Self-Affirmations – Who Can Practice it and How?

Self-affirmations are very powerful. Affirmations can spread positivity, change our way of looking at life, and teach us gratitude. They remind us of the beauty of positive living.

But is it easy to practice self-affirmations? By nature, the human brain gets easily attracted to negativity. One negative thought incident or experience is good enough to wipe off all the positive happenings. Maybe, it is the power of negativity that does not allow our minds to look for positive things around us. I am sure if you are new to affirmations, then you might have a lot of questions. 

Self-affirmations can be practised by everyone but in this post, I am going to concentrate on youth (which includes kids, teens, and students). I guess kids are going through a lot these days and introducing this term in their lives is important. Let’s start with the very basics.

Rules of Self-Affirmations

1. Must be set in the present tense
2. Must be about yourself (since that is the only thing you have control over)
3. Must lack negative words (for example: not, can’t, don’t, anxiety, fear, without)

Are Self-Affirmations Best Said Every Day?

There are no hard and fast rules about timing or frequency when it comes to practicing self-affirmations.

According to psychotherapist Ronald Alexander, affirmations can be repeated three to five times daily to reinforce the positive belief. Writing your affirmations down in a journal and practicing them in the mirror is a suitable method for making them more powerful and effective.

Are self-affirmations effective for Anxiety and Depression?

Positive affirmations are not designed to be cures for anxiety or depression, nor are they a substitute for clinical treatment. But they do help in handling anxiety or depression. People with depression or anxiety struggle to find positive thoughts. They often think negatively, which affects their mental health. Positive affirmation is a great technique to shift our focus from negativity to positivity.

 How do self-affirmations boost self-esteem? 

Affirmations can sometimes be beneficial for boosting your self-esteem.

According to the self-affirmation theory, the most important thing is that your affirmations reflect your core personal values. To have any impact on your self-esteem, your self-affirmations should be positively focused and targeted at actions you can take to reinforce your sense of self-identity.

Can you improve sleep with self-affirmations?

A large number of anxiety-sufferers experience disturbed sleep. In the sense that affirmations can sometimes help to relieve anxiety, they may have some beneficial effects in promoting better sleep. In addition, incorporating your affirmations into meditation can be relaxing and soothing. Meditation has been found to have numerous benefits in terms of sleep quality, so positive affirmation meditation could very well be a good way to improve your sleep.

Are self-affirmations just positive mantras?

The way we chant mantras regularly and become a part of our well-being, we repeat affirmations to bring positivity to our lives. Mantras are sacred words and have higher spiritual meaning than affirmation. The psychological dictionary describes affirmations as brief phrases, repeated frequently, which are designed to encourage positive, happy feelings, thoughts, and attitudes. They hold no spiritual or religious meaning in the traditional sense and can be used for many purposes.

Related: 51 Quotes to Overcome Stress and Feel Inspired

Positive Affirmation Examples

Based on this definition, here are some examples of positive affirmations:

1.I believe in me, and trust my wisdom;

2.I am a successful person;

3.I am confident and capable at what I do;

4.I am capable of making the right decision;

5.I am blessed to have this life;

6.I am blessed to have people around me

7.I am resilient, strong, and brave;

8.I am in charge of my thoughts;

10.I accept and love me, thoroughly and completely;

11.Through courage and hard work, I can achieve anything that I set my mind to

These were some general self-affirmations that I can think of. With pandemic, we all have learned a new way of living our lives. Student life has been affected by this to a great extent. They need encouragement at regular intervals.

1.When I get a bad grade, I am motivated to do better;

2.I am determined, and I aim for the stars;

3.I set high standards for my academic achievement. By putting in time and effort, I can accomplish what I set out to achieve;

4.I appreciate my school, teachers, and classmates because they all play a role in helping me grow to be a better person;

5.Even on days when I don’t make much progress, I am continually learning. On other days, I make amazing progress toward my goals.

After talking about teens, how can we forget to address kids? Kids may not express their feelings, but if they believe in themselves from an early age, it will help them in the long run.

1.I am loved;

2.I am creative;

3.I am kind;

4.I am brave;

5.I am a responsible person;

6.I will always do my best;

7.I am unique;

8.I’ll always help others;

9.I am an important and valuable person.

Now, I want to bring your attention to one of the most crucial yet sensitive stages of growing – Teenage.

Social pressures and academic stresses can take their toll on teens. But by putting self-affirmations into practice, they can do something positive about how to think and feel.

1.I am a quick learner;

2.I believe in all my capabilities;

3.If my thoughts are different than my friends, I’m fine with that;

4.Whatever difficulties come my way, I have the power to overcome them;

5.I am going to trust me and my instincts;

6.I am good enough, and I am fine with just being me;

7.I treat others with respect, and they treat me the same;

8.I am working every day on the best me that I can be;

9.If I face any setbacks, I will bounce back with double positivity;

10.I will never stop learning.

Self-affirmation might look simple. Yes, these sentences are simple, but we often say them the other way around. Like instead of saying I am going to trust myself and my instinct, we say I will not doubt myself and my instinct. The difference is the word “not.” If we use positive sentences, we will generate positive vibes. And by repeating them, it becomes our second nature. Affirmations are not challenging, but they are tough to practice. I hope you will start outing self-affirmations in practice and will see its powers.

Alpana Deo is a published author, parenting, and lifestyle blogger at MothersGurukul, and a podcaster. She wishes to write more articles on parenting and inspiring topics that can benefit her readers on different levels.