Affirmations are positive, simple, present tense statements that we can use to replace negative internal chatter with empowering positive thoughts. They allow us to retrain our minds to think in the way we choose, and in doing so they transform our beliefs and attitudes.

Affirmations are based on three ‘P’s’. They are positive, present tense and personal. These rules should be adhered to for the affirmations to work effectively. Firstly, affirmations must be positive – i.e. phrased in terms of what we do want rather than what we do not want. Our brains are unable to process phrases like ‘do not’ until after they have processed the other parts of the sentence. For example, do not imagine a bright red sports car. Whatever you do, do not think of that car! If you only choose affirmations that you want for yourself rather than thinking about what you don’t want, you will be training your mind to activate those areas in the future.

Make your affirmations personal by referring them back to yourself. A good way to do this is to start the sentence with ‘I am’ or ‘I choose’. The remainder of the affirmation should be simple so that it doesn’t clutter the mind with too much information at once. Only the bare essentials of your new belief are required.

Affirmations must always be stated in the present tense, even if you are not sure if you agree with the statement yet. If you affirm that something will happen in the future, you are simply reinforcing that you don’t believe it is happening now.

For evidence that affirmations work, think back to primary school when you were learning your multiplication tables. Chances are, your times tables were imprinted into your consciousness (can you quickly compute three times seven? five times nine?) because they were repeated, written out and practised until perfect. Now they are permanently stored in your mind and are automatically triggered whenever required. You don’t need to practise your multiplication tables again or refresh yourself to remember them. The same process is used when changing your beliefs.

Some examples of affirmations include:

• My life is filled with peace and love.
• Every day, in every way, I am becoming better.
• I have a successful and profitable business.
• I am loving and I am loved.
• I am a well-organised and efficient person.
• I am healthy, happy and beautiful.

How to make your affirmations work for you
To create your own affirmation, first decide which belief you want to change and phrase it in affirmation style.

1. Concentrate on your statement. Repeat it either mentally or out loud and whenever other thoughts or images creep into your consciousness, quickly bring your focus back to your statement. Give it your total attention and really feel the message. Try to generate as much emotion as you can, as emotion will help your future recall. If we say our affirmations out loud with conviction and enthusiasm, or if we share them with others, we receive an even greater benefit than if we just recite them mentally. Our minds always try to keep our actions in line with what we say.
2. Keep repeating the message over and over, allowing your mind to absorb it and really believe it. Try to hold your focus for as long as possible, depending on how much time you have available.
3. Spending five to ten minutes repeating your affirmation each day, or a few minutes at different times throughout the day, will soon make an impression on your mind and retrain yourself to think that way automatically.

I used to be a little sceptical about affirmations, but I decided to give them a go. After coming back from holiday a little heavier than when I set out, I affirmed ‘I am healthy, happy and beautiful’ and visualised myself as a healthier and happier person for five minutes at a time, six or seven times a day. I continued this affirmation for one week.

The effect was immediate. My usually sweet tooth vanished and I had no interest in unhealthy food. I was so cheery that week that I couldn’t have kept the smile off my face if I tried. Plus, I ended up spending more time than usual caring for my skin, hair and nails. By the end of the week I looked and felt a million dollars!

One of the most powerful affirmations you can say is ‘I like myself’. Stand in the mirror each morning, look directly at yourself and smile. Say ‘I like myself’ a number of times until the words penetrate and you feel confident and happy. This exercise will allow you to build self-esteem and improve your overall self-concept. The sillier you feel, the more it means you need to practise the affirmation.

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