Positive Affirmations to Kickstart Your Day
Why and How
Gayatri Shivdas
Buddha once spoke a simple, yet profound sentence- “What you think, you become”. Five words, but the wisdom that it holds is most often overlooked by us. Given the fast paced world we live in today, it is very easy to give in to negative self talk- often limiting our ability to believe in ourselves, our abilities and restricting us from reaching our potential. This is where the quote comes in especially handy- serving us as a gentle reminder to be mindful of what we think and speak- for our thoughts ultimately shape our reality. Search up any “morning routine” video on youtube, and you are sure to find at least one of two videos incorporating positive affirmations as part of their “morning routine”. The world has now given into the “trend” of repeating positive affirmations to themselves in the morning — but what exactly are they, and how can you use them to your benefit ?
What are positive affirmations?
Simply put, Positive affirmations are positive phrases which affirm a belief- you can think of it as a kind of self fulfilling prophecy. Let’s first look at a few simple affirmations: I am brave; I am loved; I am secure.
That was easy, wasn’t it? According to cognitive neuroscientists , your subconscious mind stores your unintentional habitual thoughts and behaviours and makes up for around 95% of your total brain power. The thoughts you hold about yourself gradually seep into your subconscious and make you behave the way your subconscious mind believes you to. This is where you use positive affirmations to your advantage to demolish your negative self — beliefs and replace it with a secure and stable belief system- thereby being more accepting of yourself and in a better position to reach your potential.
Positive affirmations have been shown to decrease stress, reduce our resistance towards threat, improve physical health, and basically establish a broader self- concept.
If you always think to yourself of how socially anxious you are, chances are, you’re probably limiting yourself in a lot of social situations that could bring you opportunities. However, if you brought a shift in your beliefs by starting to affirm that you were a confident person, and that social interactions come naturally to you, chances are you’re more likely to give into the state of being confident- thus opening a lot of opportunities for you.
Positive Affirmations to kickstart your day:
Mornings can often seem like a task for most of us- the day ahead is packed with work, deadlines, traffic, you name it. The good news is, your subconscious mind is most active right after you wake up. What better time than this to set the tone for the day ahead? Repeating positive self-statements to yourself when you’re still getting ready for the day is perhaps the best way to combat morning blues- and also better your attitude towards mornings in general. A simple “I choose to make today the best day of my life” does go a long way. Try it out. Here are some simple affirmations you could try in the morning:
1. I am grateful for…
2. I am joyful because today is a new day and a new beginning
3. Today holds great opportunities for me
4. I am well rested and excited for the day
5. I breathe in peace and healing and exhale frustration and doubt
6. I am my best version today
How you can incorporate affirmations in your mornings:
The best part about this practice is that it can be done literally anywhere- peacefully over the yoga mat as you practice silent gratitude in the morning, or rushed over the sink as you’re brushing your teeth, written on a sticky note posted on the mirror as you get ready. It doesn’t take much, your subconscious is always catching on to the tiniest of messages!
However, just mindlessly repeating a bunch of positive phrases does not cut it. You need to be largely mindful of the process too — accept the message you’re repeating to yourself, have a firm intention to change, and see the magic happen for yourself.
Links:
Reference to “subconscious mind being most active right after waking up”:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/291907
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-your-mind-is-like-an-_b_6285584
