Affirmations are nothing but positive statements that help you overcome self-harming negative thoughts. When you believe in them and repeat them often, you can make positive changes. However, these affirmations are not some unrealistic or wishful thinking. Instead, they program your mind so that you can use your thoughts and act differently. Some examples of positive affirmations include:

• I will never give up

• I respect and love myself

• I believe in who I am

• I am a work in progress

• I am talented

• I am surrounded by peaceful people

Affirmations can be related to any of the following aspects of your lives- Anxiety, Confidence, Health and Well-being, Physical appearance, Relationship, Self-love, Success, Work, etc.

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt to change to different situations in your life. This brain function allows you to understand how affirmations work and what makes them effective. Your brain may sometimes get lost in the difference between imagination and reality, which can be highly effective.

Forming a mental image of doing an act, cracking an interview, or conquering the fear of water by scuba diving, activates the same brain areas that actually doing the activities would. Research has shown that repeating positive statements can make your brain believe them as facts. When you really feel that you can do something, actions will follow.

For instance, you can replace a negative thought, “I am terrible at giving presentations,” with a positive one, “I am going to nail the presentation.”

Using affirmations makes you more relaxed before the presentation and also helps in self-destructive thoughts that may interfere with your success.

Regularly using affirmations can help you to:

• Boost your confidence, especially before challenging situations

• Regulate negative feelings such as anger, frustrations, or anger

• Finish projects or work that you’ve started

• Boost your self-esteem

• Overcome a bad habit

• Improve your productivity

Overall, positive affirmations make you more resilient to perceived threats and respond less defensively.

A great part of positive affirmations is that they are easy to implement.

Here are some simple steps to put affirmations to practice:

1. Make a note of your qualities that you perceive as negative

2. Now write the positive aspect of your judgment

3. Say out affirmations for three to five minutes at least twice a day

4. Repeat each affirmation ten times

5. Listen to the affirmations as you speak and say in a way that you believe them to be true

6. You can also ask your loved ones to say the affirmations for you. Listening to the affirmations from a loved one help you reinforce your beliefs

7. Be consistent and add saying out affirmations in your routine

8. Last but not least, be patient. It may take time before you notice any change. So stick to your practice

Some tips to make affirmations make more effective:

• Start with “I am”

• Write in the present tense

• Note down things you want to change

• Keep it short

• Be realistic

• Add emotions to the affirmations