What are affirmations? Affirmations are positive statements you say to yourself.

How did I start using affirmations? Many years ago, I read the book You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay. Over the years she has helped hundreds of thousands of people. In her book, Louise Hay said “I continue to explain that no matter what their problem seems to be, there is only one thing I ever work on with anyone, and that is – loving the self… I am not talking about vanity or arrogance … I am talking about having respect for ourselves.” Psychologists have found that it is very difficult for us to have genuine love for others if we do not love and respect ourselves.

How do you start loving yourself? One of the ways is to use affirmations. For example, this affirmation works for me: “I am a unique being and I love myself exactly as I am.” I am acknowledging that I am unique and there is no one else like me. I don’t have to be perfect to love myself. I can love myself in spite of all my imperfections and shortcomings. This affirmation changes our attitude towards ourselves. We became kinder to ourselves and to other people.

Affirmations have also helped me in other areas of my life: career, family, Toastmasters and personal development. There are many benefits that come from the use of affirmations.

• Neuroscientists found that on the average we have tens of thousands of thoughts a day. I agree with their findings. I don’t know about you but my mind almost never stops talking. It wants to comment on anything and everything. “That is a nice dress she is wearing. I wonder where she bought it from? Unfortunately the color doesn’t quite suit her. Maybe green color would be better… It is raining. I wonder if I should still go to the gym?” What is more disturbing is the finding that around 80% of our thoughts are negative. When we use affirmations, we shift the focus of our mind to something more positive. At the same time our thoughts start to slow down. Sometimes we even experience a state of stillness.

• Affirmations can change our perception about things. How we interpret events depends on our perception. I used to worry about many things and sometimes exaggerate the negative consequences of situations. That created a great deal of anxiety in me. Our effectiveness in dealing with situations decreases when we are in an anxious state. I have used affirmations like “Things will work out well for me” or “I can do it” to calm myself down. When I am in a positive state, I can handle things a lot better. We frequently underestimate our own resourcefulness. My perception about my ability to handle things has changed over time. It started with positive affirmations and later I actually experience my own resourcefulness.

• When we get up in the morning, we wash ourselves, get dressed, have breakfast and get ready for whatever we will be doing that day. Just as important we should start our day in a positive state of mind. Affirmations can help us achieve this state. When I have to make a business presentation to a top client or compete in a Toastmasters speech contest, I find that my state of mind is very important. When we shift from a negative to a positive state of mind, scientists have found that the testosterone in our body actually increases. The testosterone hormone is associated with confidence. Furthermore, the cortisol level goes down. The cortisol hormone is associated with stress level. When we are in a state of high confidence and low stress, we perform significantly better in whatever we do.

You can use affirmations anytime. You can do it when waiting in line at the shopping centre or when you are in the gym on the treadmill. I find that the best time to do it is early in the morning. You can then start the day in a positive frame of mind. The other time is just before you go to sleep. This relaxes your mind and gives you a more restful sleep.

Try out some of the affirmations and see if they work for you. I would like to hear from you. Maybe you can give me some comments or send me some of your favourite affirmations.

All the best,
Julie