Affirmations

Daily affirmations can be a powerful tool for mental and emotional well-being, but they also have their limitations. Rather than a written affirmation, a feeling affirmation might be more powerful for you.

When practiced consistently, affirmations can improve self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and help you stay focused on your goals. IF you believe them. However, if you know you are lying to yourself, if you don't really believe it, affirmations can be very limiting. If you believe empowering statements like "I am worthy of love and success," you can begin to align your mindset with those truths.

If you aren't there yet, you might choose an affirmation more closely aligned to your present state, and a just a little aspirational. For example, if you are struggling with knowing that you are worthy of love and success, you might start with something more authentic, like "I was kind to myself and others today." Affirmations can backfire if they move beyond an authentic reflection of self-awareness.

More important than hollow words are emotional alignment with the affirmation. In our example, if "I am worthy of love" is hard to accept, but "I was kind to myself and others" rings true...what did the kindness feel like? Are you fully aligned with that feeling? Now you can carry kindness forward. Know you know your truth as kind. Now you have forward progress. Not just the words, but the feeling.

Effective affirmations are believable and paired with feelings. Instead of forcing unrealistic statements, try affirmations that feel attainable, like "I am learning to trust myself." Start where you are. And authentically affirm your positive attributes for the moment. With alignment, intention and consistency, affirmations can support lasting inner change.