5 minutes
Positive affirmations are said in the first person and always in the present. Learn to identify and develop them to combat negative thoughts.
They take a few minutes a day, but they have great power. Positive affirmations are not mere words that are said on the air. They have numerous health effects, such as reducing stress and increasing subjective feelings of well-being.
In addition, they help transform negative thoughts and change them for healthier ones; something very important in mood disorders such as depression. Let’s see a little more what positive affirmations are about and how we can implement them on a day-to-day basis.
What are positive affirmations?
As the name implies, positive affirmations are statements that seek to strengthen certain beliefs, thoughts and emotional states. They help us create an optimistic internal state of mind, of well-being and tranquility. They are also a source of inspiration and motivation.
For many people it is simply optimism. However, positive affirmations have a biological correlate, at the level of the nervous system, allowing new connections to form between neurons. Neurosciences provide a lot of information in this regard.
And even more, recently, the psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology contributes to greater knowledge, by including as information all those hormones that are generated in the endocrine system and their impact on the body.
Different studies point out the beneficial effects of optimism in the body. From the calls happiness hormones even better health care and attention; lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone); decrease in the risk of getting sick. Psychological resilience would be a fundamental component when facing life’s challenges.
Even a Harvard University study, focused on the role of optimism in women’s health, proposes using interventions oriented towards positive thoughts and results as part of the treatment.
Benefits of positive affirmations
Among the main benefits of positive affirmations, we find the following:
- They predispose us to a better state of mind. For example, let’s think about how we feel when we are able to look in the mirror and say I can, I am able to face this situation; and how we feel when we say otherwise. Behind each sentence there is a message for the mind.
- Positive affirmations help us cut the loop of negative thoughts that impact how we feel and what we do.
- Positive affirmations they open us up to different alternatives. On the other hand, the negatives only bring us insecurity, anxiety, anguish and discomfort.
- Positive affirmations may not change a situation, but they can. help us face it in another way. Many times, they lighten and make difficult processes more bearable.
Examples
Some positive affirmations that you can repeat and use throughout the day are:
- I believe in myself.
- I am a valuable person.
- I am able to do it.
- I deserve all that is good and can accept it with gratitude.
- I lean on my strengths and acknowledge my weaknesses.
- Loose and confident.
- I have the ability to incorporate new habits and leave old habits that are negative.
- I choose the best for me.
- I accept myself as I am.
- Forgiveness sets me free.
- I am prepared for the task and the work that I do.
- I breathe and feel calm.
- My body is strong.
Positive affirmations are of different types and refer to various areas and aspects (money, self-esteem, health, self-esteem, work). However, they have in common the fact that they are said in the first person, always in the positive and in the present.
Words referring to possibility or doubt are avoided, such as maybe and maybe. They also require authenticity to recognize them as your own and to feel them.
How to implement positive affirmations in your day to day?
Implementing positive affirmations on a day-to-day basis can be very simple. The important thing is to put them into practice. Some of the recommendations are as follows:
- Download some application send you notifications with positive thoughts. You can also use the options that exist in paper format, such as agendas or mandala books that are accompanied by reflections.
- To strengthen them even more, accompany positive affirmations with the creative visualization technique. This consists of imagining a desired scenario for a situation.
- Link positive statements to specific goals or wishes. Avoid speaking to yourself in a derogatory or negative way.
- Learn how we think. Identifying thoughts allows us to understand where they come from and understand that they are not reality. For example, if we recognize that we habitually have catastrophic thoughts, positive affirmations can help us combat this type of reading of what happens.
- Learn to identify your strengths and to recognize them in positive statements.
- Surround yourself with positive people, able to provide support and containment.
Toxic positivity is not the same as being positive
Positive affirmations aim to empower us, accompany us in our goals, aligning feelings, thoughts and actions.
However, this does not mean that we should repress our emotions or that we always have to stay in a state of happiness. It is important to be optimistic and look at how we can solve an obstacle.
All emotions have something to teach us. Learning from them is also helpful. So, recognizing and experiencing emotions comes first; then we learn to decide what to do.
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