By Sophia Krell, LMSW
By the time we’re adults, we’ve already created a potpourri of ideas about ourselves and our environment. Our ideas most likely originated during childhood and may have been impacted by early trauma. We may have had parents who were shaming and the beliefs we acquired over the years are not reality-based, as a result.
We may feel like we’re not good enough, that we’re inadequate and unworthy, and that the entire world is unsafe. These ideas may still ring true for us today. The reality is that we’re good enough, adequate, and worthy, and the world isn’t unsafe. Our negative thoughts keep us from embracing what truly is.
What we tell ourselves has a huge impact on how our life unfolds. That’s why it’s so important to retrain our brain if it’s bombarded with negative messages. Although the first crucial step is figuring out the origins of these self-destructive messages, the next step is learning to retrain our brain. One way to do this is through affirmations.
What Are Affirmations?
Affirmations are short, powerful statements that allow you to be in control of your thoughts. Over time, these positive affirmations will shape your reality by prioritizing positivity over negativity. Affirmations are extremely simple and are great to use if you get often caught up in negative self-talk. You just have to pick a phrase and repeat it to yourself, one that motivates you, encourages positive change, or boosts your self-esteem. These positive affirmations can combat subconscious patterns and replace them with more adaptive narratives.
The Psychology Behind Positive Affirmations
Self-affirmation theory is one of the critical psychological theories behind the power of affirmations, which states that we can maintain our self-integrity by affirming ourselves in positive ways.
Self-affirmation is our global narrative that’s flexible, moral, and capable of adapting to various circumstances, which makes up our self-identity. Our self-identity is flexible, allowing us to adapt to other roles and identities and define success in different ways. This allows us to view different parts of ourselves positively and adapt to certain situations better.
Self-affirmation theory isn’t about being exceptional or perfect but more about being adequate and competent in the areas that we value to be moral, flexible, and good. The last idea of self-affirmation theory confirms that we maintain our self-integrity by acting in ways that merit acknowledgment and praise. We speak specific affirmations because we want to deserve praise for acts that align with our personal values.
How to Use Affirmations
How do affirmations work? Power affirmations require regular practice to make lasting changes, and there are several steps to create meaningful ones.
Firstly, starting your affirmations with “I am” makes them more powerful. These words give your subconscious a command to follow, which your mind interprets as something it must follow through on. Next, you should always speak your affirmations in the present tense. This makes it seem like the affirmation has already come trues and allows your mind to visualize the outcome.
Next, it’s essential to not use negatives in your affirmations because your subconscious doesn’t recognize them. If you say, “Instead of affirming, “I don’t want to be fat,” you may want to reconfigure your statement to “I’m becoming healthy and svelte.”
Additionally, it’s important to keep your affirmations brief but be specific. This also helps your mind visualize the outcome more. Lastly, you should make affirmations for yourself and not others. Affirmations are powerful, so it should be meaningful and speak to you while ensuring that it’s crafted correctly.
The more we repeat our affirmations, the quicker our brain will begin to build new neuropathways. We suggest repeating your affirmations anywhere from 300 to 400 times per day (and say it like you mean it). Your heart will know which affirmations are right for you. If you’ve done your work and know where your struggles lie, you’ll have no trouble figuring out what works best.
If you struggle with feelings of unworthiness and low self-esteem, you might want to go with, “I’m lovable.” Building these new neuropathways is a gradual process, so that’s why consistency is important. The more we use our affirmations, the greater the rewards.
In addition to stating your affirmations out loud, it’s also a good idea to write them down or even say them while exercising. There’s a powerful connection between movement and the brain, which is the idea behind bilateral stimulation. So, break out your running shoes and state your affirmations on the jogging trail.
Before you know it, negative thoughts won’t be second nature. Such self-talk will slip away and be replaced by positive and empowering thoughts. You’re not doomed to repeat the past, so here’s wishing you a bright and shining future. It’s well worth the effort. I can do this. Now, say that 400 times.
The Benefits of Affirmations
Once we know how to use them in our everyday lives, we can understand the power of affirmations. There are various benefits of affirmations that stem from psychological studies. Firstly, self-affirmations have proven to reduce various forms of stress. They’ve also been used effectively during interventions to increase physical behavior. Positive affirmations also allow us to receive threatening messages with less resistance. They can also help us pay closer attention to harmful messages regarding our health, responding instead with the intention to change our bad habits. Lastly, self-affirmations are positively linked to academic achievement.
Trauma and Addiction Treatment at The Meadows
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