Positive affirmations can help you rewire your brain to think more positively and silence your inner critic. In moments of frustration, it can be easy to sink into feelings of self-doubt and negative beliefs. Writing positive affirmations and practicing them can vastly improve your mental health and increase your self-esteem and confidence. Here’s how you can learn to do so.
Writing Positive Affirmations
You can practice generic affirmations or tailor them to you — whatever will work best for you. Here are a few ways you can begin writing positive affirmations.
Use Present Tense
Whether you begin journaling to help you write your affirmations or start brainstorming ideas for your pledges, ensure you use the present tense. Begin with “I am…” rather than “I will…”.
Setting goals for your future is great for self-growth, but your affirmations should occur in the here and now. Journaling can help you get out your negative feelings and find a reaction to them that will cheer you up and empower you to create a mantra.
Keep it Short and Sweet
Positive affirmations can be whatever length you need them to be. However, shorter phrases are easier to remember and can pack more punch. Your affirmation should feel natural and be something that will propel you forward.
When you have a short and impactful mantra, your mind can better visualize your goal. One of the essential things to positive affirmations is repetition. You want your assertions to be concise and easy to remember so you can repeat them to yourself whenever necessary.
Narrow it Down
You want your positive affirmation to have a focus and present a change you want to make. Try making a list of areas you want help with, like your relationships, career or personal goals mental health.
What do you want to work on or change? You can use mindfulness meditation to find negative things in your life you wish to adjust. Then, write an affirmation for each area and work on implementing them. If you want to feel more confident, you could write a mantra that reminds you how willful and driven you are and repeat it to yourself as often as possible.
Practicing Positive Affirmations
To get the most out of positive affirmations, you must practice them diligently. Much like other positive changes you make to your life, the more you practice, the more they will work.
Consistency is Key for Growth
Practice your positive affirmations consistently to get the most gratification out of them. To improve your mindset, you must give your words the attention they deserve. After repeating mantras for a bit, your brain will form a new neural pathway.
This makes your affirmations a part of your subconscious mind — you won’t have to keep repeating them to believe them. You can repeat your mantra to yourself as often as it takes to take effect.
Dedicate an Affirmation Time
You can say your affirmations whenever you need to hear them, but giving them their own time of day can ensure you remember to state them daily. Dedicating time for positive affirmations can also give them more power since you’re saying them more frequently.
Repeat them multiple times a day or set aside a time for them once a day. Stating your affirmations in the morning can begin your day on the right foot and make you feel ready to tackle anything. When you’re winding down at night, you can say your affirmations to reassure yourself and fit them in your mind before you rest.
Say Them Aloud to Evoke Feeling
Saying your positive affirmations aloud gives them power and makes them more impactful. You can even use a mirror to speak to yourself. This may feel silly initially, but it is worth the positive benefits you will reap. If you can make yourself believe the mantras you repeat, you can be more empowered and equipped to tackle any obstacle in your way.
Ensure you are in a comfortable environment and speak your affirmations aloud as often as you need until you feel what you are saying. They may not always evoke emotions and that’s OK. Give them time to sink in and they can start to resonate with you.
The Power of Positive Affirmations
Hearing yourself say positive mantras to encourage and empower you can comfort and support you daily. You can show up for yourself by using positive affirmations to eliminate or limit the negativity in your life.
