Easy Ways to Start Using Affirmations
I started hearing about affirmations, and how powerful they can be in manifestation and self-love practices, when I started working with Shannon (our incredible Babes Rising founder!). Affirmations are short, positive statements meant to be repeated in order to shift the ways we think and feel about ourselves. They can be used in so many ways to help work through negative feelings, self deprecating thoughts, and moments when our inner critic is running wild.
This practice of simply repeating statements to yourself or writing them down daily in your journal sounded, to me, too simple to actually work. I had doubts and questions; How am I supposed to choose these affirmations? How long do I have to use them? Do I really have to look at myself in the mirror while saying them? When am I supposed to do this? How do I even pick which affirmations to use?
Despite all these doubts about bringing affirmations into my life, I decided to give them a try in my own ways; ways that I could easily incorporate in my routines so that I didn’t have to stress about shifting things too much. Turns out, I love using them, and think they are a fun way to add a little extra self-love and care to each day. Granted, sometimes I’m inconsistent, and I could definitely be better about using them daily to really reap all the benefits, but, in my opinion, practicing just a bit of self-love when we can is better than doing nothing at all.
When starting to work with affirmations, here are some general tips to keep in mind:
Pick only 1-3 affirmations to work with at once
Commit to working with the same affirmations for 21-30 days (or longer!) before switching them up
Use the affirmations every single day (in the same or different ways)
Repeat the affirmation to yourself when you’re in a moment of need (i.e. feeling stressed, getting outside of your comfort zone in a new way, or about to do something new!)
Make sure the affirmation resonates with YOU and feels good when you think it or say it out loud - this is so important!
I’ve also compiled a short and sweet list of methods you can use to seamlessly bring affirmations into your life, keeping in mind that, as young 20-somethings, we have a lot going on!:
Say it Out loud
Repeating affirmations out loud to ourselves is one of the most powerful things we can do to reinforce the ideas in our brains and help ourselves really believe in them. You can repeat them out loud to yourself almost anywhere you feel safe and private, but the most powerful method is while looking in the mirror because it’s literally you looking at yourself and saying what you need to hear. I’ve experimented with this method a few times, and, while it feels really uncomfortable at first, I found that after only a couple of repetitions I did have a much better mindset going into the rest of my day. You just have to get over the anxiety that comes with literally looking in your eyes and talking to yourself!
Sticky notes:
I loved this one because each time I went to my bathroom to get ready for my day, I could read my affirmations to myself and instantly boost my mood, find extra motivation, and remind myself how special I am. Using the affirmations that connect with you, write them down on sticky notes, and stick them in spots around your room, apartment, car, etc. for you to find throughout each day. I always had a couple on my bathroom mirror so I knew I would read them each morning and night.
Voice Recordings:
When you have time, create a voice memo on your phone of you repeating your chosen affirmations a few times. Then, you have it saved to listen to while on walks, while meditating, during your morning/night routines, or anytime you need it. Even taking 5 minutes to truly listen to the affirmations is powerful!.
While Sleeping:
This is truly for those days that get away from you, and is honestly one of my favorite ways I’ve been using affirmations. I use one of the tracks from Kinder Records on Spotify, as they have affirmations for almost anything, but you could also create your own voice recording or use a Youtube video. I usually pick a track that resonates with me, put it on repeat, and set a sleep timer for an hour or so. Then, while I’m drifting off to sleep my brain is soaking in all these positive statements, and I can end my day on a loving note.
Daily Journaling Practice:
If you already spend time journaling everyday, this is the perfect time to add in some affirmation work! Simply write out two to three affirmations you like to work with at the end of each journal entry. Using affirmations in this way is an absolute must for the journalers out there.
Affirmations can be overwhelming at first; there’s many to choose from and a lot of ways to practice with them, it’s hard to know where to start. Once you find the few affirmations you absolutely love and connect to, you can come back to this post and start with just one of the ways I’ve listed. As time goes on and you start wanting more, you can add another method in, and maybe another, and, before you know it, you’ve incorporated a simple, self-love practice every day to feel like your best self.
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Are you a young woman in your 20’s focusing on loving and caring for yourself?
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Blog Written by: Isabel Lopez
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