Positive Affirmations: Enhancing Your Meditation Practice

Positive affirmations are a powerful tool to support your meditation practice. They are positive phrases or statements used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts and can be used to motivate yourself, encourage positive changes in your life, or boost your self-esteem. The practice is supported by widely accepted and well-established psychological theory and neuroscience.

When creating your own affirmations, it is important to be honest with yourself and create statements that genuinely reflect who you are and what your strengths are. Try to focus on what you have or want, rather than what you don't, and keep them in the present tense to help your subconscious mind believe it is already happening.

You can use affirmations right before a meditation session to help settle your mind and prepare, or choose one or two to use as a focus during the meditation itself.

Using positive affirmations to motivate yourself

Positive affirmations are a powerful tool to motivate yourself, encourage positive changes in your life, and boost your self-esteem. They are positive phrases or statements used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts.

Choose Affirmations that Resonate with You:

Select affirmations that genuinely reflect your strengths, values, and beliefs. Be honest with yourself and choose affirmations that you can truly believe in. For example, instead of telling yourself, "I am confident, strong, and ready for this interview" when you don't feel confident, try something like, "I believe in my ability to connect with people during an interview."

Focus on What You Have or Want:

Frame your affirmations in a positive way by focusing on what you have or want, rather than what you don't have or don't want. For instance, say, "I feel compassion and kindness towards myself during difficult times" instead of "I don't engage in negative self-talk during difficult times." This helps you identify and create what you want in your life.

Use Present Tense:

Write and say your affirmations in the present tense, such as "I am strong" or "I am worthy." This helps your subconscious mind believe that these statements are already true and makes it easier to transition from affirming to doing. It also helps create positive feelings associated with your desired change, which encourages continued practice.

Affirm in the First Person:

Use "I" statements when creating your affirmations, such as "I am happy" or "I am capable." This helps instill a stronger sense of identity and makes the affirmations more personal and impactful. You can even add your name for a more powerful effect, like "I, [your name], am happy."

Connect the Feeling to the Behaviour:

Tie your desired behaviours to positive feelings to increase the likelihood of turning affirmations into real actions. For example, say, "I stand up for myself and feel empowered" instead of just "I stand up for myself." The feeling of empowerment strengthens the affirmation and makes it more motivating.

Practice Regularly:

Consistency is key when it comes to positive affirmations. The more frequently you practice, the stronger your brain rewires itself to accept these affirmations as true, leading to positive behavioural changes and associated positive feelings. Make it a habit by scheduling a consistent practice time and finding ways that work best for you, such as writing them down, saying them out loud, or listening to guided affirmations.

Using these techniques, you can effectively use positive affirmations to motivate yourself, create a more positive mindset, and bring about positive changes in your life.

Creating a detailed visualisation of your positive affirmation

Visualisation is a powerful tool to help you create a positive affirmation that resonates with you.

Firstly, it is important to identify what you want to change or manifest in your life. This could be a desired emotion, a change in your environment, or a behaviour you want to let go of. Once you have identified this, you can create a detailed visualisation to keep in your mind's eye while you state your mantra or affirmation.

For example, if you are using the affirmation, "I am safe, I am loved, I am supported", you can visualise the people in your life who love and support you. You can also think about the things you need in your life and how it feels to be safe and supported.

When creating your visualisation, be specific about where you are, who you are with, and, most importantly, how you feel. For instance, if you are using the affirmation, "I am strong", you can visualise a time when you felt strong and powerful, and remember how it felt.

It is also important to focus on the present moment when creating your visualisation. Instead of saying, "I will be strong", say, "I am strong" and imagine yourself as already being strong and powerful. This helps your subconscious mind to believe that it is already happening and eases the transition from affirming to doing.

You can also incorporate your senses into your visualisation to make it more vivid and engaging. For example, if you are using the affirmation, "I am relaxed and calm", you can visualise yourself in a calm and peaceful place, such as a quiet beach or a serene forest. Imagine the sounds, smells, and sensations of being in that place, and how it feels to be relaxed and calm.

Remember, the more detailed and engaging your visualisation is, the more effective it will be in helping you to believe in your positive affirmation and turn it into positive actions and feelings.

Using positive affirmations to encourage positive changes in your life

Positive affirmations are a powerful tool to encourage an optimistic mindset and bring about positive changes in your life. They are positive phrases or statements that challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts and help you to focus on the good in your life.

Neuroscience shows that the practice of positive affirmations is based on widely accepted and well-established psychological theory. When we practice self-affirmations, certain neural pathways light up, and the reward centers of our brain associated with pleasure are activated. This makes us feel good, which motivates us to continue the practice.

Over time, as we repeat these affirmations, our brain starts to believe them, and we begin to act on them. This is because our brain continues to rewire itself in response to changes in our emotions, thoughts, body, and environment.

