How to build confidence with affirmations.
How do you build confidence with affirmations?
- How do you build confidence with affirmations?
If you want to boost your confidence, a powerful and effective way is to use present-tense affirmations. It will change how you think about yourself for sure.
Five years ago, if someone had told me that saying positive statements would help with my depression, I would have thought they were crazy. But now that I’ve tried it, I can surely say it helps.
I’ve always had good self-esteem and confidence. But, I was two years into being a stay-at-home mom when I hit a tough patch and began to feel like I wasn’t good enough. Things that were hard for me seemed simple for everyone else. Maybe it was because of all the TV shows I watched as a kid where the moms always seemed to have everything together (like Claire Huxtable, Carol Brady, Maggie Seaver, and Charles from “Charles in Charge”). So, I always let myself down because I couldn’t live up to what I thought I should be and what my kids needed.
We all want to feel better about who we are. Of course, that can be easier said than done. But the good news is you can start building your confidence right now with affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements you tell yourself often about who you are and what you can do.
In this post, I’ll talk about how I used affirmations to get my confidence back after I’d lost it.
I discovered positive statements (affirmations) by accident. It started right after I finished a DIY project of decoupaging the cadenza in my kid’s den. It turned out fantastic! I was so proud that I told myself, “You are so talented,” and “You are so creative.” It was the first time in a long time that I had anything nice to say about myself. It surprised me how good it felt. Remembering what it felt like to have self-pride was the first step I needed to take to regain some of my self-confidence.
How to make your affirmations stick:
Make sure they’re specific and realistic.
– Choose words that make you feel something. Everyone is different, so find things that speak to your beliefs or goals. Instead of saying things like “I am always happy,” try something more concrete like “Today, I will accept myself” or “Today, I will be confident.” – Tell yourself something you enjoy about yourself. For example, you may compliment yourself on being a problem solver, funny, stylish, or artistic.
Say them out loud and repeat them often.
The more you say an affirmation, the more likely it is to sink in, so take a few minutes each day to repeat your affirmations out loud (or even write them down).
Allow room for doubt.
Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t believe every single word at first – this is totally normal! Just keep practicing, and eventually, these positive statements will start to become second nature.
Put your inner critic down.
Having an inner critic is natural, but sometimes it can be too loud and take over. In order to build confidence and practice self-love, we need to find a way to defuse our inner critic.
How to stop negative self-talking
Here are some tips that can help:
Listen to your inner voice.
The first step to getting back in charge of your thoughts is to become aware of this inner dialogue. Notice when you’re having a bad thought, but don’t get stuck in it.
Change the way you look at the thought.
Instead of getting mad at yourself for what you’re thinking, thank yourself for realizing it and then try to reframe it in a more positive way. For example, if you have trouble thinking you’re good enough, tell yourself, “I am capable, and I will get better with practice.”
Speak kindly to yourself.
Kindly talk to yourself all day long, either out loud or in your head. We tend to be much harder on ourselves than we would be on others, so try changing any negative thoughts with kind words, like “I accept myself as I am and feel confident in my own skin.”
Turn your thoughts into action.
The best way to build confidence with affirmations is to do what you think (walk the walk). Doing something that fits with your affirmations. It’s a good way to start making them come true. For example, if you want to feel more comfortable in social situations, make it a point to start conversations with new people or take the lead on group projects. If you want to be more assertive, say “no” when people ask you for favors and set limits for yourself. Taking small steps like this can give you the confidence you need to make bigger changes in the future.
Affirmations’ Neuroscience Benefits
“One of the key psychological theories behind positive affirmations is self-affirmation theory (Steele, 1988). So, yes, there are empirical studies based on the idea that we can maintain our sense of self-integrity by telling ourselves (or affirming) what we believe in positive ways. Very briefly, self-integrity relates to our global self-efficacy—our perceived ability to control moral outcomes and respond flexibly when our self-concept is threatened (Cohen & Sherman, 2014). So, we as humans are motivated to protect ourselves from these threats by maintaining our self-integrity.” Written by Debbie Hampton, from The best brain possible.
Conclusion
If it worked for me, it could work for anyone. Just remember that making yourself do it is the most crucial part. Because it will work even if it feels weird or like it’s not working. Rather than only If you only pay attention to yourself when you say you’re bad at something,
