Benefits of Affirmations

Are there benefits of daily affirmations? By now you know about my breakdown and the journey I am embarking on. It has felt good to tell my story and receive such wonderful support, but it’s time to take a more active role in getting healthy and becoming happy. First on the list of baby steps, daily affirmations. Let’s try it out!

What are affirmations?

I have heard of the benefits of affirmations but to be honest, I thought they were a little hokey. How can just saying something over and over help change your attitude? But I am willing to try anything to become the person I used to be. So, I started by doing a little research. According to Wholehearter Yoga, affirmations are specific statements to help you overcome self-sabotaging, negative thoughts. Affirmations should be read, written, said, and/or meditated on several times each day. The idea is that by saying these statements repeatedly each day in your conscious mind, the subconscious mind will eventually take over and they become part of you. You can search for pre-written affirmations or you create your own. The benefit of creating your own is that you can determine the intent behind them. You can decide what you need the most in the moment.

Creating Affirmations That Have Benefits

When creating affirmations, the key is to tell what you DO want or need. The book The Secret talks about how the universe doesn’t hear the word “No.” So, when you ask for “no more bills” what the universe hears is “more bills.” Although I am not totally sure what I believe when it comes to the teachings of The Secret, it does make sense to me to focus on the positive. It also seems that by focusing on the positive, the affirmations will reap more benefits. One reason alone is because it is far more specific. When your affirmation is stated in a positive way, you are focused on what you specifically need or want. Saying what you don’t want leaves a lot of room for interpretation.

Once you create your affirmation, you are ready to begin repeating it often, in situations where you can concentrate on the words. The more you say it the more embedded it becomes in your subconscious. According to Success Consciousness, affirmations should be short phrases or statements. This will help you be very specific in what you want. You also need to pay attention to the words as you say, read, or meditate on them. To receive full benefits of affirmations, keep it present tense. By stating “I will lose weight” you are focusing on it happening… someday. Follow all these tips and you should be able benefit from daily affirmations. But does it really work?

How I Wrote My Affirmation to Receive Benefits

Now that I researched affirmations and had a clear understanding, I was ready to write my own. I started by listing the negative thoughts that pop up in my self-talk on a regular basis. Unfortunately, this was easy to do. Then I turned the negative into what I wanted instead. This was a little harder. I had a hard time trying to find a positive, present tense way to say the opposite of the negative statement. This is where I had to really think about what I want or need instead of what I have been telling myself.

Next, I listed the wishes I had for me and my life. I tried to be as specific as I could. Now, I had several statements to work with, so I had to narrow it down. I first circled the 3 positive statements I had written that spoke to me during that moment. These were the 3 statements I believed I would benefit from the most if I changed my attitude. After a lot of reflection, I narrowed it down to one statement that I felt I must address first and turned it into a positive one that I could begin repeating to myself daily. I will admit, I did a search for affirmation lists to help me figure out the wording I wanted until it was just right.

The last thing I did was list ways to make sure I remembered to say my affirmation. It doesn’t matter how good it is if I never say it to myself. Below is my work to create my affirmation.

My Benefits of My Affirmations

The first benefit of me affirmation I received was just the thought process I went through. By listing all the statements and then narrowing it down, I was able to really figure out the underlying issues I have. It can be hard to determine what is going on in your head, but this process helps to see how all these thoughts are connected. The most interesting thing was that I was sure I knew what my affirmation was going to be. Then it completely morphed into something else once I got going.

Day 1

I really wanted to reap the benefits affirmations were supposed to bring. So, I was gung-ho when I started. I said it at least 100 times before getting dressed. I am glad I had it on a post-it note in the bathroom because I had trouble remembering the exact wording. After repeating my affirmation, I was a little underwhelmed. I think I was expecting a great powerful feeling to come over me. That didn’t come. It felt like I was just asking for pancakes for breakfast. So, I decided to try a little experiment. I repeated my affirmation 5 times and immediately thought of a life event that usually gave me a feeling of dread and worthlessness that I would normally have. It was amazing! The pit in my stomach was gone. I wasn’t “cured,” but it seems like there really might be some benefits to daily affirmations.

Day 3

Well, I’m still saying my affirmations. Except before bed, I need to get better at that. I have noticed that my affirmations have started popping up in my head on their own. I’ll be driving and there it is. I have also noticed that I feel a little more relaxed this week. We got some information this week that keeps my husband from being able to do something he likes to do. Normally, I would beat myself up about it. Feeling terrible for my husband missing out, even though he says it’s no big deal and is excited for the alternative event we have coming. This week, I feel bad but I’m not burying myself in negative talk. I wonder if this is how “normal” people feel when something disappointing happens to someone they love? I’m digging the benefits of my affirmation and hope they continue.

Day 5

The benefits of my affirmations seem to keep coming. I definitely feel more relaxed this week. I also haven’t felt any feelings of dread either. Certain life events that usually make me feel worthless still pop up often, but they are not sending me spinning. This sure seems like progress to me. I attended an event in my school district that would normally cause me a lot of anxiety because I would be afraid of running into certain people. Not only did I attend, I also felt relaxed and a tiny smidge of confidence talking to people from my “former” life. I once thought daily affirmations were silly and couldn’t really make a difference. But it sure seems like I am wrong.

Conclusion

Well, after a week of purposefully and mindfully saying my daily affirmation I think I can safely say that there are benefits. It has been so nice not to feel that pit in my stomach when I think of something that happened when I was 5. I am starting to feel a little bit like my old self. When I took a nap during the day, it was because I didn’t sleep well the night before, not because I was trying to avoid things. At one point, I even laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe. That hasn’t happened in a long time. My affirmations have been beneficial because I put a lot of thought into the wording and what I needed. I also put a plan in place that helped me remember to say it. I am not done; however, I will continue this affirmation and will continue creating more.

Have you ever tried affirmations? Are you willing to try them? Get a free worksheet to help you create your own affirmation and reap your own benefits. Please share how affirmations work for you. I’d love to hear from you!

In health and happiness,

Stephanie