How to Harness the Power of Your Mind
What are positive affirmations, and why are they important? Affirmations are like seeds of optimism planted in the garden of your mind. These powerful statements can transform your thoughts into a more confident and optimistic you.
Keep reading to learn how to cultivate your mental landscape for success.
Written By Tiffany Woodfield, Financial Coach, TEP, CRPC®, CIM®
What exactly are positive affirmations?
Positive affirmations are statements you say to yourself to overcome negative thoughts and attitudes.
They work to reduce self-doubt and give you the confidence to create constructive change in your life. They help you in many areas such as stress reduction, well-being, and self-esteem.
How do positive affirmations work psychologically?
Positive affirmations work directly to counter negative thought patterns and give you a healthier perspective on life.
Your perspective is the lens through which you see everything, so by looking at things differently, the things you look at change. Instead of being afraid, you feel empowered to make informed decisions. This results in seeing opportunities where you used to see roadblocks only.
In addition, studies have shown that positive affirmations will activate your mind’s reward system and influence how you feel emotional pain.
What are the benefits of using positive affirmations?
When positive affirmations are used intentionally and practiced regularly, you will feel different and be able to live your life fully!
I want to share a real-life example:
Sarah re-entered the workforce after taking time off to have kids.
She was very intimidated because everyone around her was younger and more experienced. Although Sarah got positive feedback from management, she kept doubting her value and had low self-confidence.
When offered opportunities to grow in the company, she didn’t apply because she feared rejection and felt like an imposter. While you can have “cheerleaders” around you saying how great you are, the belief needs to come from within. Sarah didn’t believe in herself, so the mentorship and encouragement she received fell flat.
But finally, Sarah got frustrated and decided she needed to challenge the negative programming holding her back. She started to practice positive affirmations.
After identifying her limiting beliefs, she created positive statements to overcome self-doubt.
When she thought, “ I am old and don’t have as much experience in the workforce,” she replaced it with, “I can understand others’ needs exceptionally well because of all my time managing a busy household and kids.” She thought to herself, “ I have adapted and changed as my kids went through different stages, and I was very successful.
This life experience makes me an excellent employee, as I am willing to change, learn, and grow.”
Since doing this “internal” work, she has taken on more responsibilities and earned a promotion because she started to advocate for herself. The most significant difference is how she feels; she is excited for this next chapter in her life and the opportunities ahead. Instead of feeling sad and old, she feels empowered and young. Sarah is also less stressed because she understands herself, and rather than spiralling about what to do next, she is confident in her abilities and decisions.
How can I create effective positive affirmations for myself?
To create positive affirmations for yourself, you must first identify the unhelpful limiting beliefs holding you back.
- Dedicate time to brainstorm these counterproductive attitudes and write them down.
- Then, rank them based on which you think are the most important to address.
- Next, you will write a positive affirmation for each negative thought.
- Choose one negative view you want to tackle and read it in the morning and the evening.
- Check-in throughout the day and use the positive affirmation each time the negative pattern comes up.
- Once you feel confident you have trained your mind to think differently about the previous negative thought, you can repeat this process with the other negative beliefs. Only work on one negative belief at a time.
Continue to be aware of new thoughts holding you back, keep writing them down, and create positive affirmations. Recording your progress makes you accountable and keeps you consistently aware of your mindset.
What are some common misconceptions about positive affirmations?
Some of the common misconceptions about positive affirmations are:
By doing positive affirmations, you are “flaky”; you need to do hard work people can see instead.
This outlook isn’t true – it takes strength to be “real” and look at your insecurities.
Positive affirmations make you think the world is all rosy when there is real hardship. You won’t be prepared for real life in your “glass bubble.”
This idea is a myth – you will understand challenges and create resilience using positive affirmations.
If you say positive affirmations, everything will change.
You must also take action. You must follow through and use affirmations to build your confidence to make intelligent decisions and take positive action.
Positive affirmations are selfish and not based on science.
Studies have shown that positive affirmations change neural pathways. In addition, creating a better mindset isn’t selfish. You’ll contribute more to your community when you have a positive mindset.
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About the Author
TIFFANY WOODFIELD is a financial coach, cross-border expert, and entrepreneur based out of Kelowna, BC. As a TEP and associate portfolio manager, Tiffany has extensive experience working with successful professionals who want to leave a legacy and enjoy an adventurous, work-optional lifestyle. Tiffany combines extensive knowledge from her background as a financial professional with coaching and her passion for personal development to help her clients create a unique path that allows them to live their fullest potential. Tiffany has been a regular contributor to Bloomberg TV and has been interviewed by national and international publications, including the Globe and Mail and Barron’s.