Make Affirmations Work For You
Here is an easy reference guide to make affirmations work for you.
I find that there are three key elements to make affirmations work for you: how you best "receive" them, what wording works better for you, and at what times you're more receptive to them.
Let's see each point in detail.
How do you best "receive" affirmations?
We all have different ways in which we best take information in.
Some people are more visual (they retain information better by seeing it), others are more auditive (they retain information better by hearing it), while others are kinesthetic (they retain information better by "feeling" it or feeling they "know" it).
Other people may combine each of these ways in different proportions.
You can make affirmations work for you by using the way that best makes you retain information.
I have found that I retain things better visually, so it works well for me to write affirmations down and seeing them on paper, or to have a poster on the wall with a motivating affirmation, such as "I CAN".
Other visual people report that making a picture or a drawing out of their affirmation, or whatever the desired state is represented by the affirmation, also works for them.
Auditory (or auditive) people may like to say their affirmations aloud, or record them in their own voice and play them back, so that they can hear them.
These people could benefit greatly from positive thinking audio programs or listening frequently to motivating and inspiring speeches.
Meditation and visualization combined with affirmations work well for kinesthetic people, since meditation allows the mind to rest and invites a feeling of well-being that can be used to "embody" the affirmation.
It is also easy to visualize anything you desire under a meditative and peaceful state - and thus feel how it would feel to achieve what you want.
Then, the affirmation can act as a trigger to bring back the good feeling.
What is the best affirmation wording for you?
When I first started working with affirmations I found that certain bold affirmations felt "too much" for me, in that I couldn't quite bring myself to believing them.
For instance, if I tended to worry about a particular issue and I used an affirmation like "I am calm and present now", that would make me counter-think, 'Well, I'm not calm, I'm worried about such and such, how could I possibly be calm now?'
So one key to make affirmations work for you is to use the right affirmation wording for you so that you believe your affirmation and you make it "yours".
Over time you can modify your affirmation from a "soft" approach to a more bold one, as you increase your belief in the power of the affirmation.
Here are some suggestions:
- "I am...", or its variation, "I have...". This is a bold one - "I am successful", "I have a rewarding job".
If you feel you're very far away from being or having what your affirmation states, this approach may not work for you. If you only need a bit of reassurance, the "I am / I have" format can be perfect for you. - "I intend to...". This is a statement of intention, which gives you the freedom to express what you would like to achieve while acknowledging that you're not quite there yet. For instance, "My intention is to be more patient daily".
- "My aspiration is...", which is a slight variation from "I intend to...".
It is just a tiny softer in its approach, in that you're still expressing what you want to achieve, without committing to it as strongly. For instance, "My aspiration is to be more generous with my time".
When are you more open to affirmations?
Based on my experience, I have found the following:
- Meditation brings stillness. You can get into a meditative state with an affirmation to the point of really feeling what the affirmation states.
You can also meditate and, right after the meditation, grab an affirmation and transfer on to it the feeling of stillness and peace you had from the meditation. - The morning, if you can have some time on your own as soon as you wake up, is a good time to do affirmations and even choose one for the day.
This sets you in a positive mood to start the day, and can help you notice circumstances that prove your affirmation right. - The night, right before going to sleep, is also a good time to re-read a card with affirmations.
This helps to close the day and to go to sleep with a positive frame of mind, which helps when waking up the next morning. - Spare moments, like travelling on a train, or waiting in a queue. I found that re-reading my affirmations in the train on the way back from work helped me to gain peace and leave the stress of work behind.
All the elements above can help you to make affirmations work for you.
As always, the best way to know how to make affirmations work for you is by trying - so get going and experiment with the wording, the times and the method for your affirmations.
Trust your intuition and have fun! ;)
"The components of anxiety, stress, fear, and anger do not exist independently of you in the world. They simply do not exist in the physical world, even though we talk about them as if they do."
Wayne Dyer