Using Positive Affirmations to Improve Your Mindset
How can positive affirmations improve your mindset?
I’ve talked before about limiting beliefs and the effects of negativity. One of the methods discussed when trying to change your mindset is being more positive. Positive thinking has an effect on most areas of our lives. But the problem is, people don’t know how to do it. Where do they start? When it comes to having a more positive mindset, it comes down to those little daily habits that help you shift how you think about various things in your life. One daily habit that can help with this is using affirmations.
What are positive affirmations?
Affirmations are positive statements that can help you build confidence and overcome self-sabotaging thoughts. They can even help you calm down in stressful situations.
Positive affirmations are statements you make to yourself throughout the day to give yourself a boost of confidence and remember how amazing you are.
Positive affirmations can help you work through negative thoughts and reach your goals. You can replace the negative statements with positive one to remind yourself to look for the good. They're simple to say, and they'll change the way you think about yourself – as well as how others see you!
Affirmations are a great tool for self-improvement because of their ability to break down our limiting beliefs. We gain confidence in ourselves through repetition. Increased confidence gives us a greater chance at success.
Self-affirmation is an empowering tool for many people who have faced difficult circumstances in their lives. It’s something to be used every single day, like any other habit such as brushing your teeth.
Affirmations are a form of self-care. We’ve all been told how important it is to make time for self-care every day, but do we take the time to do it? Many (Most) of us don’t. Sometimes it feels like self-care becomes one more thing to do on a never-ending list. Affirmations are quick and easy way to introduce some self-care.
How and Why Affirmations Work
Positive affirmations might seem silly at first—like they aren’t doing anything—but over time, your subconscious will reprogram through these positive words and statements. If you want to improve your mindset, affirmations are one of the best tools to use.
With a positive affirmation, you are using words and phrases that affirm something in your mind. When it comes to a positive mindset, this is exactly what you need to make that shift. In the beginning, it doesn’t feel impactful, but the more you use affirmations and start to feel that positive light and gratitude, the more your subconscious mind starts to absorb these words and feelings.
Your conscious mind is what you are aware of. It is where your thoughts and your daydreaming are coming from. But it is your subconscious mind where you have those limiting beliefs, memories, and deep-rooted thoughts reside. This is where you want to make the change in order to improve your mindset, which can be done by using affirmations.
The Secret to Choosing the Best Affirmations
It is important that you don’t just use any affirmation you find, as they need to invoke the feeling you want to feel. There are so many affirmations out there for all different types of mindset shifts, but not all of them will speak to you. Use your intuition when choosing affirmations that you feel will make the biggest difference with developing a more positive mindset.
It's important to be real with yourself. Catalog the times and places you see negative thinking creeping in. Does it happen most often in certain areas of your life? Look to your career, family, physical appearance, financial stability, health, confidence, etc. You want to choose affirmations that speak to you. When you read them, you feel that it’s something you need to hear.
For example, if your negative thinking comes from limiting beliefs about your abilities, then using positive affirmations about your appearance won’t be as helpful. They are great for people whose main goal is to boost self-esteem because of appearance-related insecurities. But if you want to work on your confidence related to your abilities, find (or create) those affirmations.
How to Create an Affirmation Routine
Once you find the affirmations you want to use, the next thing to do is figure out how to start a daily habit of using them. Here are some ideas:
Write affirmations in your journal:
This is probably the easiest and one of the most popular methods for using affirmations. All you have to do is write them down in your journal each day. You can either create your own, or get a list of affirmations elsewhere, and then rewrite them in your journal. Seeing it in your own handwriting helps your mind to absorb the words better.
Repeat 1-3 affirmations throughout the day in your head:
Choose a couple of your favorite affirmations for the day and memorize them. Stand in front of a mirror and repeat the affirmation out loud every day. The more you speak positively to yourself out loud, the easier it is to believe what you are saying. It’s important to speak with conviction: say it as if it is true already, even if it is not.
It may feel awkward at first, speaking to yourself out loud in front of a mirror. If you make it a habit, you will find it gets easier as time goes on. You can do it while getting ready in the morning, or while you’re doing your nighttime routine – or both!
If the whole mirror thing seems overwhelming, it’s okay to work up to that, so start by repeating the affirmations in your head throughout the day when you get the chance. Think about mindless tasks you do like brushing your teeth or walking your dog, where you tend to sit in your thoughts a lot. These are the perfect moments to shift from your anxious thoughts and worrying, to repeating affirmations.
Thinking affirmations is not a replacement for saying them to yourself out loud, however. You definitely want to work up to that, and then the silent repetition can be a reinforcement throughout the day.
There’s no limit to the number of times you say affirmations each day. You may even want to write or type some of them up and place them around your home to embed the affirmations even deeper into your subconscious. Or you can get some printable cards to carry with you in your purse or bag.
Visualize each affirmation.
Visualize your life as if the affirmation has already come true. See yourself acting and thinking in the manner described in the affirmation. This gives your subconscious an image of what is to happen next.
Acting as though it is true provides you with a mental power to make what's been visualized become reality.
Ideas for Positive Affirmations
Here are some positive affirmations to get you started. Look for the ones that speak to you:
Health
- I move my body every day to strengthen it.
- I am not defined by my illness.
- I am continuously healing my body and mind.
Love
- I am surrounded by love and devotion.
- I deserve love and happiness.
- I love myself before I love others.
Confidence
- My uniqueness is magical.
- I have the ability to do anything.
- I am valued for who I am.
Success
- I am creating the life I desire.
- I celebrate all my wins, no matter how big or small.
- My abundance has no limits.
Money and Wealth
- I become richer every day.
- I am a magnet for wealth and prosperity.
- I release all fears about money.
Empowerment
- I celebrate who I am and what I give to the world.
- My determination is stronger than my fear.
- I have the fire within me to achieve anything.
Stress and Anxiety
- My thoughts do not control me.
- With every breath I take, I am more relaxed.
- I release all negative energy.
Gratitude
- I show appreciation for my life each and every day.
- I will use my wealth and success to make the world a better place.
- I show constant gratitude for the support and love in my life.
Positive Mindset
- I surround myself with encouraging and supportive people.
- My dreams are within my grasp.
- I visualize the life I want to live.
You can write your own affirmations that are just a few words long, are positive, and help you create the mindset you want to have.
If you're just getting started with affirmations, check out my shop, where I have downloadable affirmations coloring pages and other affirmation printables.
