Every day our brains have anywhere between 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts. Out of all these thoughts, research has shown that about 80% of them are negative and 95% are the same repetitive thoughts that we already experienced the day before.
To give more context in regard to how our brains function on a daily basis, scientists in one study found that 85% of what we actually worry about never ends up happening. And when the worries that we did have come true, almost 8 out of 10 people discovered that they could either handle the difficulty better than they expected, or that the difficulty taught them a lesson worth learning. In the end, the study concluded that 97% of our worries are baseless and result from unfounded pessimistic perception.
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way that we could replace all of these negative thoughts with positive thoughts? Well, it turns out that we can actually accomplish just that by practicing daily affirmations.
What Are Affirmations?
Affirmations are positive statements or phrases that can help us challenge and overcome our self-sabotaging and negative thoughts. When we repeat positive affirmations on a regular basis, we can start changing our old bad habits and develop new good ones.
While you might think that this just sounds like unrealistic wishful thinking, the practice and popularity of positive affirmations are based on widely accepted and well-established psychological theory. That said, positive affirmations do require regular practice if you want to make lasting, long-term changes to the ways that you think and feel.
And when it comes to daily affirmations, it’s important to not only say the positive statements out loud, but actually believe what you’re saying. In fact, one study found that people with low self-esteem who repeat positive statements that they themselves don’t believe will likely feel worse than people who don’t repeat the statement or who focus on how it is both true and not true. So, rather than forcing positivity or positive affirmations on yourself, you might benefit from practicing self-affirmation.
What Is Self-Affirmation?
Self-affirmation theory states that people are motivated to maintain a positive self-view. That’s why threats to a person’s perceived self-competence are typically met with resistance. And when you’re feeling threatened, self-affirmation can restore your self-competence by allowing you to reflect on sources of self-worth such as your core values.
Over the past 10 years, self-affirmation studies have found that reminding yourself of your core values can make you less defensive in the face of threatening information like negative feedback from a boss or criticism from a loved one. Other studies have also found that self-affirmation can make you more likely to accept bad news about your health instead of denying it. Self-affirmation can make you more open to opposing views and more self-controlled, as well.
How To Write Affirmation Statements
Since affirmation statements typically target a specific area, behavior, or belief that you’re struggling with, you might benefit from writing your own affirmation statements that are unique to you. To write affirmation statements, think about any areas of your life that you’d like to change. Then write your affirmation statements in the present tense using the first-person point of view (using ‘I’ statements). Make sure that your affirmation statements are credible and believable, too. And if you’re struggling with negative self-talk, you can write down any persistent negative thoughts or beliefs that are bothering you and then create positive affirmations that are the opposite of those negative thoughts or beliefs.
When creating belief statements, remember to use only positive statements, keep the statements short, and maybe most importantly of all, make sure that the statements are emotionally meaningful to you.
Since we want you to have some daily positive affirmations to start working with right away, here are 10 powerful self-affirmation statements from industry experts Terri Cole, Wild Simple Joy, and The Blissful Mind.
10 Self-Affirmations
1. I create a safe and secure space for myself wherever I am.
2. It is easy to be calm and relaxed.
3. I have unlimited power.
4. I allow myself to be who I am without judgment.
5. I make a difference in the world by simply existing in it.
6. I view myself through kind eyes.
7. I am happy to be fit and healthy.
8. I am comfortable with a set schedule and a consistent income.
9. I treat myself with respect and honor.
10. I am worthy. I am loved. I am enough.
How To Use Your Affirmation Statements
Now that you have a few powerful affirmations to work with, Terri Cole recommends repeating these phrases throughout the day and saying your affirmations at the same time every day in order to make your new practice a habit. You can also write your favorite affirmations down on paper or save them as your phone’s background image so you can see them every time you pick up your phone. And since positive self-talk brings positive results, smile when you say your affirmations and feel the feelings of these affirmations being factual!
You can also use these affirmations whenever you want to raise your confidence before a big meeting or a presentation, control negative feelings like anger or frustration, improve your self-esteem, improve your productivity and finish projects that you’ve started, or overcome a bad habit.
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