You might’ve already heard the term “affirmations,” which are statements that affirm that something is true.
When you affirm something, you are stating it as a fact. The interesting thing about affirmations is that the general rule of thumb is to use affirmations that are not yet true, but that you’d like to be true. This means that the affirmation doesn’t actually affirm your current experience of life, but rather, your desired one.
What this first looks like is a bunch of statements that are not currently true for you but that you want to be true for you. (Or we might say, are true for your soul but not yet for your ego).
Read on to learn how affirmations work and how to use them, choose them, and write them.
How to use affirmations:
Write your affirmations on post-it notes or index cards and place them in high traffic areas around your house. Think: your mirrors, above light switches, on kitchen cabinets, the refrigerator, your dresser, computer, desk, etc. Any place that your eyes will see several times a day is a good place to put an affirmation.
Initially, your conscious mind will read the affirmation each time it sees it. This repetitive process helps rewire your brain. Also, seeing your affirmations frequently helps remind you of the intentions you have set for yourself.
Write a list of your affirmations on a piece of paper and keep them tucked away, either underneath your pillow or in a bedside table. Create a routine around reading your affirmations, preferably each evening before going to sleep and each morning before starting your day. If you can add in a third reading session in the middle of the day, even better.
When you pause to read your affirmations, do so with mindful intention. Take a few deep breaths before beginning and read your list slowly and thoughtfully. If you can incorporate visualization with your affirmations that will help anchor them in more deeply. Try not to think of reading affirmations as a task to be completed but rather as a dedicated space of time to further your personal growth.
Create a photo album in your phone that is specifically for your affirmations. Find photos you have taken or free ones online (sites like Pexels have millions of free photos to use) and write your affirmations directly on your photos. (Design apps like Canva and Phonto make writing on photos super easy).
Scroll through your photo album of affirmations every morning when you wake up and every night before you go to sleep. You can also open it up whenever you have a few extra minutes in your day or while you’re waiting for someone. Consider challenging yourself to a week of opening up your affirmation album rather than your social media accounts (or at least open up your album before your socials).
The repetitive visual affirmations will help rewire your brain and can incite an excited feeling within as well. Joy is a wonderful emotion to help call in your desires energetically.
Create a note in your phone with all of your affirmations on it and follow the steps listed above in #2.
Set alarms and/or reminders on your phone to go off throughout the day. When the alarm or reminder pops up, do not just quickly swipe it away but rather take a moment to pause and mindfully read the affirmation a few times.
You can use any or even all of these suggestions when working with affirmations, plus any you think of that are not mentioned above.
It is helpful to be as present as possible when working with affirmations. When you direct your energy in a specific way, the results are far superior than when you quickly rush through with an inattentive mind.
How to choose affirmations:
Affirmations can be chosen on your own or with the help of a healer or therapist. As an intuitive, I often have affirmations for my clients come through during sessions. Whenever that happens, I provide my client with an emailed list of their affirmations. Interested in discovering what affirmations you currently need? Book a private session with me here.
Decide what you desire to have next in your life.
Think about your life from a space of where you’ve been and where you’d like to go next.
Example: If you’re desiring a higher income, an affirmation might be, “I am open to all ways of making money.”
Determine which character traits you’d like to shift.
Consider any of your character traits or patterns of behavior you’d like to shift.
Example: If you tend to quickly get angry at others, an affirmation might be, “I pause before I respond.”
Determine what aspects of your subconscious mind need assistance.
If you consciously desire something but are unable to bring it into your physical reality, it is likely that your subconscious holds a different energy than your conscious mind.
Example: If you consciously desire a loving relationship but your subconscious feels you are unworthy, an affirmation might be, “I am worthy of love.”
Determine what aspects of your conscious mind need assistance.
Sometimes, you know your truth but your ego has a hard time accepting it.
Example: You may know on a deeper level that you are destined to express yourself in a certain way (this is a common theme I see in those who answer the call to be healers in this life) but your conscious mind has a hard time accepting this truth, usually because of societal, familial, and other forms of conditioning, pressure, or resistance. An affirmation might be, “I know myself on the deepest levels and live my truth.”
Determine which chakras need healing.
Create affirmations to support the energy of those chakras.
Example: If your root chakra is in need of healing, base your affirmations around things related to your root chakra. An affirmation might be, “It is safe for me to be in my body.”
Discover what stories you might believe to be true.
Everyone has stories, as this is our way of identifying ourselves and making sense of our world. However, your stories can be either positive and working for you or negative and working against you.
Example: If you have a familial story that states that debt is a normal part of life, but you’d like to obtain financial freedom, an affirmation might be, “I am capable of creating the reality I desire with my finances.”
How to write affirmations:
How you write your affirmations determines the level of effectiveness they will have. A poorly written affirmation could actually yield unintended results.
Always affirm.
There should be no negative words (not, never, no, won’t, don’t) in your affirmations. Instead of, “I will not get angry quickly” use “I am able to pause before responding.”
Use present tense.
Use words that indicate the present tense, not the past or future (was, will, can, trying). Instead of, “I can be strong” use, “I am strong.”
Use “I am” statements.
I am statements are the lifeblood of affirmations. When you say “I am,” you are declaring to the universe that it is a truth. Many of your affirmations about yourself will likely begin with “I am.” Example: “I am happy and healthy.”
