Affirmations: what are they and how do they work?

In our difficult world, we are often forced to give up our dreams and endure disappointments. Sometimes it even seems that there are practically no prospects ahead. At such moments, it is very important not to lose heart, not to abandon your goals and to help yourself out of the crisis. One of the available techniques for changing your life is affirmations. How to use them correctly and how they can help, and will be discussed in this article.

The term comes from the English word affirm, which, in turn, comes from the Latin language. Affirmatio literally means "confirmation", "confidence in the veracity of a fact." In modern psychology, affirmations are successfully used to achieve various goals. Their main advantage over many other psychological techniques is their exceptional availability.

Affirmations are short, statement phrases. You can compose them yourself or use ready-made ones. The definition of the topic of positive statements depends on the specific request of the person, the circumstances that he wants to change.

Remember how often in our daily life we ​​utter unkind words out loud or in our thoughts. In negative situations, we are used to saying emotionally: "Horror!" or "What a nightmare!" And what is the bottom line? Nothing good, actually. Thus, we practically program ourselves for the same "horror and nightmare", allowing troubles to happen again and again in our lives.

And here is another very familiar and often used phrase that most people say without thinking about it at all: "Wow!" Of course, this phrase does not have such a negative connotation, but still make out the meaning of these words. Have you guessed? The phrase says that we do not want anything for ourselves. But for yourself, on the contrary, you can and should wish for a lot: health, well-being, the realization of talents, love, etc.

Our experiences, unconscious reactions and thoughts have a direct impact on the course of life. Negativity, heavy feelings for the most part drain the psyche, and besides, they attract negative energy similar to itself. It is as if a person curses himself, over and over again tuning in to the bad and seriously expecting trouble from each new situation or event.

But the ability to easily let go of the bad, to switch to positive in time, confidence in positive changes, on the contrary, can work almost miracles. This is how affirmations work. They help to tune the thinking and perception of the world in a positive way, to get results in any area. Correctly composed and, most importantly, correctly pronounced statements can bring simply magical changes in the life of every practitioner.

By practicing the repetition of affirmations, you can achieve any realistic goal:

• a person can develop his talents and abilities, succeed in learning a new business or specialty;
• you can significantly improve your well-being;
• a practitioner can help himself to heal from diseases, become more beautiful, slimmer, more attractive to others;
• practice will help to cope with psychological problems and complexes: fears, anxiety, apathy, depression, nervousness, self-doubt, etc.;
• attracting success in professional activity, building a career;
• a practitioner can get rid of loneliness, attract true love;
• getting rid of negative personality traits;
• strengthening the volitional sphere, the formation of motivation to achieve goals.

The worldview of each person is formed from early childhood. Due to the fact that very few people are surrounded by absolutely ideal conditions, in adulthood we are overwhelmed with complexes, fears, stereotyped reactions. All this drives the consciousness into certain, very narrow, frameworks, from which, alas, it is difficult to free it.

Unfortunately, few people believe in the possibility of changing their lives for the better. After all, there are “wrong” circumstances around, “wrong” people. Only now we ourselves, more precisely, our psycho-emotional reactions to what is happening, attract circumstances, people and our personal problems. Like is drawn to like.

Affirmations can be roughly divided into two types. General affirmations help to change the situation around and life in general, to look at the world with different eyes. They are inspirational phrases with strong positive messages:

• "I am surrounded by very nice, pleasant, positive people."
• "I am confidently moving towards my success."
• "I succeed in everything that I have in mind."
• “I can find the right solution and do the right thing in any situation,” etc.

The second kind of positive affirmation suggests a more specific topic. They are aimed at a specific area of ​​life, situation or problem.

Useful health affirmations.

• "I am happy and healthy."
• "My body is working properly."
• “Every day my organs are renewing and getting stronger.”
• "My body is strong and healthy."
• "I can feel powerful streams of energy and health pouring through my body."
• "I feel energy and health emanating from every cell of my body."
• "I am healed by the positive energy flowing through my body."
• "My body is recovering quickly and improving every day."
• "I know how and I love to take care of my body."
• "I am free from suffering and disease."
• “I’m always calm and good.”
• "I have a lot of energy and vitality."

Here are some general health affirmations. This is an important moment in the cure of any disease, since all organs and systems are closely interconnected. To cure a specific disease, you can additionally make a positive statement regarding a specific diseased organ. For example: “My kidneys are healthy and working correctly”, “My vision is improving every day”, “My joints are strong and healthy”.

A short list of affirmations for happiness and wish fulfillment.

• "My life is beautiful and interesting."
• “Every day there is more joy and prosperity in my life.”
• "I am grateful to the Universe for my life."
• "The universe gives me everything I need."
• "I am building my own life."
• "I am successful in all my endeavors."
• "I am filled with a blessed vital energy."

Examples of affirmations to attract love and improve relationships.

• "I love and love."
• "Love fills me more and more every day."
• "I am a wise, beautiful and desirable woman."
• "I am a strong, confident and beloved man."
• "I express my gratitude to the Universe for the great love that fills my life."
• “Every day I grow spiritually and improve myself.”
• "I am worthy of love, care and respect."

Examples of affirmations for personality correction.

• "I am confident in myself and I look at the world positively."
• "My willpower is getting stronger every day."
• "My positive qualities are developing and multiplying every day."
• "I am successfully working on myself."
• "I am a purposeful, energetic, well-rounded person."
• "I am able to overcome any difficulties."
• “Every day I feel an emotional upsurge and spiritual growth.”

