Firstly we hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and New Year.
Before we get into our first blog of 2022, affirmations, I want to explain exactly what an affirmation is and how we use them.
So a big part of keeping our wellbeing and mental health in check is how we speak to ourselves, our inner voice. Our self-talk plays a huge role in how we view ourselves and how we prepare ourselves for a situation. During some of my darkest days, my self-talk was extremely negative, I essentially bullied and tortured myself, which developed into feelings of low self-worth. If you repeatedly tell yourself something over and over in your head, whether it’s positive or negative, you begin to believe it, and it can become engrained.
So, what is an affirmation? Affirmations are quite simply statements that we make, they can be statements that we think, say, or even journal. Affirmations can be positive and negative. Something we speak about a lot at Brotectors is noticing our self-talk? Are we being kind to ourselves? Are you noticing positive or negative self-talk patterns when alone or facing a challenge or situation.
I like to think that an affirmation is a power statement that is able to motivate and keep your mind clear of negative thoughts and help kick start you into action. Have you ever had one of those days where you think everything goes wrong and you almost adopt a victim mentality? Your negative self-talk gets louder and louder, and you hear yourself ask, “why don’t things ever go right for me?” or “what else is going to go wrong?” or “why me?” This is the opposite end of the scale. This is why many people implement positive affirmations into their life to break that cycle and unlock a new belief system that helps develop confidence, self-esteem, and our ability to focus on the positive. Look out for self-sabotage statements that are not serving you. Many people use affirmations to improve wellbeing, success, health, happiness, career paths and money.
If I were to ask you what are your negative triggers? What would you want to change in your life, or what areas of your life would you like to focus on and improve? This can be a difficult question, so I will use myself as an example. Do you ever find yourself scrolling through your phone or a magazine and coming across something you desperately want to then find yourself comparing your own life to others? You then begin on a negative cycle, which can change your whole mood and how you view yourself. Affirmations can change your perspective and trail of thought, for example, you could begin each morning by repeating the following statements with meaning and feeling and ensure your affirmations are stated in the present tense as if it's already happening (here are some examples)
- “I am my own competition.”
- “I am able to let go of negative beliefs that have stood in the way of potential success.”
- “I am enough, I have enough.”
- “This is my journey and I am in control of what happens next.”
Repeating affirmations daily helps reprogramme the unconscious mind for success and can help remove negative belief systems and thought patterns that boost our confidence and kick start us into positive action, and move us away from our comfort zones. Think of it as going to the gym training a body part, in order to help grow and build muscle mass, you have to repeat the exercise over and over again. When we repeat affirmations, we begin to reprogramme thinking patterns and cycles.
So what are the benefits of affirmations?
- Boost confidence and self-esteem
- Helps control and manage negative feelings like anger, comparison and self-doubt
- Boosts productivity and your ability to complete tasks
- Keeps us in a positive routine, and it helps us overcome bad habits
- Improves decision making
- Influence on the subconscious mind
Here is a quick tip which I use on a daily basis, I invested in a cheap small whiteboard and a dry wipe marker, every couple of days I write an affirmation on a whiteboard and hang it in my office and it’s one of the first things I see every morning when I start the working day. You can also use post-it notes and stick them in spaces visible to keep you on track to remind you of your power statements. Another great way is to set reminders on your mobile phone or calendar.
As we go into 2022 many of us will have made new year’s resolutions, 2022 brings new opportunities to meet new people, explore new places and develop new skills which help us develop personal growth and career paths. I hope you are able to implement affirmations that align with your goals. Affirmations can be tailored toward what you are trying to overcome and achieve in your life. If you find yourself beginning to go down the slippery road of negative self-talk and behaviours remember, repeat and utilise your affirmations.
Turn your affirmations into a daily habit and make 2022 the year in which you take control and create the life you want through positive habits and self-awareness, tailor your affirmations to what areas of your life you wish to improve and overcome.
At Brotectors we aim to challenge the stigma surrounding mental health. By creating conditions of a safe and inclusive environment, we aim to power and educate individuals, organisations, and communities through a holistic approach of support and development. We are proud to be working in partnership with MESOA; who share our passion for challenging the stigma surrounding mental health and providing men with an online community to support one another and feel safe talking about their mental health and the challenges of life.
Thanks for reading.
Aaron,
Brotectors