Affirmations are a powerful tool which can help you shape your reality, expand your mindset, and challenge limiting beliefs.
Although you can find many examples from various resources, affirmations are even more effective when you create them yourself. Knowing how to write your own affirmations can be difficult, so follow these 10 easy tips for writing your own affirmations.
Enjoy the process
Writing your own affirmations can become an enjoyable and effective exercise. To enjoy the process to the fullest, you might wish to create a peaceful space before you begin writing. Make the process an act of self care. Light a candle or listen to your favourite soothing music. You may wish to buy yourself a new journal that makes you feel abundant and use your favourite pen. Don’t rush and make sure you spend time connecting to the ideas of what you would like to affirm.
Be specific
Lots of affirmations are general statements which increase feelings of overall wellbeing. Although these are powerful, writing your own affirmations means you can specify them to your own needs and desires. For example, the affirmation “I am worthy” can be extended to “I am worthy of getting my dream job at (include company name here).” The more specific your affirmations are, the more they will create a feeling of excitement within you. It also means your subconscious mind will integrate them much easier as they apply directly to your life.
Begin with “I”
Affirmations need to be written in the first person. Begin each statement with “I” or “my”. You might want to write affirmations to include other people, but ultimately, affirmations are used for your own personal growth. This is because we only have the power to change ourselves, not other people. The more focused they are on you and your own experience, the more you will feel their benefits. For the most powerful affirmation, begin with the phrase “I am”. This is so powerful because you are affirming that you already embody that which you wish to manifest. There is no gap between you and your manifestation.
Make sure they are positive!
This one seems obvious, but make sure your affirmations are positive and uplifting. Keep the tone inspirational and encouraging, and avoid words such as “can’t” and “don’t”. If, for example, you are trying to lose weight, try affirming “I love eating nourishing and healthy foods” rather than “I don’t eat foods that aren’t good for me.” Keep your affirmations focused on what you want rather than what you don’t want. You can read about the importance of positivity and the science behind affirmations in this article.
Write in the present tense
Sometimes we know it might take a while to make lasting and permanent changes, but when you create your own affirmations, they need to be written in the present tense. For example, “I am going to be rich one day.” is nowhere near as effective as “I am rich and abundant in all areas of my life.” Your subconscious mind can’t tell the difference between real and imagined concepts, so don’t worry if there is some distance between your current situation and the changes you wish to make. Keep affirming in the present tense to shape your future results.
Make sure they resonate
It is important that your own affirmations resonate with you on a deep level and make you feel good. This also includes the words and phrases you use. Some affirmations might reference God, the Universe, your Higher Self, Source, or Intuition. If these words do not resonate with you, then you don’t have to use them. Feel free to refer to something bigger than yourself in any way that feels right, if you even want to refer to it at all. Create your own affirmations in line with your own personal beliefs.
Begin with the end result in mind
Dream big when writing your own affirmations. If your ultimate goal is to travel the world living a life of luxury, start here and work your way backwards. The subconscious mind loves images, so you might create an affirmation such as “I am a highly successful entrepreneur travelling the world visiting 10 countries a year and living in luxury.” The specificity of this affirmation with the focus on your end goal means as you repeat the affirmation, you are able to close the gap between your current reality and your dream life.
Use your own handwriting
Writing your own affirmations by hand might take longer, but it is much more effective than typing affirmations on devices. As you write, you develop a stronger conceptual understanding of the affirmation. Furthermore, areas of the brain associated with comprehension and recall are more engaged when handwriting compared to typing. Handwriting your affirmations also allows you more time to think about the kind of statement you want to create. You might also wish to buy a special pen or journal to make the process more enjoyable.
Include the emotions you want to feel
Make sure your affirmations include the emotions you want to encourage more of in your life. You might begin your statements with phrases such as “I feel so happy…”, “I feel amazing…” or “I am so proud…”, which all encourage you to feel these feelings in the present moment. This supercharges your own affirmations as you can connect with the emotions behind the words as well as the vision they create. As always, focus on positive feelings rather than the feelings you would like to avoid.
Refer to your affirmations regularly
Once you have created your own affirmations, make sure you refer to them regularly. You might also wish to update them as you feel your mindset grow. The process of writing your own affirmations will evolve as you do, so keep checking that your affirmations still resonate with you. It is also helpful to refer to affirmations you wrote in the past to see if they have shaped your current reality. Incorporate the practice of writing your own affirmations into your self development toolkit and enjoy their numerous benefits.
Final thoughts
Positive affirmations are a highly effective tool and are even more powerful when you write your own. Enjoy the process and make sure you use uplifting words that resonate with you. Focus on the feelings you want to include more of and don’t be afraid to dream big. Have you tried writing your own affirmations? Let me know how the experience goes for you!