For a start, many people use ready-made affirmations. At the first stage, you can start with this.

Before you start writing affirmations, there are some rules you should know. Above, we have already touched on the importance of the meaning of each word, spoken aloud or inwardly. Therefore, in a positive phrase, you need to pay attention to all the details. Indeed, with repeated repetition, these words will acquire very powerful attitudinal properties. Remember that we are making up a phrase for self-hypnosis, programming ourselves for positive change. Even incorrectly inserted interjections and prepositions can significantly weaken the effect of an affirmation.

So, when making up positive statements for yourself, stick to the following rules.

• In your phrase, you can not wish harm to others, demand punishment or revenge for something.
• The approval must be about you personally. It is yourself that you convince of your well-being, you work with your consciousness. For example, the affirmation “My boss values ​​and respects me” is incorrect and will not work. For career advancement, you must program yourself, let's say, "I'm doing my job well and right."
• The phrase must be positive. That is, what it claims has a positive color.
• Thought should be directed towards what you desire, not what you don't like and what you want to get rid of. An example of an incorrect affirmation: "Diseases leave my body, I stop feeling pain." In this case, already a positive result should be asserted: "My body is healthy, I am full of energy."
• Better to avoid using the word "can". Replace it with verbs that denote a specific action. Instead of “I can make myself happy,” we use a slightly different phrase: “I am becoming happier every day” or “I am happy and grateful to God for my life.”
• Do not include the particle "not" in the statement. It is negative and will require you to mention what you dislike. And this is contrary to the rule of positive content of the statement.
• Don't make too long sentences. The affirmation should be relatively short, easy to remember, and as specific as possible. If you have a long phrase, it means that you have not decided on the goal and are trying to fit several unresolved problems or wishes into one statement. Analyze your request and focus on what is most important to you at the moment. Make an affirmation about this.
• The statement must be about the present, the present moment. Phrases like “I’ll have a lot of money next year” are not specific and do not contain the desired message.

Affirmations act on the subconscious of the practitioner. Thus, they help to make the necessary changes in the way of life and in the personality of the person himself. But this can be achieved if you use this psychological self-help technique correctly.

• It is best to say phrases out loud, clearly and confidently. This should be done at least 2 times a day, morning and evening. If you have the opportunity to retire during the day in a quiet place where no one will disturb you, it is permissible to practice affirmations more often. Some people find it difficult to verbalize their statements, especially in the early stages of practice. In this case, you can say the affirmations mentally.
• Also, statement phrases can be read from the sheet and written on paper. Psychologists recommend trying to deduce words with both hands: both right and left. This will help activate and engage both hemispheres of the brain.
• Use affirmations regularly. Breaks for several days greatly weaken the effect of self-hypnosis and postpone the result.
• When pronouncing affirmations, connect a visual image. Be clear about what the phrase says. A clear and vivid picture of the changes to which you are directing efforts should arise in your imagination. The phrase you utter during the practice should be embodied for you in reality.
• Don't get stuck in constant expectation of the result. After an affirmation session, gently release your desires and requests. Change will come naturally to your life.
• The spoken statements must be sincerely believed. Our rational thinking makes us skeptical about such phenomena, which greatly interferes with practice and personal growth. Try to push the inner "skeptic" into the background or even the third plan. As you repeat the affirmations, sincerely trust the practice and free yourself from doubts.
• Sometimes it happens that a person has made a statement that actually contradicts his true goals. This happens when the practitioner has not yet learned to listen to himself and draws requests from generally accepted norms and fashion trends. In this case, the affirmation may either not work at all, or be embodied in somewhat unsatisfactory consequences.
• When pronouncing statements, you need to monitor your posture and facial expression. The phrases are positive, life-affirming, therefore, they must be pronounced with a confident smile, a straight back and a raised chin. The physical condition and posture of the body are closely related to the subconscious, so if they resonate with repeated statements, the effect of the latter will be greatly weakened.
• Don't rely on just affirmations while completely inactive in real life. Agree, it is foolish to wait for a salary increase or transfer to a higher position if you do not care about work, do not fulfill your duties, are often late and quarrel with colleagues. Also, your body will not become slim if you overeat, are inactive and overuse bad habits. Affirmations are undoubtedly our allies, but their practice does not exempt from real actions aimed at achieving the goal.
• Don't contradict your affirmations in your daily life. By pronouncing positive phrases, we change our perception of the conditions around us. Therefore, having believed in the affirmation while pronouncing it, do not destroy the new attitudes that have begun to build up in you.

For example, a girl works on her body and repeats the statement: "I become slim, beautiful, attractive to others and self-confident." During practice, she even manages to create a visual image of herself as a new one. However, going out for a walk or on the way to work, she again turns into a "gray mouse": she slouches, looks away uncertainly, minces with an awkward gait. As a result, during the next practice, she will have to start everything practically from scratch.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that, of course, the effect of affirmations on different people is by no means universal. Two different people, asking for the same, may well get opposite results. There are many reasons for this: a vaguely formulated request, a lack of involvement in the process of pronouncing phrases, a discrepancy between desires and real goals, excessive laziness and inaction in everyday life.

On sites and various forums, you can find stories of real people who practiced this method of self-hypnosis. And there are never unequivocal reviews here. Someone helped affirmations, and someone abandoned them after several attempts, and did not wait for signs of approaching their goal.

Well, there is no universal panacea for body and soul. However, in any work on oneself there are basic and very important points: a clear goal setting, a positive attitude, regularity of classes, involvement in practice.