Do Affirmations Really Help?

Affirmations — which have risen in popularity in recent years as the result of an ever-increasing selection of self-help books that swear by them — are, at heart, quite simple. Affirmations are statements or mantras that individuals make to describe what they want in life, or how they envision their futures. Many modern self-help "gurus" tout affirmations as an essential factor in your road toward self-growth and self-actualization; that is, to find your purpose in life and to be happy and fulfilled.

Affirmations can be made subconsciously or consciously — we probably all have experience with "informal" affirmations like "please, let this day go well!", for instance. When affirmations are purposefully used to describe a desired effect, they are repeated over and over in an attempt to force the subconscious mind into triggering the statement into becoming a reality. For intentional affirmations to be effective, the individual must continuously repeat them and focus on the desired effect, truly envisioning themselves already being where they aim to get.

 

 

These types of purposeful, intentional affirmations are made on a conscious level. Unconscious affirmations are associated with unconscious thinking. This type of affirmation is generally negative. It can occur when an individual repeatedly thinks negative thought or expects the worst, such as "my boss is a jerk", "the traffic is going to be a nightmare", or "I'm probably going to lose the lottery again". These thoughts are unconscious in that the individual is not making a conscious effort to think these thoughts, but is likely doing so out of fear, anxiety or worry.

 

The theory behind affirmations is that words and statements can have either a negative or positive effect on your life, working to either build you up or knock you down. The way in which affirmations effect your life are determined by the way in which you choose to use them. According to the theory, positive affirmations created consciously can bring about positive events in your life, while negative affirmations, whether created consciously or subconsciously, can bring about negative life events.

When an individual repeatedly makes negative statements or has negative thoughts in his mind about life situations, he can cause those thoughts to come to fruition, resulting in negative outcomes in his life. If that sounds "out there", just imagine the following scenario. If your negative thought is "my blind date will probably hate me", you're likely to treat them less well, directly causing that imagined reality to come about.

Many times, people will repeatedly have negative thoughts in their mind or make negative statements. Often, they do not even realize they are doing this. An example is when an individual constantly thinks that he cannot perform a certain task, or reach a particular goal.

 

He may make internal statements such as “Why am I so lazy?” or “I’m not strong enough” or simply “I can’t”. These types of statements set the individual up for failure before he evens begins. The reason for this is that the subconscious mind will accept the statements that are made as the truth. The belief is that the subconscious will accept the negative statements that an individual repeats, and will then attract those corresponding situations to the individual.

Positive affirmations are made in an effort to reprogram your thoughts and alter a negative thought pattern. Individuals use positive affirmations in an attempt to change the way they think and feel about life events. Those who use positive affirmations believe that by replacing negative thoughts and beliefs with positive ones, the subconscious will start attracting positive forces, which will bring about positive changes in their lives. Because so many people admit to having more negative thoughts and beliefs than positive ones, it is not surprising that many of those people set out to adapt those beliefs by attempting to create positive affirmations.

 

According to the theory, positive affirmations challenge negative thoughts, which then disrupts the flow of negative energy. More than just a repetition of positive words, positive affirmations force the individual to become aware of his thoughts and the words that he chooses to use in daily life situations. He must make a conscious effort to project positive thoughts, ideas and beliefs into every aspect of his life. Practicing is believing, if you like. If you constantly tell yourself that you are successful, confident, and likeable, you'll alter your behavior to make these aspirations come true.

Do Affirmations Work?

Although there is no conclusive data proving that affirmations work, empirical studies suggest that they can in fact bring about positive changes in a person's life — and yes, that includes yours. The subconscious mind is not able to differentiate between what is and is not real. This is why affirmations can work. In order for an affirmation to be effective, there are certain factors that must be met. For example, it is important that an individual using positive affirmations understands that those affirmations are not a magic pill that will fix the unfixable.

"I am good at my job and I won't stop until I reach my goals" is, for instance, quite likely to be successful. "I'll wake up with a perfect muscular body" isn't. Surprise!

 

 

Belief

In order for an affirmation to work, the individual must completely and totally believe it to be true. Simply saying positive words or repeating positive thoughts is not enough, and will serve no purpose if the person does not whole-heartedly believe those words or thoughts. There is no way to trick the subconscious. If you constantly repeat positive thoughts and statements, but you don’t truly believe those statements to be true, the subconscious will recognize your disbelief. The subconscious will believe what you truly believe, regardless of what your mind says.

 

Specificity

For affirmations to be effective, they must be very specific. Affirmations that are too vague or general cannot bring about the desired effect, because the subconscious can interpret them in many different ways. The specific outcome that an individual desires may not be communicated effectively is the affirmation is too indirect. For example, a positive affirmation such as “I want to be smarter” is not specific enough to bring about a positive change. What is smarter? Smarter in school? Smarter in social settings? Street smart?

 

There are too many possible interpretations. A more direct and effective positive affirmations would be “I want to better understand the concept of Algebra so that I can master my math class this year”. This is a very direct and specific affirmation that leaves no room for interpretation, and it directs that subconscious to a specific desired outcome.

Creating Affirmations

To begin using positive affirmations, consider the areas in your life that need improvement. Envision the types of things you would like to have in your life, and the direction that you would like your life to go in. Make a list of the areas in your life that need the most improvement and include well-defined solutions for those areas. Focus on each list item and write 2 or 3 positive affirmations for them. Only focus on the positive and state what you want to occur, and avoid stating what you don’t want to occur. List your affirmations in the present tense. For example, if you want to find a meaningful job, you would create a positive affirmation that says something like “I have a good job that is very meaningful to me”.

Using Affirmations

There are some tips you can use to reinforce you positive affirmations in ways other than just repeating them in your head. One technique is to stand in front of the mirror each morning and evening and state your affirmations to yourself. Another is to write them down on note cards and strategically place them so that you encounter them several times throughout your day. Some people prefer to sing or chant affirmation statements and other choose to use subliminal methods such as playing a CD of affirmation statements during sleep. Regardless of the method you choose, just remember that you have to believe in what you say in order to make your affirmations become a reality.