8 tips to make my positive affirmations more effective (and the secret to achieving them)
I discover how to formulate positive affirmations, as well as 8 tips to make them more effective. The key to their success lies in practice, repetition and perseverance. But I remember that a change can only happen in me if it is a real intention.
When thought turns into action: The power of visualisation
Every day, many thoughts run through our minds, most of them unconscious ruminations, quite often negative (the brain tends to anticipate danger). My thoughts act as self-fulfilling prophecies: when I expect something to happen, I change my behaviour according to my expectations, consciously or not, and what I was convinced would happen may end up being more likely to happen. If the majority of my thoughts are negative, this pattern is akin to self-sabotage. I allow myself to be governed by my fears, my doubts and other negative feelings. However, by reprogramming my mind with positive affirmations, I can move in the right direction and achieve a greater sense of well-being.
How does it work? The same areas of the brain are activated when I imagine something and when that thing is in front of me. By anchoring a positive affirmation in my head, I convince my brain that it is true, which gives me confidence and makes change possible. Positive affirmations are not necessarily true at the time I say them: they become true through repetition.
I learn to formulate positive thoughts
The way I speak, the tone I use and the conviction I put into what I say have a real impact on the person I’m talking to (including when I’m talking to myself). Words allow us to formalise our thoughts so that we can then transform them into actions. This is the power of positive thinking. The rules for formulating positive thoughts are simple:
- If possible, at least for the first few times, I look at myself in the mirror.
- I formulate my positive sentence aloud, saying “I” so that I take ownership of what I say.
- I speak in the present tense so that my positive thought immediately materialises and soothes me.
- I avoid any negation (don’t/not, etc.): I don’t want my brain to hijack my words or my message to get confused. I use the principles of benevolent communication.
- The thoughts I choose to express must be good for me without interfering with anyone else’s freedom or respect or disturbing the balance of the universe.
8 techniques to make my positive affirmations truly powerful
Before I start using my positive affirmations, I remind myself that changes take place over time. My best weapon is consistency: I don’t expect anything magical, as positive affirmations are an active method built on repetition. Here are 8 tips to make my affirmations truly effective:
- I meditate every day to learn to observe my thoughts without judging them.
- I experience each of my positive affirmations emotionally through the technique of visualisation (I see myself as I would like to be) so that my affirmations become real in my body and mind.
- I act on my affirmations to increase the chances of them becoming reality.
- I write down every positive thing that happens to me in my daily life in a gratitude journal, for example, to maintain a positive mindset.
- I use an anchor object, such as a piece of jewellery I wear or a small object in my pocket: as soon as I see or touch it, I say a positive affirmation.
- I write down each of my positive affirmations to make them my own: I can use other people’s words as inspiration, but my brain will understand my own language better.
- I write down the things I want to change in myself, and above all, how I want to change them, to formulate my positive affirmations properly.
- I take advantage of all the repetitive actions I do during the day to repeat my positive affirmations like mantras: while running, walking, sewing, peeling vegetables, etc. During these times, my body is busy, but my mind is free. This is the principle of the litany, used by believers of various religions to pray since the beginning of time.
The key is to put real intention into it; the real power always comes from me
My positive affirmations are not enough in themselves, they are there to help me move towards new possibilities: it’s up to me to transform them into action!
The real secret of a successful positive affirmation comes from the intention I put behind it. The intention is a contract that I make with myself. It’s more than a wish or a vague plan for “later”, it’s a firm resolution that I believe in with all my heart. It is only when this intention is well defined that I can truly visualise what I want to happen. My positive affirmations will then be the small steps towards that goal, the nudges I need to overcome the obstacles. They create an environment in my brain that is conducive to change. If I believe in them and know where I’m going, everything becomes possible!
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