Use “I do” and “I have” statements.
These statements keep your affirmations in the present tense and as if they have already happened. Consider affirmations like, “I do all things with love,” or “I have healthy relationships with others.”
Don’t be afraid to not be “realistic.”
You create your reality by the way you energetically interact with the world. While major changes might not happen overnight, they are absolutely possible if you and your energy are aligned and believe they are possible. Don’t be afraid to write your wildest dreams in your affirmations. The worst thing that could possibly happen is that they don’t come true. Alternatively, you could discover that what you thought you wanted is not actually what you want. And the best case scenario? You achieve them.
How affirmations work:
Affirmations can challenge your current belief system, thereby helping to shake off any energy that doesn’t align with your soul or your desires. When you consciously engage in the act of saying affirmations every day, you help bring your conscious and subconscious mind and energy on board.
Affirmations are an act of manifestation. In manifesting, an intention is set towards a specific goal. If your energy is already aligned with that intention, it comes to you very quickly. If your energy is not aligned with that intention, then the challenges or blockages that are currently preventing that intention will rise to the surface to be released.
This same process can also happen with affirmations, which is where some people become confused or disenchanted with the process. If this happens, I do suggest pushing through to the other side, as often, the biggest challenges arise right before the break.
Example: Let’s say “Candace” wants to meet her life partner so she can settle down and start a family. She might create a few affirmations around this, like:
“I am in a loving, committed relationship.”
“I am so happy I met my life partner.”
“My partner and I have the same desires.”
Perhaps a few days goes by of Candace stating her affirmations and suddenly things start looking messy. Her ex-boyfriend (who happened to not want kids and had a hard time committing) tries to rekindle their relationship. Candace and this old partner did not see eye-to-eye, but his re-emergence in her life might point to a false belief Candace had about herself and her ability to attract what she truly wants in her life.
By paying attention to the things he says or allowing memories to resurface from the relationship, Candace can learn what beliefs she might have held that brought this energy into her life. With this knowledge comes incredible power, because then Candace can rewrite her old stories and create affirmations to counteract them.
For example, let’s say Candace uncovered that she felt she was not worthy of meeting her life partner or having someone commit to her. She could allow these feelings to come up and be released and then create new affirmations to support her, like:
“I am worthy of a deep and passionate love.”
“I am worthy of a committed, long-term relationship.”
“I attract a partner who meets my needs.”
Candace would not replace the original affirmations, but rather, she would add these additional affirmations to her list. It is easy to see how Candace might initially take the attempt at rekindling by her ex-boyfriend as proof that affirmations “don’t work,” but when she looks a little deeper at the situation she instead finds where she is not actually aligned with the affirmations she has set and the universe is giving her an opportunity to address this.
The universe is always working for you, not against you. It is easy to see how things can be misconstrued without a deeper understanding of the way energy works.
Where to begin with affirmations:
Start with a few simple affirmations to understand how they work and so you can observe any fluctuations in your energy or promptly handle any situations that arise. Here are a few valuable and universal affirmations to start with:
The Earth supports me and meets my needs
It is safe for me to be in my body
It is safe for me to feel my emotions
In the beginning, saying affirmations might feel strange or uncomfortable to you. Understand that this is sometimes a part of the process and perfectly okay. As you continue to say your affirmations, you may find comfort in them and the process. Each individual will work through this space at their own pace. It is best to not judge yourself about it in any way but rather offer unconditional compassion and support to yourself as you work to shift your life.
It takes incredible courage to admit that things aren’t working and you’d like them to look differently and even more courage to take the steps to actively change your situation. Honor yourself for taking on this task and committing to yourself. You are a brave soul.
How to know when you no longer need an affirmation:
When the affirmation has become your truth, you no longer need to repeat it. You might find that you integrate some affirmations very quickly while others take much longer. Allow whatever is the case to be the case without trying to control the process or make things happen faster.
Even though once you embody the affirmation, you don’t need to actively repeat it, there are some affirmations that might become a part of your everyday thoughts and phrases. This is perfectly okay and also expected. The only difference is that these phrases and thoughts seem to naturally arise on their own (because they are now a deep part of you) whereas when you began working with them that was not the case.
I wish you much joy and hope as you move through the process of working with affirmations. With consistency, commitment, and awareness, you can create any reality you desire.
If you enjoyed this article, please share it with a friend or on social media. I thank you in advance!
And if you’re ready for massive change and want more than just affirmations to help you get there, sign up for my signature program, Four Weeks to Freedom. You’ll go on a journey through your chakra system to help you clear, align, and activate each of your seven chakras, set intentions and make the energetic shifts necessary to make them happen, and get closer to your own soul. Read more about it here.
Want to work with me but aren’t sure what you need? Book a free consultation call here. We’ll chat and figure out the best place for you to start.
Thank you so much for being here. Your presence is a gift (and part of my own affirmation process)!
I wish you the most fulfilling, most peaceful, and most authentic life possible.
~ Erica
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Hi, I’m Erica
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I am a lover of all things energy. I’ve dedicated my life to creating content, courses, and services that help you live a more peaceful, more fulfilling, and more authentic life.
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