Everybody has heard about morning affirmations! Are affirmations just a fad or is there any truth to their power? How do they work exactly? If you find yourself wondering about this, you’ve come to the right place!
Morning affirmations can come across as an awkward exercise if you are new to it. But your outlook is bound to change once you know more about them and how they work!
What are affirmations? How do they work?
Affirmations are not self-indulgent praises that you tell yourself. They are meant to serve as a reminder of your strengths, morals and values. When you affirm “I’m unstoppable”, it is meant to remind yourself of all those times you were faced with hurdles but you pushed through with resilience!
The point of affirmations is not to brainwash but to ground yourself with your core beliefs and remind yourself of what it means to be the happiest and best version of YOU. 😍
Visualize your morning affirmations and consciously implement them in your daily life.
The power of affirmations doesn’t lie in the words, it lies in you. You need to believe in them, otherwise they are a meaningless string of words. More importantly, forcing affirmations that you don’t believe in will do you more harm than good.
Study shows that interrogative self-talk can improve motivation compared to declarative self-talk. So, when you want an affirmation to become your reality but you don’t truly believe in it yet, try self reflection instead.
Ask yourself the question instead of telling yourself something you don’t believe in yet.
Instead of affirming “I am successful in my jewelry business”, I would ask myself, “Will I be successful in selling my own jewelry?” Then, I can self reflect that although I have the talent and skills, I don’t know anything about business and sales. To address this problem, I could take an online course and learn everyday to expand my skills. Also, I would remind myself to focus on the great reviews from the first few orders and keep building on those strengths.
Affirmations are a journey, you need to have patience with yourself.
“Nothing in nature blooms all year.” – Karen Salmansohn
By asking yourself questions, you can uncover and address the real reason behind why you are apprehensive about something.
Why do we need affirmations?
It is so easy to critique ourselves harshly and yet so difficult to encourage ourselves. This needs to change, you need to stop being so harsh on yourself. You need to become your own cheerleader, encourage and motivate yourself to be your best! 😊
Research shows that our brain responds more strongly to negative thoughts than to positive input. This means that if you allow yourself to brood in negative self-thought, everything will inevitably seem a lot worse. Another study showed evidence that self affirmations reduce stress.
Related post : 12 effective ways to relieve stress that actually work!
So it’s crucial to keep your negative thoughts in check and to remind yourself to focus on the positive. Positive affirmations can cultivate an optimistic outlook which can have a profound impact on your mindset and wellbeing.
“You are the product of your thoughts. What you think, you become.” – Gandhi
There were phases in my life when things were challenging. For instance, I once had to work with a toxic professor for a whole semester. Academic harassment is a rampant issue and students almost never receive any support because professors are far more valuable to universities. So all I could do was literally count down the days when I’d be done with college.
During those times, affirmations helped me reconnect with my ambitions, values and beliefs that make me who I am. They helped me get through the toughest of times and face the day.
18 morning affirmations to start your day
- I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
- I can achieve whatever I set my mind to.
- Everything happens for a reason. Whatever I may face, I will come out of it stronger.
- I am becoming a better version of myself.
- I am strong enough to walk my path.
- My mistakes don’t define me. I’m so much more.
- I love the person I am becoming.
- I choose to be positive and kind today.
- My happiness is in my hands.
- I protect my mind from negative people and thoughts.
- I define my own self-worth, not others.
- I’m grateful for this day.
- My day is my message to the world, I make a difference.
- I am beautiful just the way I am, flaws and everything!
- I am grateful for everything that I have and everything that I am.
- I’m worthy of success and happiness.
- I make decisions that are right for me.
- I have an open mind and I keep learning and growing.
Write your own morning affirmations
You can tailor the affirmations above or you can simply make a list of your own self affirming thoughts based on your life.
While creating your own positive affirmations, write phrases without negation. So instead of saying “I’m not weak”, say “I am strong”. Also focus on using the present tense. Instead of saying ‘I will’, self affirm by saying “I am”, “I choose” etc. Language has great power and meaning, and positive words are infinitely more uplifting.
Here are the top 5 categories of morning affirmations along with examples of profound ones to help you write your own.
Affirmations of self love
Self love is crucial before you extend your love and compassion to others. Knowing and loving yourself will arm you with the defenses you need to stand up for yourself and establish boundaries.
- I believe in my abilities and I’m proud of everything I’ve achieved.
- I love all the perfect and imperfect parts of me.
- I’m confident and beautiful in my own way.
- I am worthy of love, happiness and self-respect.
Affirmations for health
Good health is true wealth! It’s a crucial and irreplaceable part of life. No amount of money or fame can buy you good health, you need to nurture it everyday. And a healthy mind is a requirement for a healthy body.
- I value my health and I’m grateful for it.
- My mind only has positive thoughts for myself and others.
- I am healthy and whole.
Affirmations for love
Family and friends are important pillars in life. The people around you matter! So surround yourself with those who are positive, who support you and care about you. Their presence and love can help heal, uplift and encourage you to greater heights. In contrast, negative people are a huge drain on your mental resources and reduce your quality of life, they should be avoided at all costs.
- I am grateful for the people in my life.
- I treat the people in my life with patience and respect.
- My family loves and values me.
- I encourage and support my friends in their endeavors.
Affirmations of gratitude
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – Aesop
Research shows that gratitude can boost your happiness! It helps you appreciate all the amazing aspects of your life. Without gratitude, you will forever be chasing the next best thing without ever feeling content!
- I’m grateful for my journey and the people in my life.
- I’m grateful for my job and my lovely home.
- I have everything I need to create happiness.
- I am grateful for my ability to learn from bad situations and see the positive in them.
Affirmations of success
Shift your mindset and break down the limitations imposed by yourself. Take a moment to remind yourself of how far you’ve come and of all the amazing things you’ve achieved. Use this strength and your talents to guide you to affirmations that are relevant to you.
- I can conquer anything that I set my mind to.
- I build my own life and I’m in control of my decisions.
- My past strengthens me. I learn from my past and live in the present.
- I believe in my journey to success.
Parting thoughts
There you have it! Start by picking or creating 2-3 affirmations that resonate with you and add them to your morning routine. You could practice your morning affirmations by writing them, saying them out loud or just keeping them in your thoughts. Also, remember that affirmations are a journey, the change is more important than its speed!
I’d love to hear your favorite affirmations, so share them below with the rest of us! ❤️