What Are Affirmations & How Do You Use Them Properly?

Did you know that your mind is one of the most powerful and intricate tools ever studied, and that the way you think and use words has the ability to change your subconscious mind?

Positive affirmations are a great tool to help you create thought patterns and actions that create positive change, and can help boost your self-confidence and self esteem by focusing on the positive areas of your life.

Affirmations take many forms and shapes, but they all share a single goal: to work like self-fulfilling prophecies (self-fulfilling means it influences the desired outcome) by influencing your thoughts and beliefs about yourself, others, and the world around you.

What you may not have realized is it’s fairly likely that at some point in your life, you’ve used positive affirmations without even realizing that’s what you were doing (even if you thought they were too woo woo for you to use!).

Have you ever given yourself a little pep talk where you’ve used positive phrases (“you can do this…”) or even tried to calm down racing thoughts (“I am fine, everything is fine…”)? If so, then you’ve used affirmations, and you probably realized how much they actually do work.

But… there’s a whole lot more to affirmations than simply saying a few positive words. And there are also some little tweaks you can make to ensure you’re using affirmations properly and effectively to get the most benefit from them possible.

Affirmations are a widely used tool in the law of attraction and positive thinking.

Affirmations may aid in retraining our subconscious mind, which is frequently influenced by negative feelings and beliefs about ourselves. Affirmations function because they offer a more effective method for the brain to absorb information than traditional methods.

Most of us go through our days repeating negative thoughts and phrases to ourselves (“urgh… I could have done that better…” or “why did I say that, I’m so dumb”).

Affirmations teach us to replace these negative thoughts with positive statements which act as a form of self-support.

Affirmations can also help people who suffer from low self-esteem, the fear of failure, and can be used as a technique in psychology practices like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to overcome negative self-talk.

What Are Affirmations?

Positive Affirmations are statements that you make to yourself, that highlight, encourage, or reinforce a positive aspect of your life.

These affirmations can be used in both direct and indirect ways.

Used directly, an affirmation is said out loud repetitively until the idea of it becomes ingrained within the mind. This is where you may undertake practices like repeating affirmations like a mantra, or creating a song from your affirmations, or even saying them to yourself in front of a mirror.

Used indirectly, an affirmation is written down or repeated silently to oneself, in order to reinforce the idea of it within the mind. You can use these affirmations as journal prompts, or repeat them in your mind, or simply reading affirmation cards or lists of affirmations.

Affirmations can be used to emphasize areas of your life that you desire to improve, such as self-confidence and self-esteem.

Affirmation practice on a daily basis may also assist you in bringing about a specific idea or thing in your life, according to the Law of Attraction (read more about that below).

When it comes to creating your own affirmations, they can be of any length, however, more than three or four sentences may be difficult to recite or memorize, so keep them simple and concise for the best effect.

Affirmations should never contradict one another, and they should continually concentrate on the good aspects of a situation.

Do Positive Affirmations Work?

Positive affirmations, and more specifically, self-affirmations, absolutely work and there are many studies that back up this claim.

While some people simply brush off affirmations as wishful thinking, or something a little woo woo or mystical, research shows there’s much more to positive self-talk and positive affirmations than simply making you feel good.

And while the idea of the Law of Attraction may have you scratching your head and wondering if it’s all actually true, the science (particularly neuroscience) has a lot to say about the effectiveness of positive affirmations and positive self-talk.

But it’s not just those of us who are a little alternative who find benefits in positive affirmations.

Professional athletes have used powerful affirmations and related mental images to enhance their performance and drive, playing on the neuroplasticity of the brain to adapt to different circumstances and achieve their goals.

MRI scans of the brain even show the effect positive affirmations have in contrast to neutral statements, and negative affirmations.

The science is clear, positive affirmations do work.

What Is The Law of Attraction? And How Do Positive Affirmations Fit In With It?

The Law of Attraction is the idea that everything in the world is made up of energy, and that sending out good vibes attracts similar thoughts and things into your life. This being that like attracts like, which means you’ll be drawn to or bring similar ideas and items into your own life.