How to use them:

• Discover what you want to change: Make a list of the areas in your life where you would like to see changes. From this list, pick one area to focus on.
• Be specific and measurable: Your affirmation should be as specific and focused as possible. For example, instead of saying, "I will be healthier," a more specific affirmation would be, "I exercise for an hour every day and feel strong."
• Focus on the positive: Frame your affirmation as a positive sentence rather than a negative one. For example, say, "I am strong" instead of "I am not weak."
• Focus on the present: Write your affirmation in the present tense instead of the future tense. For example, "I am happy and fulfilled" instead of "I will be happy and fulfilled."
• Use "I" statements: Write your affirmation with "I" instead of "you" to instill a stronger sense of identity.
• Connect the feeling to the behaviour: Desired behaviours tied to positive feelings are more likely to turn into real actions. For example, "I stand up for myself and feel empowered."
• Create a detailed image: Visualize your affirmation in your mind, including where you are, who you are with, and how you feel.
• Practice regularly: Consistency is key. The more frequently you practice your affirmation, the stronger your brain rewires itself to accept these new thoughts and beliefs.
• Be mindful of triggers: Using kind words towards yourself can be challenging if you have experienced abuse or heard negative messages during childhood. Start with affirmations that feel comfortable and work your way up to more challenging ones.
• Find what works for you: There is no one-size-fits-all approach to affirmations. You may want to create your own or use affirmations from books or apps. You can write them down, say them out loud, or even use meditation beads to help you focus on your affirmation.

Examples of positive affirmations:

• "I am safe, loved, and supported."
• "I am strong and capable."
• "I am worthy of love and happiness."
• "I am doing my best, and that's enough."
• "I love and accept myself."
• "I am grateful for all the good in my life."
• "I can achieve anything I set my mind to."
• "I choose to be happy and positive."
• "I am resilient and brave."
• "I am enough."

Using positive affirmations to boost your self-esteem

Positive affirmations are positive phrases or statements used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts. They are almost as easy to define as they are to practice. All you need to do is pick a phrase and repeat it to yourself.

Positive affirmations can be used to motivate yourself, encourage positive changes in your life, or boost your self-esteem. If you frequently find yourself getting caught up in negative self-talk, positive affirmations can be used to combat these often subconscious patterns and replace them with more adaptive narratives.

How to Practice Positive Affirmations

Discover What You Want to Change

Start by making a list of the areas of your life where you would like to see changes happen. You can also make a list of the areas that are going well and that you would like to see continue. Circle your top five desired areas. From this smaller list, pick just one area as your starting focus.

Focus on the Positive

To increase the likelihood of success, it is important to state your affirmation as a positive sentence rather than using a negative sentence structure. For example, instead of saying "I am not weak", rephrase it as the positive statement "I am strong". The brain focuses on key words rather than a full sentence, so it is best to keep the affirmation positive.

Focus on the Present

Write your positive affirmation in the present tense instead of future-focused. For example, say "I am strong" instead of "I will be strong". Writing your statements in this way helps your subconscious mind believe it is already happening. This will help naturally ease the transition from affirming to doing.

Affirm in the First Person

Write your affirmation with "I" instead of "you". For example, "I am happy" rather than "You are happy". This helps instil a stronger sense of identity in the brain. You can also add your name if that is helpful, for example, "I, Alex, am happy".

Connect the Feeling to the Behaviour

Desired behaviours that are tied to positive feelings are more likely to turn into real actions. For example, "I stand up for myself and I feel empowered" rather than "I stand up for myself". The feeling word "empowered" strengthens the affirmation.

Create a Detailed Image

Incorporate the previous steps into a detailed visualization of your positive affirmation. Be specific about where you are and who you are with, but most importantly, focus on how you feel. Your feelings are the greatest motivating factor toward your desired goal.

Practice Regularly

As with any desired change, the more frequently you practice your positive affirmation, the stronger your brain rewires itself to accept these mantras as true. This will follow into desirable behavioural changes and the associated positive feelings will take hold.

Be Mindful of Triggers

There may be certain positive affirmations you are not ready to hear. Using kind words towards yourself can actually be very painful if you have experienced abuse or heard abusive words during childhood. Pace yourself, stop as needed, use a different mantra, and return to the original positive affirmation when you are ready.

Find the Best Way to Practice for You

There is no one way to practice positive affirmations. You may want to create your own mantras, or use other people’s words. You may find it best to listen to guided positive affirmations, especially if it is too painful to hear your own voice saying the words. The key is to make sure you schedule a consistent practice, visualize your positive affirmation as vividly as possible, and try to feel the mantra take hold in your body.

Incorporating positive affirmations into your everyday life

Positive affirmations are a great way to tap into your strengths, focus on the good in your life, uplift your mood and create a more positive reality. They can be used to motivate yourself, encourage positive changes in your life, or boost your self-esteem.

• Write your favourite affirmation on a piece of paper and stick it somewhere you will see it regularly: For example, on your desk, mirror, or fridge. This will help to keep your affirmation at the forefront of your mind.
• Use an encouraging affirmation during exercise: This can help to keep you going when you feel like giving up.
• Use a self-compassionate affirmation when looking in the mirror: This can help to boost your self-esteem and promote self-love.
• Save your affirmation as a screensaver on your phone: This way, you will see it every time you unlock your phone.
• Think about your affirmation before you go to sleep at night: This will help to end your day on a positive note and promote a good night's rest.
• Take some time to acknowledge your own strengths: Instead of going on social media, make a list of your strengths by thinking, "I am [insert strength]."
• Choose one or two simple affirmations to support you during times of stress or overwhelm: For example, "I am safe, I am loved, I am supported."
• Practice your affirmations regularly: Whether you are sitting down comfortably, out for a walk, or doing a meditation practice, take some time to bring your affirmation to mind and explore how it makes you feel.

Frequently asked questions