Despite current circumstances, doing your best to remove negativity from your life will make for a far better 2020. Whether you start with a self-help book or sign up for counseling, there are plenty of ways to gain a more positive outlook on yourself and your life. For example, positive affirmations can be used to change your mindset and provide encouragement into your everyday routine. Check out the guide below for more information on this widely used and helpful practice.

What Are Positive Affirmations Exactly?

Positive affirmations are beneficial statements or phrases that are meant to dispute, challenge and disperse negative or unproductive thoughts. They can be as simple as “I am worthy” or adhere more closely to personal goals and competencies. The goals are to motivate yourself and encourage high self-esteem on the subconscious level, as well as change how your entire neurological self responds. We want them infiltrating your body’s neurology  and helping to “re-groove” your brain circuitry.

How Can I Use Positive Affirmations?

You can start using them on your own or after consulting your counselor. To begin, write affirmations that feel relevant to your current state of mind. Whether you want to feel more powerful or worry less about what you can’t control, construct simple and concise statements that adhere to the mindset you want to cultivate.

Once you have your affirmations, stand up straight and relax your shoulders. Read or say your affirmations one by one in a slow and confident voice, pronouncing each syllable with intention. Do this in front of a mirror so you can see your posture and look yourself in the eye. Repeat these lines often.  Notice how your body experience may also feel different as you say these words to yourself.  

How Can Positive Affirmations Help?

According to Psychology Today, positive affirmations are primarily related to the Steele Self-Affirmation Theory, which states that people have a desire to maintain a positive self-image. When you repeat them often enough, you start to believe them. In one study, affirmations were shown to help relieve stress when problem-solving while another demonstrated that they helped those with low self-esteem feel better about themselves. By repeating them, you’ll improve your sense of self-worth, un-do cognitive distortions, and alter negative views to reflect a more positive outlook on life.  You will also notice how they influence how your physical self.

 

When you need compassionate and effective counseling, contact Colleen Torrence, LPC Inc. in Juneau, AK. With more than 20 years of experience as a Licensed Professional Counselor, this therapist received her Type C School Counselor Certification® in 1997 and uses her expansive education to compassionately counsel her patients. Welcoming residents of Southeast Alaska for in-person and video-chat counseling sessions, she handles everything from family therapy to abuse and trauma. Learn more about the practice online, or call (907) 789-9212 to set up an appointment.