Positive thinking and affirmations are a double-edged sword in a sense. On one hand, they can be used to gloss over real emotions or dismiss suffering, abuse, or trauma. And in the spirituality or “law of attraction” space, things can get unhealthy. For more about the dark or disingenuous side of “love and light,” check out this blog as well as this one.
But there is a side to the concept of affirmations that is indeed true. In fact, it’s based in neuroscience. Additionally, positive psychology is a whole discipline of study with research – and for good reason.
The brain and subconscious mind learn through repetition and habit. Think of how you learned to ride a bike or do the multiplication tables. You practiced or recited them over and over and over. In time, they became familiar and part of your knowledge repertoire. You have also developed beliefs about yourself throughout life. This is why affirmations are worthwhile. You can reprogram your mind into more positive perspectives. Using them can be beneficial to your mental health and even support healing in the body.
Read on for more about what affirmations are, plus a roundup of the best healing affirmations to get you started.
One way I like to look at affirmations is speaking life over yourself – instead of the self-deprecating, negative self-talk we tend to have. Most people’s default setting is speaking negatively or thinking negative thoughts, whether they are aware of it or not. This usually comes from family conditioning, societal programming, and/or past trauma. It may also develop due to low self-esteem or stressful situations.
Positive affirmations are statements or declarations you say or think to yourself, essentially. You’ll notice in the ones I share below that they are all in present tense. This is because new ideas like these tend to take root more strongly when you claim them now. When you affirm them on a daily basis, you may find that negative thought patterns or negative feelings start to diminish. A positive outlook and positive attitude may seem within reach.
On the neuroscience side of things, you are literally creating new neural pathways in your brain. You are increasing the brain’s ability to agree with positive self-talk. A self-fulfilling prophecy in the positive direction is being put into motion. Self-care practices like these contribute to your personal growth as well as high self-esteem.
Here are a few tips to get you started with affirmations for healing (or any other endeavor).
Make a schedule or daily routine for yourself in terms of when to think or say your affirmations. For example, when you wake up and before bed. Or, while driving or doing chores that don’t require your full cognitive attention. Set a timer or alarm on your phone to help keep yourself accountable.
When you start using positive affirmations, they will probably seem delusional. That is normal and expected. This is why we are doing them! The idea is that over time, they will start to feel good and empowering and actually real. Then, you will be more likely to act out the positive perspective or healed identity you have cultivated.
Keep going. Many people start using affirmations (as with new year’s resolutions) and then give up. It may take a while to see or feel progress, especially if you have lived in negative patterns for years. This is very common, so just push through.
Here are 16 affirmations I have curated to support your healing journey. You might resonate strongly with a few, or choose to start with one.
If you are interested in focusing on a motivated mindset, check out this blog about positive affirmations for motivation.
Congratulations on making a positive change for yourself! Feel free to reach out to me for further support, at erin@centeredone.com.
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