Affirmations can be very powerful tools for our subconscious mind. Simply defined, affirmations are positive statements that help you overcome negative thoughts, through the cycle of repetition. When done correctly and with intention, affirmations have the power to purify our thoughts and restructure our brain to believe that anything is possible.

How To Make Affirmations Feel Authentic

One of the biggest struggles people experience when it comes to affirmations, is they don’t feel the statements to be authentic, because they simply don’t believe them yet. It is important to pick statements that you resonate with on some level, you don’t have to fully believe them, but they need to be meaningful. It is best to write your own affirmation statements.

Before you begin an affirmations ritual, it is also important to focus on your mindset. Affirmations only work when you are able to put yourself at the center of your decision making. That means putting yourself and your needs first, making this process a priority.

When Is A Good Time To Recite Affirmations?

Affirmations are powerful when they are both written down and spoken out loud. One way over the other may be more affective for some people, but I encourage you to practice both written and verbal affirmations to figure out which works best and feels most authentic to you personally.

This ritual is all about re-programming your subconscious mind to change how you think and feel about yourself and your abilities. Repetition will be the best way to make this ritual most effective. Begin with morning affirmations recital. When you first awaken, when your brain is still in the lower brain waves and you are most connected to your subconscious mind, read/speak your affirmations.

Before you go to sleep at night, turn off all electronic devices, do a breathing and/or meditation for 5-10 minutes and then recite your affirmations. At this stage you are once again most connected to your subconscious mind. You can repeat this process any time throughout the day, especially if you feel nervous, anxious or uncertain.

This process is even more powerful when you can make eye contact with yourself in front of a mirror, as you are reciting the affirmations. You can record yourself reciting your affirmations and fall asleep while listening to them on repeat. Your words will be impressed into your subconscious mind while you are sleeping and because your conscious mind is turned off, there will be no analytical blocking of the words and messages entering your subconscious mind.

Why Use Affirmations?

Many of us walk around with a cycle of negative thoughts running through our minds. Sometimes those thoughts become so automatic for us that we don’t even realize the frequency of sabotage that we bestow on ourselves daily. This negative thoughts process can often become a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure, we actually unconsciously talk ourselves into believing that we are not good enough, essentially dragging ourselves down.

You might think that affirmations are unrealistic or sound more like wishful thinking, but so are all those negative thoughts you keep on repeat. Affirmations are actually no different than any other exercise you do repeatedly. Think about physical exercise, when you first begin to exercise you will not see immediate results, but if you stay consistent and repeat it daily, you will begin to see gradual results. These mental exercises will eventually reprogram you thinking patterns where you will notice yourself thinking and acting differently.

How To Write Your Own Affirmations

As mentioned above, writing your own affirmations will yield the most authentic statements for you personally. Think about which areas of your life you feel least satisfied with and where change needs to happen. Don’t set a limitation on your statement, even if you don’t yet believe it to be realistic, you only need to have faith that it is achievable.

If you are struggling with a specific negative thought patterns, re-write a positive statement that will help you break that pattern. Write and say these affirmations in the present tense and speak them with emotion and conviction. Don’t just mindlessly repeat these statements, make sure you are emotionally connected to them.

By: Lana Shapiro, Holistic Life Coach, Reiki Master & Lifepath Astrology Reader