When used with positive affirmations, the idea is that whatever you say in your positive affirmation (as in, the energy you are putting out into the world) is what you attract back to you (like attracts like), therefore manifesting or bringing to reality that which you are affirming.

While it may sound far-fetched, the concept of the Law of Attraction (or infinite consciousness as it has previously been referred) is not new and has been studied for many years. What we know of the scientific evidence of positive affirmations can in ways support the existence and effectiveness of the Law of Attraction.

These negative qualities may be reduced and thus the amount of positivity in your life improved by delegating yourself to create and repeat positive affirmations.

The key is to concentrate on the good aspects of these affirmations, and then to let them go out into the world – allowing it to take care of the rest.

Consider it as if you’re planting a seed. You may have prepared the soil, watered it frequently, and ensured that it gets enough light, but eventually, nature will take care of the rest.

Affirmations are similar to seeds: you plant them in your mind or on paper, then you put them out of your mind and allow the Law of Attraction to work its magic.

Why Should I Use Affirmations?

Affirmations are a powerful tool in your personal development, and they may be used to help you achieve all sorts of things. They can be used to enhance your life goals, improve the way you think about yourself, produce beneficial changes, and even have an influence on mental health.

Affirmations can be used to help with everything from anxiety and stress to coping skills and a means to utilize when confronted with negative circumstances or even daily challenges. Positive affirmations, for example, may be utilized to soothe someone who is anxious or distressed about an approaching event.

Affirmations can assist individuals focus on the positive aspects of an anticipated event, allowing them to feel more prepared and secure as they approach it.

It’s all about changing your attitude. We can use the Law of Attraction to attract new experiences into our lives through a different belief system. As parents, we can utilize affirmation cards to focus on the positive aspects of our days and utilize the power of affirmations to foster more optimistic self-talk about ourselves, particularly as it pertains to motherhood.

They’re also a fantastic method for kids to learn about reframing unhelpful ideas into helpful beliefs about oneself, which is quite important for youngsters to understand since they’re so impressionable and prone to forming new neural pathways.

Positive affirmations give them powerful statements to empower and support them.

Affirmations like “I am accepting myself for who I am” or “Every day in every way I’m getting better and better” or simple “I am strong, I am powerful, I am loved” can help shift your mindset from focusing on the negative to the positive.

Do I Need To Use Affirmations On A Daily Basis?

The Law of Affirmation states that the more you repeat an affirmation, the faster it will manifest within your mind.

However, this does not mean that you need to be reciting affirmations on a daily basis in order for them to work or be effective.

In fact, studies have shown that saying affirmations just three times a day is enough to make a difference in your life and mindset.

It is important to recite the affirmations with full focus and attention, you can do this by saying them out loud or writing them down.

You should also be focusing on the positive aspects of these affirmations, reaffirming yourself that they are already working within your life.

Remember- repetition is key! Affirmations are more likely to work if you repeat them over and over again.

The best way I have found to include a regular practice of using affirmations is to include them in my daily routine, particularly when I’m journaling. Often times I’ll use an affirmation as a journaling prompt and it’s quite interesting to see what new thoughts come up with the same affirmations over time.

This also means I get a positive start to my day and really reinforce the affirmations in my mind.

When Should I Use Positive Affirmations?

One of the great things about affirmations is that they can be used at anytime and in any situation.

There is no wrong time to use positive affirmations, but there are some specific times when they can be especially helpful.

Some people find it helpful to recite affirmations in the morning, as a way to start their day off on the right foot with a positive mindset.

Others like to use affirmations throughout the day as needed, for example when they’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

And some people find it helpful to say their affirmations at night before bed, as a way to end the day on a positive note.

No matter when you choose to use them, the important thing is that you’re using them regularly and consistently in order to see the best results.

Are Affirmations A Sin? Are Affirmations Anti-Religion?

While I cannot speak specifically to each faith, it is generally accepted that affirmations are not a sin and they are not anti-religion.

Affirmations are simply positive statements about oneself that one believes to be true. Everyone has the ability to create their own affirmations, regardless of religious affiliation or beliefs.

There is no right or wrong way to use affirmations, as each individual can tailor them to fit their own needs and desires.

