How to Use Affirmations to Transform Your Life
On the Happy Black Woman Facebook page, I often post affirmations that regularly receive hundreds of likes and shares.
What is an affirmation?
Affirmations are, as the name suggests, affirming statements that you say out loud to yourself on a regular basis.
The goal is to re-program your subconscious mind with positive thoughts so that you can focus on creating and living your ideal life.
The Benefits of Affirmations
We all have some type of negative mental chatter that clouds our minds at times. This chatter can be caused by fear, doubt, low self-esteem, lack of confidence or simply limiting beliefs that you probably developed during childhood. This self-criticism tends to reinforce the general theories we’ve come to believe about ourselves or our circumstances.
The good news is you can begin to override these destructive messages using the power of positive affirmations.
Affirmations can reinforce productive behaviors and change ones that need changing.
Here’s how to create affirmations you can identify with so they can help you improve your life!
How to Create Affirmations
1. Affirmations should be stated in the present tense. Your subconscious mind doesn’t have the ability to accept a promise of future behavior. “I will eat healthy foods” doesn’t give your subconscious a timeline or deadline to perform your promise to yourself. Instead, state your affirmation as though it’s a behavior you already exhibit. “I always make healthy food choices” is a present tense statement that your subconscious can accept as a fact.
2. Affirmations should be stated in the first person. In other words, don’t create an affirmation saying, “You must eat healthy foods.” In order for your affirmation to matter to your subconscious, it must be personal and use the word “I.” For example, “I choose healthy foods every time I eat” is a personal statement that your subconscious can apply to your own behavior.
3. Affirmations should be stated in a positive manner. “I must stop eating junk food” sends your brain a distorted message that calls attention to the fact that you do eat too much junk food. This type of statement can make you feel bad about your behavior and actually lead you in the opposite direction of your goal to eliminate it. Instead, say “I choose fresh, healthy snacks when I am hungry” to send a clear message to your brain about the exact desired behavior.
How To Use Affirmations
You can begin this practice by creating your own affirmations about the things you’d like to see happen in your life. Or, you can start with my mega list of 70 affirmations to help you stay positive, focused and motivated.
You can write your affirmations in your journal or write them out on index cards and keep them with you in your purse. Whenever you have a few moments to spare, take them out and read them aloud. I like to say affirmations during my morning routine when I wake up to set the tone for my day.
Using affirmations on a daily basis is a great way to increase your positive energy and help you bring about the transformation you most desire into your life.
I also recommend taking this practice further with your free copy of The Happy Black Woman Manifesto!
