The Power of Affirmations
If you are a regular reader of my blogs, you will know I recently talked about how I learnt to love myself through affirmations Are You In Love With You?. I use them on a regular basis depending on where I am at in my life and what I am trying to manifest at that time, whether it be success in my business, love life or family.
But before I go into the positives of affirmations and how to use them, I first want to acknowledge there is varied research on this topic. Some studies show it can be extremely beneficial to your mindset some not so much. This blog is based on my experiences only and how they have helped me in my journey to feeling fulfilled and happy.
My Journey To Self Love
Let me take you back a little to about 18 months ago. I had never heard of an affirmation, and if I had I doubt I would have believed in them. I was too absorbed in my masculine energy – and by that I mean I was focused entirely on working hard and getting results. I was a fairly newbie in the fitness industry (just over 2 years in), and got totally swept into a world of fake hair, fake boobs, fake tan, fake results and fake people. The problem was I was working too hard to be a part of that world that I forgot to take a step back and ask whether it was what I wanted. It wasn’t and I was totally losing my way. The result? I was extremely unhappy. I didn’t know my place in the world anymore. I started shifting my self worth entirely on attention from men (something I have NEVER done before) and how my body looked. In some respects I was stepping back into a dangerous mindset I had during my eating disorder of thinking my body was my only asset. Unfortunately, that’s the industry I’m in, but now I have taken a step back, got back in touch with my feminine side and checked in to make sure its ok; I know there are parts of this industry I love and I want to be part of it.
To cut a very long story short I knew I was in a bad space and had to seek a coach to guide me out. One of the biggest tools she used to change my way of thinking was affirmations. At first I was skeptical, how could saying a couple of sentences out loud make a difference to my life? But I did them anyway, and to start with I HATED it. I had to say it to myself in front of the mirror 10 times in the morning and evening, look myself in the eye, and to make it even worse I ideally had to be naked. And when I say I hated it, I really hated it. My affirmation was so simple yet so hard to say:
“I am loved no matter what and I believe I can have healthy intimate relationships with myself and others”
It took me less than 3 minutes in the morning and evening but I despised it and I couldn’t figure out why. The words stuck in my throat, I tried to look elsewhere, I got myself into a state before I said it….and why? Because I needed it so badly. It took me a long time to comfortably look myself in the eye and say my affirmation, and I’m so glad I did. Because it eventually helped get me to a place where I no longer let myself be disrespected by the opposite sex, I stopped viewing my self-worth on my what my body looked like and what it could achieve in the gym, and I developed a sense of self worth and love that no one could break easily. In turn I found myself having healthier relationships with my friends and family, and being chased by a guy who cared for me deeply, would never disrespect me and fought for me for months and months without once giving up – a true gentleman! I can now honestly say I could relay this to myself in the mirror without batting an eyelid - so I know it has done its job.
So What Exactly Are Affirmations?
Affirmations are defined as; ‘the action or process of affirming something’ and ‘emotional support or encouragement’. They are sentences aimed at the conscious and unconscious mind to inspire and motivate.
Benefits of Affirmations
By repeating affirmations, we can strengthen our minds into believing in the potential of an outcome we desire to manifest. They have the ability to rewire our subconscious, which in turn will affect our behaviors, actions and habits, pretty powerful. Still need to be convinced?
They help us become aware of our daily thoughts and words and reduce the risk of negativity
They help to keep the small things in perspective. For example how lucky we are to be in good health or have a loving family
They help keep us grounded
They help keep us focused
They help keep us motivated
They change the way we think about ourselves and how we behave with other people
They put us in a better headspace to transform our world
And if you're still not convinced just remember, all those inspirational quotes on Pintrest or Instagram are there for a reason! We create our life and the life we want to lead through our thoughts - be that positive or negative.
OK, Where Do I Start?
From personal experience I found it useful to repeat my affirmations first thing in the morning and last thing at night. However affirmations can be repeated any time, anywhere if you need to ground yourself or give yourself a little pep talk.
Make sure you are in a positive mindset before you begin. Check in with yourself to make sure you believe in what you are about to do and what you want to get from it. Just going through the motions for the sake of it won’t work.
Choose an affirmation that is close to your heart and is something you are passionate about changing. It might be your finances, love life, career or body…. no topic is off limits!
And Still Unsure?
I have found some great affirmations from Huffington Post to get you started. Here are just a couple of them:
My body is healthy, my mind is brilliant and my soul is tranquil
I am the architect of my life; I build its foundation and choose its contents
Happiness is a choice. I base my happiness on my own accomplishments
My ability to conquer my challenges are limitless, my potential to succeed is infinite
I am a powerhouse, I am indestructible
Happy Affirming!