The Best Way To Use Affirmations
- Affirmations are very effective at programming the mind.
- Affirmations are only effective if used on a consistent daily basis.
- Frequency and Emotion are the keys to creating super affirmations.
What Are Affirmations?
Affirmations are short statements that you say to yourself throughout the day. Affirmations are phrased in the positive, present tense and are often used to support goals, for example,
- “I am…”
- “I will…”
- “I can…”
If used correctly affirmations should motivate you, and drive you forward. This is why they are commonly used by athletes.
Why Are Affirmations Important?
Imagine for a second that you had an invisible friend, who everyday told you how wonderful and special you are. I’m sure you would soon feel pretty good about yourself, wouldn’t you?
Affirmations have a similar effect (although of less intensity) as to hearing praise from another person. They serve to frequently enter specific information into the subconscious, thereby overriding previously stored information.
Use Affirmations Every Day
Affirmations are especially effective if used by parents on young children. I know from personal experience this is true.
As a child my mum always used to tell me I had a good memory, and later when I went to school I found it very easy to remember information for exams.
However when affirmations are used by adults on themselves, they must overwrite previously stored beliefs that have existed their whole life.
This means these beliefs are deeply ingrained within the subconscious, and therefore will take greater time and effort to be replaced.
Limitations Of Affirmations
Affirmations are effective because they frequently enter positive information into the subconscious, but this is also its biggest limitation.
If affirmations are not used on a consistent daily basis, the subconscious will decide to keep the original information and the affirmation will have no effect.
How To Use Affirmations And Boost Effectiveness
It is important to understand that not all information is seen as equal by the subconscious. This means that you can have lots of incoming information, but the subconscious will only play back what it thinks is the most important.
There are several factors which influence how the subconscious grades information, but the most important factors are…
1 - Frequency
How often is the same information entered into the subconscious? You are more likely to remember something you repeat (this is why they give children lines at school).
2 - Emotion
What kind of feeling is associated with that information? You are more likely to remember something that made you feel a particular way. For example, love, pain, sadness etc…
As you can see the best way to influence the subconscious is by doing things often and with emotion.
Use Affirmations With Emotion To Make Them More Effective
This means that the effectiveness of affirmations can be boosted by daily repetition and being spoken like you really mean what you are saying.
This will ensure the subconscious sees your affirmation as important information and will eventually use it to override the ‘less important’ previously stored information.
To further boost effectiveness, affirmations should be used upon waking and before bed, as these times will have the greatest influence on the subconscious.
How To Use Affirmations - Final Notes
Affirmations if used correctly are a powerful method of programming the mind. They allow you to enter specific information, which will eventually create new programs (Beliefs and Behaviours) that will assist you in accomplishing your goals.
Affirmations Require Discipline!
However the biggest disadvantage is that most people will not discipline themselves to use affirmations daily. This is largely due to the fact that the conscious mind is still running the old limiting program fed to it by the subconscious, it will therefore reject the new information as false.
For those able to discipline themselves and fight the old program, they will eventually succeed in modifying the subconscious, thereby creating a new program consistent with their affirmation.
Remember, you become what you think about most of the time, so please try and make an effort to praise yourself throughout the day.
Actually don’t try, do it now.
Say I am the best! (and say it like you mean it!!!)
How To Use Affirmations Key Points
- Always use affirmations in the present positive tense.
- Use affirmations frequently throughout the day.
- Always use affirmations with as much emotion as possible.
- Use affirmations to motivate you when you are feeling down.
- Use affirmations to support your goals.
- If you have children use affirmations on them!
- Use affirmations during peak times such as before sleep and when you wake up.
Hi! Your blog is really excellent. It inspires the readers who has that great desire to lead a better and happier life. You know.. Self Esteem is the value of your own self or your self worth. Loss of self esteem can occur any time and causes more depressive disorder in your life. Loss self value may mean that you lose the goal of your life and do not feel like living. The building back of your self esteem is the first step to lead a pleased and satisfied life. The building of self esteem helps by giving a rise to your self confidence.
Thank you Peter, I appreciate your feedback and your excellent comment regarding self esteem.
Found your site, needed it so much,was in an auto accident which has me out of work and dependent (my biggest fear) on family members. Was very depressed until I can here. I put this exercise to work right away and begin to feel much better.” I am recoving, I will return to work, I know that I can, because I am the best. ” Thank-you so very much.
Hi Kathleen, thank you for your comments, i am pleased you like the site!
I think you have an extremely positive attitude. Despite being involved in an accident, you are still actively seeking ways to help you improve your life. I admire that, it shows courage and strength of character.
Please keep us updated as to how you are doing.
Martin
I love this article. I’ve been looking for this. I have shared this information to others my family. Keep up the good works.
Hi
This is very good website.Such thought are like candle in the wind.But some time we do lot of procrastination.How to avoid the procrastination? It will be great help if we avoid the habit of procrastination.
Hi Durgesh,
You may be interested in this article on procrastination
http://www.eruptingmind.com/overcoming-causes-procrastination/
It is part of an article series about self discipline, which talks about how to increase self discipline and overcome procrastination.
I am very much inspired with you article
Thanks you !
Just in time
Thank God for this wonderful article
There is so much wisdom in these articles. They have really concrete advice. Thank You!
I started out reading articles on building trust because I am currently very interested in someone but she feels that I can’t be honest with her. I would like to change that, not just for me but for us to be able to find out if we can build a relationship together.
In a past relationship, I opened up and was very honest about my life. I told her (ex-gf) more about me, who I was, the mistakes I’ve made then with anyone I had a relationship with before. Every time we got in to a fight about something (sometimes my fault and sometimes not), she would throw something about my past back in my face. Making mean and rude comments, always looking to hurt me. I do not like to fight, I tend to shut down and afraid to really speak my mind, afraid that if I say something out of angry or how I really feel that it will hurt the other person I love.
But the more articles I read about trust and being honest has made me realize that I had other issues besides the fact that I was afraid to be honest with anyone, including myself. I am at the point that I feel that therapy is probably the only way to really get to the root of my issues.
Self-Affirmation, self-esteem, self-acceptance and self-improvements all seem so foreign too me but after reading some of the topics I have found on this site have given me a better understanding and clarity that make me feel more empowered and excited that I can actually deal with my issues. To be honest with myself and with the people I love or in this case even in the person I want to get to know and explore a relationship with.
I thank you for putting this site together! I have booked marked it and will continue to read and re-read the articles.
Thank you again,
Tom