is harder to look for the positive. Now remember I asked if you talk to yourself on a daily basis. Well if you didn't notice it before, I want you to start paying closer attention to that voice and what it says. The things we tell ourselves, our thoughts create our experiences.
The more we choose to think positive thoughts that make us feel good, the quicker our brain will then immediately go to that thought as opposed to our negative self talk. Well how do we shut down that nasty voice in our head…. With positive and self affirmations. An affirmation is a statement that we say aloud to ourselves, spoken with confidence about a perceived truth. Affirmations can work to help re-wire those negative thoughts into positive ones because it has the ability to program the mind into believing the stated concept.
Positive and self affirmations can help change our perspective on any number of situations with the right kind of practice and help. I want to go over first why affirmations work. There are three main psychologically explanations to why they do in fact work and are beneficial. First, because it is simply an enjoyable thing to do, to dwell on what we value. Second, when you’re feeling threatened by a particular criticism or failure, the technique can remind us of those things we value about ourselves more broadly, that are separate from the threatened aspect. And thirdly, it helps to broaden the basis for our self-worth, and can help us to regulate our emotions. Positive and self– affirmations have even been studied for their benefits into our daily lives. Studies have shown that when an affirmation is more focused on future scenarios, there was greater brain activity in the ventral striatum and ventral medial prefrontal cortex of our brain.
So now we know how powerful affirmations can be… how do we create one of our own that will help us break our own boundaries we have created within ourselves and start seeing our true potential throughout all aspects of life? Well I have found a couple awesome tips that will help you to create strong affirmations that will help you achieve success. Just follow these steps.
1. Make a list of what you always thought of as your negative qualities. - Include any criticisms that others have made of you that you’ve been holding onto. -Look for a common theme, like, “I am unworthy.” -Do you feel like you’re holding onto these negative thoughts in your body… do you notice stiffness or tension anywhere -Last part of step one is to ask yourself… is it helpful or productive in your life?
2. Write out an affirmation on the positive aspect of your self-judgment Ex). “I am remarkable and cherished.”
3. Speak the affirmation out loud for about 5 minutes, 3 times a day. In the morning, at noon, and in the evening. - Say it aloud or write it down, over and over again.
4. Anchor the affirmation in your body as you are repeating it by placing your hand on the area in which you felt uncomfortable when you first wrote out the negative belief in step 1. -Breathe into the affirmation while you are saying it or writing it.
5. Get a friend or a coach to repeat your affirmation to you.
If we can do this daily and make a strong affirmation, this tool can be really powerful in helping us change our mood, state of mind and manifest the change you desire in your life. We have the power to consciously choose words that will either help eliminate something from our lives or it helps create something new in our lives. Words have so much power, so make sure the next time you talk to yourself you choose those words wisely.