Why affirmations matter and how to start doing them
Over the last couple of years, we’ve heard about positive affirmations almost on every corner. Self-help books promote them as a great way to overcome fear and self-doubt, but if you’ve never tried them, it can feel bizarre at first.
Telling yourself how amazing you are can seem awkward, but don’t let that discourage you. There’s nothing ‘voodoo’ or ‘magical’ about positive affirmations. There’s the real science behind them. If you put in the effort to practice affirmations regularly, you can make a lasting impact on the way you think and live your life.
Curious how affirmations could benefit you? We explain the article below. Let’s dive in!
How affirmations work
To understand why affirmations really do work, it’s important to understand neuroplasticity. Simply put, it’s your brain’s ability to adapt to different situations and circumstances as you go through your life. Funny enough, our brain sometimes confuses what’s reality and imagination. If you know this, you can use it to your advantage.
When you imagine yourself doing something – for instance, acing a terrifying work meeting – many areas in your brain will start to react as if you were actually going through this experience. Through regular positive affirmations, your brain will assume them to be a fact.
What are the benefits of positive daily affirmations?
We’d have to spend a day mentioning all the good daily affirmations can bring. They:
- Improve your overall well-being
- Relieve stress
- Reduce symptoms of anxiety
- Make you more optimistic
- Improve your self-esteem
- Help you sleep better
What are the benefits of positive daily affirmations?
We’d have to spend a day mentioning all the good daily affirmations can bring. They:
- Improve your overall well-being
- Relieve stress
- Reduce symptoms of anxiety
- Make you more optimistic
- Improve your self-esteem
- Help you sleep better
To make the most of positive affirmations, you have to practice them on a regular basis. Ideally, you should include them in your daily routine. Here’s how you can start.
- Set aside 3 to 5 minutes two times a day to say your affirmations. We suggest making it a morning or evening habit.
- For more effectiveness, say each statement at least 10 times. Listen to the words and try to be as focused as possible. You should believe them with your entire being.
- Ask for help from your loved ones. This can initially seem intimidating, but listening to someone else say your affirmations can be really helpful.
- Remember – consistency is key to success. Try as much as you can not to skip a day.
Before repeating your affirmations, we suggest writing them down. You can also listen to pre-recorded ones, but it’s more effective to write them on your own is more effective. Make sure they are short, simple, and encouraging. Repeat them as you brush your teeth, drive in your car, or even sip your morning coffee.
It’s also important to form your affirmations in the present tense. Instead of saying, “I will invest in my health and wellbeing,” you should say, “I am investing in my health and wellbeing.”
Remember that affirmations are all about having a positive frame of mind. In this process, there’s no place for negative thoughts or derogatory words. You should always use positive language. So, don’t be shy and give yourself well-deserved praise. You really are a badass, even if you don’t always believe it!
End notes
Positive affirmations are an excellent way to boost your motivation and improve your overall well-being, but that doesn’t mean they’re a panacea. Think of them as a small step toward change, not the change itself. Once you’ve written down affirmations, you still have to take action yourself.
To ensure you don’t forget to do your daily affirmations, we suggest ‘habit stacking‘. That means you should identify an already existing habit (for example, journaling) and then stack your new practice on top. So, if you’d like to get better at affirmations, why not do them every morning while filling out your Cloudberry planner? That will definitely do the trick!
