Positive affirmations are phrases or mantras you repeat to yourself, describing a specific outcome or who you want to be.
And they aren’t just some woo-woo thing new age people talk about. They’re pretty darn useful.
Positive affirmations are about turning negative thinking on its head and flicking that switch from ‘woe is me’ to ‘yay’ me! After all, every positive affirmation sums up what you believe about yourself. And you can either be your own worst critic or your own cheer squad!
Developing a routine
But how exactly do you make a start with positive affirmations?
You start by focussing on ONE – and only one – small negative thought; from there, you practice reframing that thought into the positive.
I find the best way to build a habit of using positive affirmations is to make it part of a regular routine. Just like brushing my teeth or taking a daily shower, I choose to focus on my affirmations in the morning. As I am SOOOOOOO not a morning person, they act as a nice mood booster!
Of course, there are many other affirmations you could tell yourself!
- I’m delightfully GORGEOUS!
- I am enough, just as I am in this moment
- I’m blessed with good health, a wonderful family, and awesome friends
- I am a gorgeous woman with a beautiful soul
- I have a great set of boobs
- My legs are strong as they carry me throughout life
- I believe in myself. I CAN do anything.
My experiences with positive affirmations
In my formative years, I was the Queen of fat talk, so much so that I would end up collapsing in a heap with a panic attack over what to wear, how fat I was, how frumpy I felt, how good-looking I wasn’t, how stupid I was… so much so that I wouldn’t leave the house, or if I did I would quickly return home having faked an illness.
Something had to change
And for something to change, I had to look within, so I could heal my self.
It took time, but all change begins with one small step, and then another… and another, until you know you are a changed woman (or man).
Let me give you an example of one of my old negative thoughts.
I once hated my red hair after being bullied about it, so I chose this as the negative thought I wanted to focus on. Looking in the mirror, I honed in on my red hair. Using the first person pronoun (I, my) and the present tense (I am) in my affirmation, I spoke a positive message to myself – out loud!
“I love my red hair.”
“I love my thick, long, luscious red locks.”
“My hair looks really good tonight.”
I would repeat the affirmation repeatedly until it sounded convincing to my ears.
I would repeat the affirmation regularly during the next week (Yes, my red hair does rock!).
It’s important to sound like you believe what you are saying, so say it with conviction and consistency, i.e. My red hair ROCKS! MY red hair rocks, My RED hair rocks, MY RED HAIR ROCKS!
It won’t happen overnight
Like any habit – learning to tie your shoelaces, brushing your teeth twice a day, quitting smoking, developing an exercise routine – you’ve gotta practice using affirmations. You’re not going to change your repetitive thinking overnight, but you can do it baby step by baby step! So start simple and start small.
Eventually, these positive affirmations will become second nature and result in a new and positive you.
If you are after some beautiful visual cues to help you with your affirmations, visit Louise Hay’s website. (Louise Hay is the Queen of affirmations)!