Do you know what an affirmation is? Do you know how to use them? Have you witnessed the power of practicing affirmations?
Before I tell you what they are and how to use them, I want to tell you the story of how I discovered them, how they broke me but were the start of a journey of self worth and love.
About 6 years ago I was in a pretty low way, I didn’t realise it and now feels like it all happened to someone else. I don’t think I was clinically depressed but I had some pretty unhealthy thoughts. I had two young children and hadn’t had 8 hours sleep for about 2 years, my body was running constantly on adrenalin, I was eating a ton but loosing weight. I have never had any real weight or body issues, but I was obsessed with weighing myself each morning. I was probably already a stone underweight by this time. If the scales said I was the same or slightly above then I would be fine, but if I was slightly below what I thought I should be then it translated in my head that I was dying. It’s so weird writing this as it doesn’t make any sense, and I knew at the time it wouldn’t make any sense to anyone else, but in my mind it was the truth and it ruled my life for months. I would meet friends or old work colleagues I hadn’t seen for years and I could see in their eyes the shock of how my physical appearance had changed and the concern in their look. It took one very special, old friend to confront me on this and say she was worried about me. I didn’t take it very well and took it as another sign that I was on my way out. These thoughts made me desperate to show the world I was an amazing mum, to be there for my children at their every murmur, they had to remember their mum in a good way. I wanted people to think I could keep a super clean house, be a full on fun party until you drop friend, a wife that never said no, please everyone love me more!! Crazy crazy crazy I hear you say. But I couldn’t get off this rollercoaster, I didn’t know how!
Then one day me and I bestie were off to London to see another good friend we hadn’t seen in years. These friends are the type that do not judge who really have your back by the way, but I was petrified about going. I was scared that I would get the pitiful look about how I had changed physically, how I didn’t really have anything interesting to say because my mind was full of my crazy crap. I sat shaking and crying for about an hour before my friend could actually get me into the car to go to London. When we arrived there were no concerning glances, just easy chatter of the old days. We went out for dinner and I relaxed a little more and told my lovely London friend how worried I was about coming and the reasons why. Still there was no pitiful looks or suggestions of getting some help. He listened and smiled lovingly at me. He said, “I just see Angela, the same beautiful, lovely Angela I have always seen!” He didn’t make me feel like I needed to be fixed or that I was a crazy loon. I remember it so clearly, he took my hand and said, “You need to love yourself a little more. I want you to go home and look at your self in the mirror everyday and say the words… I LOVE YOU!”. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was the start of a whole new me and what happened next was surprising to say the least.
I went home and sat in front of my bedroom mirror and attempted the words “I love you”! I couldn’t say them and look at myself at the same time, I would just cry. This happened for at least a week. Then the next week I could say it without crying and by week three I could say it and look myself in the eye, by week four I was looking myself in the eye and started to actually believe I deserved to be loved. It was a game changer. I started to treat myself like I loved myself, I was kinder to me and all the crazy stuff slowly disappeared.
My belief in affirmations started here, and I have used them since. I use them to believe in myself to trust myself, to bring more love, abundance, calmness into my life.
I spend time choosing affirmations that resonate with me at that time, focusing on areas that need a little bit of extra attention. I say them to myself, looking myself in the eye (whilst brushing my teeth usually), I write them on stickers and put them somewhere where I will see them. I have a few rocks with affirmations written on I leave by my bed, I record my voice saying those affirmations so I can listen whilst walking the dog.
There are a number of studies that have proven affirmations can change your thoughts. The brain is constantly responding to the world around us, reading it as information. Affirmations are a way of feeding our brain positive information, programming it for success. Regular practice will set you up for calm, stress free day and start changing how you see yourself and the world.
An affirmation is a short, powerful and positive statement of intent that you can repeat regularly.
My top tips for writing an affirmation:
- Write down your affirmation – it should be short and also in present tense
- Think about what you may consider to be your negative qualities – so it might be “I am highly strung” An affirmation is powerful to flip it to the opposite “I am calm and stress free” or “I choose to be happy”
- Try different affirmation and see how they make you feel. Often the harder they are to say the more powerful they are if you can concur them and believe them.
- As you say they affirmation aloud really imagine yourself as that person
- Say the affirmation every morning even when you don’t feel like it
- Repeat as often as possible throughout the day
- Feel free to change your affirmation
When I work with clients through The Ice Warrior programs we work together to create the right affirmations for you at that time and ways to incorporate them into your daily life and routines. I asked a few wonderful people that I know use and teach the power of affirmations for some inspiration to share:
💫 I am exactly where I need to be right now
💫I release all that no longer serves me
💫I am worthy and deserving of a life full of love and abundance
💫I trust myself
💫Everything conspires in my favour
💫I am grateful for my life, as it was, as it is and how it is now
💫I love my awesome body
💫Money flows to me with ease
💫I am loved and I am safe
💫I am knowledgeable and an expert in my career
Enjoy and please let me know how you get on or any successes you have had with affirmations.
Big love
Angela ❤️🙏
