Positive affirmations are short mantras you repeat daily to help visualize the life you have always dreamt of. 

If you are new to affirmations, you most likely have several questions about them. 

Some of the likely questions you have to include:

• How do affirmations work?
• What does an affirmation statement look like?
• Do affirmations work?
• What are the benefits of positive affirmations?
• How do you create affirmations?

The key to creating a good affirmation is simple: you need to create a statement you would use if you had everything you wanted.

Many successful entrepreneurs and athletes can attest that working hard and following your dreams is often not enough.

To succeed and live the life you have always wanted, you must let go of all the negative things and thoughts.

You also need to force-feed your mind with positive visuals to help you stay focused.

How Important are Positive Affirmations?

Like most people, you likely have many negative thoughts and often dwell on them.

Your mood, confidence, and outlook can also turn negative when you feed your mind with negative thoughts.

Unfortunately, negative thoughts can eventually become self-fulfilling prophecies.

You can talk yourself into believing that you are not good enough.

The thoughts can negatively impact your relationships, personal life, and career.

Fortunately, if you intentionally do the opposite and use positive thoughts and affirmations, the effect can be as powerful.

How Do Affirmations Work?

Aside from the definition above, positive affirmations are powerful statements that can help you challenge and overcome negative and self-sabotaging thoughts.

When repeated often and sincerely believed, you will eventually notice positive changes.

Many skeptics consider affirmations as nothing more than “wishful thinking.”

However, nothing can be further from the truth.

Look at positive affirmations this way: many people do repetitive exercises to improve their health and current standing significantly.

Affirmations can be likened to exercises for your outlook and mind.

The positive mental repetitions work by reprogramming your thinking pattern.

Over time, you will begin to think and act differently.

For instance, some evidence indicates that affirmations can help you perform better at work.

According to researchers, spending a few minutes focusing on your best qualities before a performance review can help boost your confidence, calm your nerves, and improve your chances of a more successful outcome.

Positive self-affirmations have also been known to help mitigate the effects of stress.

One study found that short affirmation exercises dramatically increased the problem-solving abilities of chronically stressed participants to the same level as those with low stress.

What’s even more surprising is affirmations have been used to successfully treat those individuals with depression, low self-esteem, and other mental health conditions.

Positive affirmations have also been known to stimulate the areas in the brain that make you more likely to affect positive changes in your health.

Another study indicated that a strong sense of self-worth could make you more likely to work and improve your well-being.

Case in point: if you are bothered that you eat too much but don’t get enough exercise, using positive affirmations to remind yourself of your values can cause you to change your behavior to a more positive one.

Evidence also shows that the higher the self-esteem, the more effective positive affirmations can be.

Why are Affirmations So Powerful?

What are your primary goals right now?

While unfortunate to note that many people are aware of their goals, and they reside deep in the back of their minds.

As a result, these goals are not guiding your day-to-day actions.

If anything, it would be difficult to achieve your goals if they are not top of mind every day and if you are not taking action to achieve them.

However, if you remind yourself of your main goals through affirmations each day, you can rest assured that your goals stay top of mind and act in the direction of your goals every day.

When you tap into the feeling of self-belief and empowerment affirmations provide, you can get inspired.

When you are inspired, you will start to project energy to the world and develop the belief and confidence that you can achieve your goals, whatever they may be.

How Can You Create Positive Affirmations?

Using positive affirmations daily works by reprogramming your mind and replacing the negative images and thoughts you have become used to with uplifting and positive ones.

It is very important to use affirmations daily and make them a part of your day-to-day routine so you will get the results you are looking for.

Through the use of positive affirmations, you will be creating your reality.

You need to create powerful daily affirmations with a few general guidelines.

If you follow them, you will discover that they are very effective.

When creating positive affirmations, keep the following essentials in mind:

1. Start with the powerful words “I am.” 
2. Make sure all your affirmations are in the present tense.
3. Be positive and make sure you turn any negatives into a positive statement (i.e., “I am healthy” rather than “I don’t want to be sickly.”)
4. Make your affirmations succinct. The fewer words you use, the better.
5. Be as specific as you can.
6. Always include an actionable word (words that end in -ing are always recommended).
7. Ensure you incorporate powerful visuals and emotional statements when creating your affirmations.
8. Remember that your affirmations are for you and not for others. If you are unhappy with how your affirmations are structured, don’t think twice about changing them into something that works for you.

