I always say what you do as soon as you wake up sets the tone for your entire day. So what better way to start your day than by incorporating positive affirmations into your daily morning routine? I know at least for me, they have helped inspire a healthier morning and cultivate a positive mindset.
Affirmations are positive, self-selected phrases you repeat to yourself that embody the type of person you would like to become. The idea here is that positive thinking creates self-improvement and repeating your affirmations throughout the day can transform your thought patterns and mental attitudes. Paired with some honest self-reflection, deep internal work and concrete action steps, affirmations can be a powerful and effective tool when it comes to behavioral change.
Affirmations mainly work at the conscious level, while a majority of our behavior, thoughts, emotions, sense of worth, self-image, etc. happen at the subconscious or unconscious levels. By self-reflecting and putting in the internal work, we’re able to better reach those subconscious and unconscious levels. To make affirmations even more powerful, repeat them out loud – with emotion and conviction!
The same as manifestation, affirmations need to be paired with action in order for them to work. You have to take the actions to support whoever it is that you’re wanting to become. Also the same as manifestation, affirmations are *not* a cure-all. There is no secret sauce to losing weight, eating healthier, becoming successful or eliminating all of your problems!
So how does this *actually* work on a psychological level? Neuroplasticity is our brain’s ability to adapt to changes through growth and reorganizations, like learning new skills, storing memories and information and even recovering after a traumatic brain injury. Sometimes our brains get confused about the difference between reality and imagination, which makes visualization such a powerful and effective tool. Creating a mental image of yourself doing something activates the same brain areas that actually experience these situations in the real world. Regularly repeating affirmations can encourage your brain to take these positive affirmations as fact – and when you truly believe you can do something, your actions will follow.
Are affirmations in your daily routine? I would love to hear yours!
