4 Positives and Negatives in Using Affirmations
Have you ever wanted something really, really bad, but for some reason, no matter how hard you tried to get it, you ended up failing. A lot of different factors could be to blame for that and one of those could be not utilizing the right tools. Affirmations can be a powerful tool to manifest the life that you desire, can improve your poor mood, and have the ability to change your state of mind. But what are affirmations? And what are the negatives and positives in using them in our lives?
Affirmations are a great strategy that can be used to redirect and reprogram our mind away from negative and self-defeating thoughts and towards a more positive and helpful thinking. Affirmations can help redirect our mind and help us focus on our strengths rather than get fixated on our weaknesses. Affirmations are statements like —
"I am a great person and I highly value myself”
“I am always successful when I apply myself”
“I have a great relationship with my family and friends”
“I am intelligent and loving”
“I attract abundance wherever I go”
In this article, I will talk about affirmations and list four positives and negatives in using affirmations in your life. I will go into how affirmations can positively rewire your brain, help you relieve anxiety, attract the life that you've envisioned, and make you an attractive person to be around. But I will also go into the negatives of using affirmations. Used unconsciously, affirmations can lead to toxic positivity, can be completely useless without action, take time and dedication to be effective, and finally will provide no value if you don’t accept those positive statements as the truth.
Let’s get into the positives first.
Rewires Your Brain to Think Positively
Our brain is amazing and has the ability to change and adapt to different circumstances in our life, this is actually called — neuroplasticity. Our brain can mix up the difference between something that was a fantasy and something that was real. And creating a mental image of yourself doing something like learning to drive a car or going sky diving and imagining yourself jumping from the plane activates many of the same brain areas that actually experiencing these situations would.
Regular repetitions of positive affirmation can eventually help you reprogram your mind and accept those positive statements as facts. This is especially helpful to those that came from abusive and negative households. Adults who experienced negative childhoods tend to inherit negative programming that they unconsciously pass on to their own children. Much of it has to do with the fact that their parents told them something negative or called them by negative names day in and day out, which overtime caused the children to accept the negative statements as fact. Affirmations do the opposite and rewire your brain for success and for positive self-image.
Can Help You Destress and Relieve Anxiety in any Situation
When presented with certain situations, we often end up with self-defeating thoughts and limiting beliefs. A difficult job interview can leave us flustered and anxious. One seemingly negative incident can make our thoughts go into a downward spiral from which it can be difficult to get out of. That’s when affirmations can work wonders. Carrying affirmation cards with you or repeating already memorized affirmations can be like having a very positive best friend around. And it’s available and on call 24/7. So whenever you’re feeling anxious and nervous in any given situation, it always helps to go back and reread the positive affirmations. A positive message at the right time can ease the situation and make you feel more supported and calm.
Will Create the Life that You Desire when Combined with Action
Think of affirmations as the first step in the direction that you want to go to. They can’t take you in the right direction, but they can point you there. Everything man-made that we’re exposed to started with an idea. And the idea manifested through conscious action. So positive thoughts can rewire your brain to think more positively and in turn, to become more aware of the right people, resources, ideas, and events that can help you manifest your desired life. And if you do the work, once the right opportunities present themselves, then you will ultimately achieve whatever your goal was.
Makes You an Attractive Person to be Around
Our thoughts can change the structure and the function of our brain. A new Stanford study just confirmed that a positive attitude can literally make your brain work better. When you start repeating and later believing your positive affirmations, your brain is going to change. You will be wired to notice more positivity around you and will start attracting like-minded individuals. Your confidence and self-belief will increase and you will naturally attract other people, as others are always drawn to people who are positive and confident in their own skin. People are attracted to those qualities because we want to have those qualities. It’s as simple as that.
So now that we’ve covered the positives of affirmations. Let’s get into the negatives of using affirmations.
Can Lead to Toxic Positivity
I wrote an article on positive toxicity and if you don’t know what it is or want to learn more then you can find it here - What’s Wrong With Toxic Positivity? . But using affirmations can lead to toxic positivity if one is only focused on having positive thoughts and emotions without acknowledging the negative ones too. Human beings come with varied emotions, the good and the bad, so acknowledging both is just as important as being focused on the positive. Our negative thoughts and emotions often have a lot to teach us. Like the fact that we are stuck in a negative situation or a relationship that we need to get out of. And if we listen, feel, and take action then we not only release those negative emotions but also deal with a situation that doesn’t suit our greater good. So thinking positive no matter the situation can sometimes backfire and lead us to feel even worse in the long run.
Useless, if No Action is Taken
Affirmations are a step towards change rather than the change itself. So in order for them to work, you cannot just rely on wishful thinking. You have to do the necessary work. Sometimes that work is taking advantage of an opportunity and working on getting to your desired destination. And at other times, it is working on reprogramming your negative beliefs through daily and consistent affirmation practice. Some affirmations are not effective unless you believe in them and I will talk about that later. But if that is the case, then you will need to take small and consistent steps towards self-confidence or towards believing something that you want to unconsciously accept as the truth. If your parents constantly told you that you were a terrible person and called you an “idiot” then now you will need to do a bit more inner work than just repeating affirmations that you won’t believe in. It can involve taking a sheet of paper out and writing down a list of what you always thought of as your negative qualities. Honesty is the key here. And you might feel a lot of dread and unpleasant emotions surface after doing this. But it’s a great thing. Because what comes up gets cleared.
Ask yourself: are my thoughts serving me and if not, then what can I say instead to change my misguided beliefs. Speak the affirmation three times a day, every day. Then anchor the affirmation in your body as you are repeating it by placing your hand on the area of your body that felt uncomfortable when you wrote down the negative belief in step 1. And last, you can get a hired coach or a friend to help you repeat those sportive affirmations to you.
Take Time, Consistency, and Effort to be Effective
Affirmations can be helpful if you actually put in the effort and consistency in saying them every day. Regular repetitions of affirming statements about yourself can encourage your brain to take these positive affirmations as fact. When you truly believe that you can do something, your actions often follow. But consistent practice and dedication is needed initially.
Will Have No Effect if You Don’t Accept the Statement as True
If a negative belief is deeply rooted in our unconscious mind, then it has the ability to override any positive affirmation, even if we aren't aware of it. That’s why for a lot of people, the affirmations don’t seem to be effective. Their afflicted thought patterns are so strong that they knock out the effect of any positive statements. That’s why recognizing that there is a bigger programming at play and taking the five steps that I mentioned above is necessary for the positive affirmation to be more effective. You have to believe whatever affirmations that you write down.
In Conclusion
Affirmations have their positives and negatives and can truly make a difference in your life if you learn how to use them correctly. Affirmations can not only rewire your brain for success but can also help you relieve anxiety in any given situation. Affirmations can literally prime you to be a more positive person that others will want to be around and help you form new relationships. Also, when combined with action, affirmations can alter your life and help you create the life that you always desired.
On the other hand, affirmations can lead to toxic positivity, are pretty ineffective if action isn’t taken, take time and repetition to work, and will have little to no effect if you don’t believe what you are saying.