5 Ways Daily Affirmation Cards Can Reprogram Your Mind!
Speaking well about yourself while looking into a mirror seems bizarre at first. After all, we are born and brought up in times when self-deprecating jokes make the headlines. Yet, people today are joining the self-affirmation bandwagon in big numbers. So, what’s the reason for #Affirmation to be so popular on social media platforms? Is there any concrete evidence that daily affirmations cards can reprogram your mind? Here’s what we found out!
Affirmations– A Self-help Tool
Fans of the NBC show Saturday Night Live have an amusing clarity about the word affirmation. They define affirmation in Stuart Smalley’s way– “I am good enough, I am smart enough…People like me“. Precisely, the literal meaning doesn’t depart from Stuart’s way of boosting his self-esteem by repeating those words while looking into the mirror. The psychological meaning is similar, but before we move to that, let’s look at what books say.
What’s the first thing that comes to you when considering adopting a new lifestyle, habit or outlook? Probably, reading! You can read articles, blogs, and books or listen to podcasts. You have access to numerous self-help resources today filled with different perceptions of self-affirmation. Take any book, and you’ll see phrases like:
- 21 days to Master Affirmations
- Practise ‘I Am
- The Power Of Self-Affirmation
It’s difficult to avoid looking at such phrases. But do they even work?
Do affirmations work?
It’s normal to be sceptical about the efficacy of self-help tools. Most of them sound like self-fulfilling prophecies. But believe us, there’s no magic, only pure science.
Affirmations are confident statements you release into the universe as an ultimate reminder of your personality. These short phrases, written in the present tense, mostly begin with ‘I am’ and tend to reprogram your mind to believe in the stated concept firmly. It’s a simple process where your mind, unable to differentiate between reality and fantasy, will consider the thing most repeatedly used.
Imagine watching a movie with an emotional end. A moment comes when your favourite character is heartbroken, crying or not feeling too well. Without noticing that it’s an unrealistic episode, you begin to cry. Your empathy with the character makes you forget reality. In other words, Hollywood magic!
Now, remember when your peers made an unwholesome statement about your ability? Psychology says that statement remains fresh somewhere in your conscious or unconscious mind. Similarly, your childhood fears of abandonment or failure can kick in at any time, affecting your present attitude and behaviour.
Take an example; your dream company approaches you for a job interview. It must seem too good to be true, but your fear of failure suddenly hits your confidence levels. Instead of approaching the interviewer with full vigour, you may consider taking a step back because, unknowingly, your mind re-affirms – ‘you’re not good enough.
That’s how affirmations work. And they necessarily aren’t always positive.
Positive and Negative Affirmation
The human brain has a complex structure. It behaves differently to every emotion or input. When you believe in an unwittingly negative statement, no matter how good you are, your brain will make you question your abilities. The strength of your negative thoughts even knocks out the effects of positive thinking.
Developing a positive mindset is not an hour’s game. It can take days, weeks or months. Daily self-affirmations put your mind to practise optimistic thoughts and gradually develop a positive outlook on life.
In short, when you have the right tools and techniques to use the power of positive statements, it works like magic, though science backs it up.
Power Of Positive Affirmations
Search – ‘Top 5 Positive Affirmations‘ or ‘Best Affirmations For Positive Life‘; your screen will get a great list of affirmations. Here are a few examples:
‘I am Strong.’
‘I am feeling confident today.’
‘I am happy.’
The list goes on and on!
Above is a basic list, and you can either make your positive affirmation statements or browse our affirmation cards. A good list can help you rewire your subconscious mind into positive thinking, ultimately empowering you to believe that anything is possible.
Simply put, you become what you think!
Practice positive affirmations daily, and you’ll notice an incredible change in your mind in a month. Your subconscious will kick in whenever you have a negative affirmation, helping your mind align your desires with positive confirmations. Your mind will become powerful to influence your actions and attract good vibes.
However, remember that affirmations don’t work magically. So stay away from toxic positivity and practice realistic affirmations. When stuck in a situation where good or bad isn’t identifiable, acknowledge the problem and build a neutral mindset. Most of the time, your subconscious gives you a red signal when a threatening situation arises. From now on, approach the situation with a neutral attitude, accept it, build realistic goals and work.
Positive affirmation means you feel optimistic about yourself. So no matter what challenges you face, your belief in yourself will take you to victory.
5 Ways Practising Affirmations Daily Can Help
Repeating positive statements influence your mind to challenge negative, self-sabotaging and unwholesome thoughts. It rewires your mind, further empowering and uplifting your thought process. You can choose any way to practice daily affirmations, be it pasting self-love affirmation quotes on the refrigerator, keeping a gratitude journal or reading a self-help book. Do it for a couple of days with pure intent, and you’ll notice the difference.
Here’s how practising affirmations daily will nurture your mind:
- Boosts Your Self-Esteem
Self-love unlocks your way to happiness. When you take 1 to 2 minutes daily to re-affirm positive statements about yourself, it reprograms your mind to believe in them. It gives you the confidence to deal with all situations positively.
- Combats Negative Thoughts
Things sometimes turn out differently than your way. The pressure of uncertainty or failure pushes you into negative self-talk. You start losing control of negative thoughts, ultimately hitting on your self-esteem.
When you constantly repeat statements like “I am not good enough”, “People dislike me”, or “I can’t do it”, the negative mindset gets the best of you. Sometimes, the authenticity of such beliefs is so strong that positive affirmations may lose to them.
Nonetheless, practising positive affirmations daily puts you in the best state of mind. It does take some time, though. But the results will be effective.
- Helps You Empathise With Yourself
Today’s time makes us harsh on ourselves. No matter how much energy we put in, yet we never acknowledge the hard work. Yes, the cards may not be in your favour now; but you must realize pushing yourself down when you fall short isn’t helping you in any way.
What you should do is, accept yourself, recognize your efforts and be compassionate towards yourself. Repeating phrases like “I am worthy of love”, “I am doing my best”, or “I’ll improve and try again”; helps you connect with your inner self. Affirmations are a reminder of how valuable you are to yourself.
Integrating self-love quotes into your daily life makes you empathize and nurture a positive relationship with your inner self.
- Improves Overall Health and Well-being
Multiple studies state that daily feeling-good statements can improve overall physical and mental health. It lowers cortisol levels and motivates you to achieve success academically and professionally.
Moreover, repeating positive phrases daily does wonder for your health. It creates a positive self-image which encourages you to adopt healthier habits.
- Clears Your Self-Doubts
Confidence is key to a successful life. Self-doubts, insecurities and fears push you down. They attack your confidence, making you doubt your abilities. That’s why you cannot perform at your best when a dream opportunity comes.
Reiterating your potential, goals, and abilities influences your mind to think positively and feel confident. Though challenging negative thoughts can be a daunting task at first, believe us, it’s worth it.
However, it would help if you built realistic goals. When you believe in your goals and potential, it’ll take some time, and you’ll win.
See Life Differently With Daily Affirmation Cards!
No matter what you do to change your perspective on life. But indeed, affirmations can give you a heads-up. When you correctly approach the ‘feel-good’ statements, you can simplify the self-conflicting echoes in your mind. It takes only one step to shift your focus from pessimistic to optimistic, clear self-doubts and reimagine yourself in a new light.
Believe you can do it, and you’ll do it!