What is the Power of the Words “I am?”

When creating positive affirmations, the general rule of thumb would be to create permanent statements that describe who you want to be or who you are as a person.

For instance, if you say, “I am strong,” it should indicate that you are a very strong person rather than wishing to be strong at a specific moment or for a reason.

Strength should be the main goal, whether muscle mass or internal strength. 

How Can Affirming Phrases Keep You Focused?

Whether or not you are aware of it, you are likely using affirmations daily, just not positive ones.

Do you often find yourself thinking about the same things and the same thoughts every day? 

Whether it’s your parenting style, health, finances, etc., you most likely focus on the negatives, worrying, and bemoaning your current situation.

When you get bad news, you might automatically think, “I just can’t win.”

You may not be aware of it, but those are classic examples of negative affirmations that do not favor you.

When you keep your affirmations positive, it can make a world of difference, especially when you are facing new challenges.

So if you get unexpected bad news, you can affirm and face the challenge by saying, “This news can not hold me back. I am stronger than my circumstances.

How Can You Use Affirmations Naturally?

Understandably, using affirmations can feel unnatural at times.

You can easily feel ridiculous reciting affirmations, especially if you are not used to them.

However, affirmations can be powerful tools that help you create the reality you truly want.

To use affirmations accordingly, it is recommended that you set aside a specific time daily that you can dedicate to them.

While you can recite your affirmations at any time, they are far more powerful when you are not rushing through them.

You must find time for your affirmations and stick to that schedule.

Generally, mornings are the recommended time to recite your affirmations, as you can improve your day.

Reciting your affirmations after bed can also have a positive impact since you can rest better with positive thoughts in your head.

However, it is not rare for people to recite their affirmations first thing in the morning and before sleep.

One popular way of reciting affirmations involves standing in front of a mirror and watching yourself as you recite them.

You can try this popular technique out for yourself.

1. Stand in front of a mirror and be as relaxed as possible.
2. To lighten your mood, smile.
3. Take three deep breaths to calm and slow your heart rate.
4. Look into your eyes in the mirror and say your affirmations as clearly and slowly as possible.
5. Repeat your affirmations as often as you need to until they feel believable.
6. If you have a list of affirmations, you can recite them out loud.
7. Take three more deep breaths after, smile, and allow light and positivity to take over you.

While it can be hard to affirm in front of the mirror at first, it would help to think of your reflection as your friend.

Many people find it much easier to speak supportive, loving, and kind words to a friend than themselves.

If your current affirmations don’t feel natural or sincere, you can play with the wording and structure to make them more sincere and personal.

The more authentic your affirmations feel, the more powerful they can be for you.

What are Good Affirmation Guidelines You Can Follow?

Below are some of the basic guidelines you can observe to make your affirmations even more powerful:

1. Recite your affirmations at least 2 to 3 times each day. Meditate on the words as you recite them and truly understand their meanings.
2. Create a vision of your future self, and make sure your affirmations support your vision and image.
3. Set goals each day that support the vision you have in mind.
4. Know and understand that you can overcome every challenge with a few attitude adjustments and some practice.
5. Reprogramming can take time, so you need to build your affirmations into your system. Consistency is the key; if you persist, it will only be a matter of time until it becomes second nature to you.

What are Some Positive Affirmations You Can Try?

Below are some great affirmations you can build your affirmations around:

1. I treat myself with compassion and self-respect daily. I only have space for compassionate and loving self-talk.
2. I prioritize my health, and I do and think about the things that serve me and my body.
3. I know what needs to be done to improve myself and grow my business. I am committed to improving each day.
4. I forgive myself for my mistakes. Every perceived failure is an opportunity for me to grow and learn.
5. I am compassionate, kind, and genuine to others. 
6. I feel great each time I wake up in the morning. I find time to move my body and am committed to this habit.
7. I am constantly present. I maximize the present, not ruminate on the past or agonize over the future.
8. I am blessed. I am abundant. Money comes to me easily and from various sources.
9. My goals are important and valid, and I am fully equipped to achieve them.
10. I am enough just the way I am.

Conclusion

To create powerful affirmations, you must come up with credible and positive statements. Make sure you repeat them daily, especially if you are engaging in negative behavior or slipping into negative talk again. Also, it would be best to remember that affirmations are even more powerful when used alongside other proven and tested strategies like goal setting and visualization.