Positive Affirmations…do they really work?

Positive affirmations are renowned in the Self Help industry as a way to enable people to feel more confident and successful in their lives. They recommend saying each day statements such as….
“I am more and more confident each day” “I am a successful person”  “I accept myself”.

– I am sure that these are based on good intentions however – do they really work?

Well – it depends…

If you totally believe the affirmation – then fantastic….affirmations can be a reminder on how you want to feel or behave. For example I often affirm how grateful I am – and this gives me a great sense of fulfilment and humbleness when I remind myself how lucky and grateful I am with my life.

However if you don’t fundamentally believe in what you are saying – then what are the consequences?

Positive Affirmations from Lindsey Reed on Vimeo.
Often people find that saying positive affirmations seem so unbelievable for them that all it does is strengthen the very thing that they are trying to reverse. A part of their mind will be saying “What a load of rubbish” and cause inner conflict. If a belief is so deeply rooted at an unconscious level, despite this not being useful, then this often
overrides the positive affirmation.

It’s just like putting a plaster on a wound – the infection will still be there.

So what is the answer?

Awareness is the first step to change….taking the time to
identify your belief or thoughts patterns which are opposing any positive
affirmation that you want to believe, then ask yourself open questions rather
than stating affirmations. Here are some suggestions for you:

• What are the drawbacks of this belief or thoughts?
• Does it really fit in with what’s important to me?
• What was it like to believe this old belief?
• What intentions are my thoughts trying to achieve?
• What beliefs or thoughts do I want to have?
• Changing my beliefs or thoughts – what would I stop doing?…..

Once you believe in the positive affirmation ….then it’s the right time to enjoy repeating it.

If you struggle with overcoming beliefs that stop you achieving in your life or you have critical thoughts dragging you down – then you may be interested in the Confidence Home study programme or Confidence workshops where I share practical steps on how to explore and overcome negative beliefs/thoughts. Many people have already have made significant changes to their lives.

Lindsey Reed is an experienced confidence coach who specialises in enabling people to have more confidence in their lives. If you experience times of low self-esteem, self doubt and lacking in confidence, Email Lindsey@glows-coaching.co.uk or call 01832 280168 to see how your personal and working life will be improved.