Some people may find that using affirmations while they pray or meditate helps to strengthen their faith and connection to their religion. Others may choose to use affirmations as a standalone practice outside of religious beliefs.

As long as the affirmations you are using are not contradicting your faith, then they can be a powerful tool to help you improve upon your faith and your own self-confidence.

How Do I Use Positive Affirmations Properly?

Positive Affirmations can be used to help you think and feel better about yourself and your life. They can also be used to hlep manifest things in your life, such as objects or money.

However, Affirmations should never contradict themselves; thus it is always best to focus on positive aspects and situations.

Always make use of Affirmations with deliberate focus and attention on a regular basis for the greatest impact. Affirmations are most successful when they’re said over and over!

Examples of how you can include affirmations in your day include:

• make a journal for yourself to keep your affirmations. Keep a record of any crucial or relevant affirmations that you repeat each night, as well as the affirmations that are important to you and related to the current mentality you’re working on.
• standing in front of a mirror and repeating the affirmations to yourself
• recording yourself saying your affirmations and then listening back to them as you fall asleep
• reciting them out loud to yourself in your car when you’re stuck in traffic, or when you stop at stop signs

• affirming the Affirmation to other people whenever they tell you about their day or ask how your own is going (for example, when someone asks how you are you can respond with ‘I am healthy and living my best life’)
• make a daily planner that includes your affirmations, then read them every time you open it.
• reading Affirmations in a book, out loud in the mirror, to yourself in the car or while you’re walking
• using sticky notes to create affirmations, and putting them all over your house or workplace
• repeating Affirmations in your head as you go to sleep, first thing when you wake up, and throughout the day
• sending Affirmations to yourself through text or email on a daily basis
• setting reminders on your phone with your affirmations as the text so you see them throughout the day
• use markers to write them on your mirror or windows and see them as you move throughout your day

How Can I Write My Own Effective Affirmations?

Writing Affirmations is a great way to get started on your journey towards achieving goals or manifesting positive things into your life. Creating your own affirmations means you can get super specific with what it is you’re manifesting, or what area of your life you’re working on.

However, you should always be mindful to write your Affirmations with conscious focus and attention, being sure that they are beneficial, positive, and can be easily applied to your life.

When writing Affirmations, encourage yourself and give yourself positive affirmations until you feel inspired with things to write.

When you sit down and write Affirmations, think about the goals or changes you want to achieve within your life and ask yourself: “What kind of Affirmations would be most effective in allowing me to achieve these goals?”

Writing Affirmations is a practice of reminding yourself what you want to do and how you will become successful at it. Affirmations can be written about anything, including small positive changes or larger goals you want to achieve over time.

When writing Affirmations, always remember that repetition is key. Also ensure that Affirmations are within the present tense, positive, and in the form of a question.

Affirmations should be written within the positive and not the negative; for example:

“I am achieving goals” not “I am stopping myself from failing to achieve goals”.

Affirmations should always focus on what you want to do or accomplish, rather than focusing on what you do not want to happen or why something won’t work out.

Affirmations should be written in the present tense and reflect on your current reality; Affirmations such as “I am achieving my goals” are more effective than Affirmations like “I will achieve my goals”.

Note: Affirmations that can be applied in a variety of areas in your life are the most beneficial, such as Affirmations about already being successful or Affirmations encouraging positivity and happiness. Affirmations should ALWAYS be positive!

What Are Some Examples Of Positive Affirmations?

Some Affirmations to consider writing out and repeating:

• I am willing to explore new possibilities and try new things.
• I am learning something new every day.
• Today I will focus on what I have and all the abundance in my life.
• I am living my best life today.
• Life loves me.
• I already have everything I need to succeed.
• Life is unfolding perfectly for me right now.
• I am successful in everything I do.
• I am the best version of myself.
• I am thankful for all that I have and all that is yet to come.
• I surround myself with people who support and care for me.

Affirmations are a fantastic approach to begin your journey towards achieving goals, winning, and having more positive and abundant feelings in your life.

As with any new practice, repetition will lead to long-term results so don’t forget about writing affirmations every single day and find ways to create daily habits and rituals around using positive affirmations so it becomes easier for you to include them in your daily life.