“Help! I’ve been doing positive affirmations for a few months now. But they don’t seem to be working…. How long do affirmations take to work?”
Written By Tiffany Woodfield, Financial Advisor, TEP®, CRPC®, CIM®
How long does it take for affirmations to rewire your brain?
When you research how long it takes to rewire your brain, you’ll find that the answers are mixed.
However, based on the research into neural plasticity, which is the ability of our brains to change, it is estimated that it takes around 3-6 months to rewire your brain.
While this still seems vague, the psychology behind making a change shows the more we do a behaviour, the easier it is over time. There’s no simple answer to the question, “How long do affirmations take to work.”
It is crucial to appreciate that any change takes effort, and the better we embrace change, the more successful we will be. So when you start a new practice of doing positive affirmations, remember it will get easier and become a habit.
I love two quotes from Albert Einstein:
“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
I choose to include these quotes when discussing affirmations because doing positive affirmations is using your imagination through visualization and using affirmations to implement a change.
Okay, but can you teach an old dog new tricks?
Absolutely; for example, in my early 40s, I embarked on a significant career change, where I had to take numerous courses to receive my designations.
It had been almost two decades since I had written exams in university, so I was rusty and intimidated when studying.
Studying and taking the first exam was extremely stressful and challenging.
It was like stretching a muscle I hadn’t used in a long time. The muscle I was stretching was my brain!
But once I “programmed” my brain and rewired it to learn and study, I became quicker and learned faster.
This experience taught me I had a passion for learning and a thirst for knowledge. Difficult concepts became easier, and I exceeded what I had initially hoped for.
It was so exciting to experience firsthand that I could change, learn, and grow. At any age! And so can you!
Positive affirmations are a great tool to start on this journey, and it doesn’t matter “how long it takes for affirmations to rewire your brain” or to worry “if you can teach an old dog new tricks.” The point is that your habits will change along the way, pushing you closer and closer to your goals and life purpose.
10,000 Repetitions to Master a New Pattern of Behaviour
Mastering a new pattern of behaviour may require 10,000 repetitions or more.
This is what Malcolm Gladwell based his 10,000 rule on in his book Outliers. In his book, he theorizes that you don’t have to be the smartest person; you just need to commit to practicing something for 10,000 hours.
So now you’re either thinking that 10,000 is impossible or doing mental gymnastics, thinking that if you spend ten minutes a day, five in the morning and five at night, how many days is it to get to 10,000 minutes?
In 1,000 days, or more than three years, you’ll have practiced for 10,000 minutes.
But that’s only 166.6 hours!
Not even close to the 10,000 hours you supposedly need to master a new behaviour. If you practice something for 10 minutes per day, it will take you 60,000 days to achieve “mastery.”
That’s 164.3 years!
Now, before you say that it’s impossible and you’ll never do it, remind yourself that this is ONLY what’s required to become an expert. (Also, experts usually practice something for hours per day, not just 10 minutes.)
But you don’t need to become an expert at manifesting or affirmations to completely transform your life!
In my experience, the time it takes to see a shift is much less than 10,000 hours. And the more you do it, the sooner the results will come. In fact, you can transform your life in less than a year if you’re committed to changing the way you think by figuring out your limiting beliefs and releasing them.
How do I know if my affirmations are working?
The simplest way to know if your affirmations are working is to notice how you feel in your body and to keep a journal of your progress.
For example, let’s say your affirmation is “I can do hard things.”
How realistic does it feel when you say this?
Do you have any examples of when you have done hard things?
Do you believe it to be true?
Once you ask yourselves these questions, you can write down what percentage you believe this to be true and revisit it after a month of affirmations. This is an easy way to track your progress, especially when you are first starting affirmations.
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About the Author
TIFFANY WOODFIELD is a senior financial advisor, estate-planning expert, and dual-licensed portfolio manager based in Kelowna, British Columbia. She is the co-founder of SWAN Wealth Management, where she helps Canadian and cross-border families build lasting wealth, reduce tax risk, and create meaningful legacies.
As a TEP (Trust and Estate Practitioner) and associate portfolio manager, Tiffany works closely with successful professionals, business owners, and internationally mobile families who want to enjoy a more flexible, work-optional lifestyle. She combines deep technical expertise in wealth management with a strong focus on mindset, personal development, and purposeful decision-making.
Tiffany has been a contributor to Bloomberg TV and has been featured in major national and international publications, including The Globe and Mail and Barron’s, for her insights on retirement planning, cross-border wealth issues, and estate planning.
Professional designations:
- TEP® – Trust and Estate Practitioner
- CRPC® – Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor
- CIM® – Chartered Investment Manager