SHOW NOTES:

What is an affirmation? By definition, an affirmation is “the action or process of affirming something” as well as “emotional support or encouragement”. In the New Thought movement, an affirmation is defined as “a carefully formatted statement that should be repeated to one’s self and written down frequently”. As they are formulated, attention is directed so that they are “present tense, positive, personal, and specific”. It’s something you say to yourself… it’s an “I am” statement or an “I have” statement a positive phrases used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts.

One of the key theories behind positive affirmations is self-affirmation theory which posits that our sense of self relates to our perceived ability to control outcomes. It suggests that we remunerate on a global narrative about ourselves and that when we believe and completely accept our competence that we act in ways to manifest that belief. Self-affirmations have been shown to decrease health-deteriorating effects of stress, foster better eating habits, and are positively linked to academic achievement.

An affirmation needs to be:

Personal – I, my life, I know, I believe, I trust

Positive – absolute, all, always, in fact, everyday, at all times, in every way.

Specific – (naming the ‘thing’ that you want to affirm)

Present – now, as I breathe, in this moment, at this time, here, am, is.

Example: I am (Personal) always (positive) extending compassion (the ‘thing’) as I breathe (present moment).

It doesn’t have to be in that exact order or using only those words of course, it just has to be meaningful to you.

Leslie and Leslyn suggest strategies to help you create and practice affirmations in an effort to manifest or retrain your thoughts so that they direct your life more positively.

They offer a tip sheet on the podcast website to help you create a set of flashcards for practicing.