Do You Know How To Use Affirmations?

Affirmations are very helpful when they are used correctly. However, many people think they are using them correctly when in fact they are not. The problem with this is the fact that it can lead people to doubting the power of affirmations.

In reality, affirmations are rather simple to use. Check out these tips that will help you do them correctly from doorway-to-self-esteem.

Here are some guidelines to follow, and also of some common errors to avoid:

 

Using affirmations that are set in the future tense will only help you create a belief that what you seek will be found in the future. It defeats the purpose. You don’t want to find it in the future. You want to find it in your present.

 

In building new habits of thinking you want to emphasize the positive, not the negative. Instead of focusing on what you don’t want (freeze up on stage) focus on what you do want (to communicate well). If you keep repeating what you don’t want, you will just keep getting what you don’t want.

 

Effective affirmations do not include words like: don’t, won’t, am not, am stopping etc. They are always worded in a positive way, with a focus on the behavior or quality that you wish to have in your life.

From the heart

 

Sometimes you might want to work with an affirmation for something that you want, but don’t feel you have. In other words, you come up with an affirmation that you don’t necessarily ‘believe’.

 

For example, say you are dealing with a physical imperfection or visible difference. You might choose an affirmation to work with that deals with physical attractiveness, such as:

 

I am becoming more physically attractive.

 

But you might find it hard to ‘believe’ this statement if you have an issue with your appearance.

 

While I personally think that affirmations you don’t ‘believe’ still have some effect, it is not an efficient way of using affirmations. Here’s the reason why.

 

Whenever you repeat the statement that you don’t believe:

 

I am becoming more physically attractive.

 

– your mind responds with what you do currently believe e.g.:

 

Oh, that’s not true, I’m not physically attractive because of xyz.

 

This means your original negative belief (I’m not physically attractive) pops up each and every time you repeat the positive affirmation. Every time you reinforce the new belief, you reinforce the old belief at the same time! A waste of your effort!

 

It is much more effective to work with a statement that you can believe, even if it tackles the issue from the side instead of head on.

 

For example, you might choose something like:
I accept my physical appearance more and more each day.

 

Working with this affirmation and internalizing it may bring about changes in your attitudes towards yourself that makes it easier to accept and appreciate yourself exactly as you are right now.

 

Accepting yourself more fully brings you one step closer to feeling physically more attractive. When it no longer seems unbelievable you can start working with: I am becoming more physically attractive. And see where that leads!

 

The more ‘heart’ you can put into your affirmations, the greater their impact will be. In other words, the more you can feel it and believe it – the more effective affirmations are.

Image Credit: your personal motivator

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