Negative thoughts are not unheard of. The murmurings of I can’t do this, I am too inadept, I am a failure, I am ugly and similar haunt many of us.
This vicious cycle of negative thoughts is not innocuous. Alongside killing the mood and morale, these negative thoughts attract similar negative energy. Due to this, the thing that we were fearing, ends up becoming true.
What we don’t realize is that it is not a case of our thoughts being accurate, but rather, self-sabotage. When we aim for failure, that’s precisely what we get. The impact of these negative thoughts is all encompassing; from our school, to work to all facets of our personal and social life.
Therefore, it is incumbent for everyone to work on actively dispelling these negative thoughts. However, it is not an easy task; undoing years of problematic behavior may be very challenging for some people, especially when they have been conditioned so. In such instances, it is helpful to visit an expert like the best Psychologist in Lahore for undoing the years of damage.
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Enter: Affirmations
One way to undo the cycle of negativity is through affirmations. These are positive statements that you repeat to yourself to counter the negative thoughts and self-sabotaging behavior.
Affirmations may seem too good to be true to many of you, but they are scientifically proven to be effective. Just as physical exercise helps you in manifesting a healthy body that you desire, affirmations also train your brain in to accepting the positive side of things.
Starting off with affirmations
Starting off with affirmations may seem daunting at first. They involve changing the way you think, which may make you uncomfortable. You may also think of them as unfruitful or too good to be true.
However, you need to challenge thinking that makes you doubt affirmations. Reflect on why what you are asking for is a bad thing, why are you struggling to be positive. Once your mind has some clarity, it will then be easier to accept the affirmations and practice them.
How To Write Affirmation
What do you want to change? : Your affirmations will vary as per the challenge you are facing. For example, some people want to tackle the task of stress, whereas others want affirmations to help them with their problem of perfectionism.
Target your specific negative thoughts: The entire purpose of the exercise is to change the negative self-talk into positive. Therefore, realize your specific negative thoughts. For example, you may think of yourself as not being successful enough, not being confident, being talentless etc.
Then, gave a positive spin to these key points: I am going to be successful, I am a confident person who can achieve anything they set their mind to, I have many qualities and am very skilled person.
Keep them real: If you go overboard with your affirmations, you brain will enter into the disbelief mode and will not take it seriously. Thus, while sky is the limit, make your affirmations at least realistic and achievable.
Active voice and present tense: Grammar is always important. Use active voice when stating your affirmation; don’t say I might make it, say, I will or must make it.
Similarly, use present tense to give the impression that your statement holds for your current and present context.
People who Should use Them
While anyone can benefit from affirmations, they are especially useful for those people who are struggling greatly with stress. According to a study, affirmation exercises helped in the problem-solving skills of those suffering from chronic stress.
Similarly, affirmations are also effective for those struggling with depression and anxiety. People facing other mental health challenges like low self-esteem also benefit from affirmations, however, some require extra guidance from their Psychologist in Islamabad to get better.
