Do Affirmations Work? A Simple Habit to Change your Mindset

Have you ever had negative thoughts that just kept racing in your head and you couldn’t get rid of them? Or maybe there was a new habit you wanted to develop, but you fell off that habit after the first week? The good news is it’s not 100% your fault. Our behaviors and our thoughts are a reflection of what we believe subconsciously. Saying affirmations daily is a simple habit that we can incorporate into our self-care routine. 

Affirmations are statements that we say to ourselves about ourselves. These statements can be either positive or negative. For example, when you say things like, “I can’t do anything right or this is who I am, I will never change.” These are negative affirmations that we say to ourselves. Negative affirmations stem from our core beliefs, which are the beliefs that are deeply ingrained in us. 

On the contrary, positive affirmations are positive statements that we say to ourselves to yield a positive result. 

So, what does science say about positive affirmations?

Your brain will rewire itself based on repetition. When you are consistently repeating the same affirmations over and over again, your brain will begin to create new neural pathways. You can think of neural pathways as roads in your brain, where they get stronger the more you think about something. When you repeat the same affirmations daily, they become more effective.

Your brain pays attention to what you focus on. This is known as the Reticular Activating System (RAS). When you are consistently focusing on one thing, such as your goals and dreams, your brain pays attention to that, and eventually, you will start to become aligned with the things that you focus on.  

You act according to what you believe. If you speak positive affirmations long enough, then you will begin to act according to the positive affirmations that you are feeding your mind. So, what may this look like? Let’s say you speak these affirmations every day, “I am worthy or I attract positive energy,” you may begin to only be around people who are positive and supportive of you. Or maybe you find yourself gaining confidence that you didn’t have before. 

Positive affirmations calm down the nervous system and help you reach peace of mind. 

One part of our mind is known as the subconscious mind. This is the part of the mind that shapes our core beliefs. Our core beliefs are what shapes our behaviors and thoughts. It’s the reason we think the way we think and the reason why we make the decisions that we make.

The subconscious mind shapes our reality. 

Saying daily affirmations is one thing that can move our subconscious beliefs from negative to positive when done correctly. Whatever you say after the words, “I am,” can determine what your subconscious mind believes. It is so important to be mindful of your self-talk. It takes approximately 30 days to change negative subconscious beliefs and in some cases 60 days. Therefore, it is critical to repeat positive affirmations daily. 

There are so many daily affirmations that you can say. You can speak these affirmations in every area of your life. Daily affirmations usually fall into these five categories: health and wellness affirmations, financial abundance affirmations, relationship affirmations, self-love affirmations, and gratitude affirmations. 

Health and wellness affirmations are affirmations that are geared towards desiring good health both physically and mentally. Maybe you want to get rid of a health ailment or you just want to continue the good health you already have. That’s where health and wellness affirmations come in.

Here are some examples of health and wellness affirmations:

• I am healthy 
• All the cells in my body are full of vitality 
• I treat my body with love and care
• I am strong minded 
• I choose thoughts that support my growth and peace

Financial abundance affirmations are geared towards your finances now and the future. Money affirmations speak abundance and financial security into your life. Here are some of my favorites:

• I have an abundance of money in my bank account 
• I am open to new opportunities that bring financial growth 
• I am worthy of financial stability and abundance
• I manage my finances with clarity and intention.
• I am capable of achieving great things

Gratitude affirmations are positive affirmations that allow you to be thankful for the things that you already have. It is believed that when you are grateful for what you have, then you are most likely to receive more.

Here are some examples of gratitude affirmations:

• I am thankful for my family
• I am thankful for my supporting spouse 
• I am thankful for the abundance of food and water that I have 
• I am thankful for great health 
• I am thankful for a safe place to live 

Relationship affirmations are good for attracting healthy and supporting relationships into your life. These affirmations don’t always have to be geared towards romantic relationships; they can be geared towards supporting friendships as well.

Here are some that you can use: 

• I am deserving of a supportive and loving relationship
• I am learning to build relationships based on mutual respect
• I am welcoming relationships that allow for happiness and growth.
• I am worthy of friendships that uplift me 
• I communicate my needs with honesty and confidence

Self-confidence affirmations are meant to build confidence and discourage negative self-talk. The most powerful self-confidence affirmations can be super simple. Here are some of the ones that I used during my healing journey:

• I am enough 
• I believe in myself
• I trust myself to make wise decisions 
• I trust my abilities 
• I can handle whatever comes my way

At first, saying affirmations may feel weird or you may question, does this really work? But when you say positive affirmations like you mean them, your subconscious mind will eventually begin to believe it because it doesn’t know the difference between fiction and reality. 

One thing that may help is looking in the mirror and stating the affirmation while expressing emotions. 

When stating affirmations, you want to use positive wording as much as possible. When you say affirmations like, “I don’t attract negativity,” your subconscious mind hears the word “negativity” and therefore, you may not see results. 

When you create your affirmations try to be as positive as possible. 

The subconscious mind thrives on repetition. Repetition is how you change your subconscious beliefs. When you are inconsistent, then your subconscious mind will continue to function on the old beliefs.

Stay consistent and cite those affirmations daily.

Yes. Absolutely. They are a great tool in changing your core beliefs and helping you to upgrade your life.