By now, we're well aware of the benefits of practices like meditation, yoga, and stretching to calm down, reconnecting with ourselves, and finding balance. Yet, there's another tool that can significantly enhance our lives and influence our mindset: affirmations. You may have heard of affirmations before, but what exactly are they? And how can simple words impact my daily life? 

According to Success Consciousness, this is how affirmations are defined:

Affirmations are sentences aimed to affect the conscious and the subconscious mind, so that in turn, they affect our behaviour, thinking patterns, habits and environment.

So by saying a phrase again and again, we are subconsciously manifesting those words, which can help us affect our mood, self-esteem, personality and overall view of life. 

And it makes sense. We all have those days when we're not happy, when all we want to do is snuggle into bed, watch our favourite series, and eat ice cream. Those are the days when negative thoughts flood our minds, dragging us down further with each passing moment.

But what if we could harness the power of our inner voice to combat these emotions? What if we could use this inner voice to transform our negative mood into a positive one?  Now tell yourself this and repeat it again and again.

“You are successful, and good things will happen to you”

Now those words of affirmation will stick with you. Affirmations impact the brain by activating specific neurons through repetition. When you repeat positive affirmations, you're essentially training your brain to form stronger connections between these neurons, making positive thinking easier. Over time, this rewiring of the brain's neural pathways leads to a more positive mindset and outlook on life.

Sure, affirmations sound great, but how exactly do we go about using them effectively? Here are a few practical ideas to get you started:

• ​​Say them aloud - This is an easy method to include affirmations into your everyday practice in a straightforward manner. When you do this shortly before bed, alpha waves start to flow through your brain, calming it down. Your subconscious is most receptive to believing your affirmations when you recite them aloud.

• Put them in writing everywhere - Writing on sticky notes and putting them all over your house is a creative method to accomplish this. This is cute, especially if you share a home with someone else. Your positive affirmations will help everyone! Ensure they are placed in areas you pass by on a frequent daily basis. For instance, the mirror in your bathroom, the fridge, or your toilet seat :)

• Set it as your iPhone's background image - This is a great idea because, as we all know we use our phones far too frequently in a day. What does this mean, then? Your mind has the potential to begin believing your affirmation every time you see it!

• Make your affirmation visible - Just writing down and reading your assertion is insufficient. It also has to be visualised. Make a film. See your affirmations take place. This is what creates incredible shifts because you are aligning your frequency with a very real, tangible sense of accomplishment on numerous levels. 

Now, as a final step, we invite you to experience the power of affirmations firsthand. Take a moment to close your eyes, inhale deeply, and repeat after me:

Take a moment to let these words sink in. They affirm your worth and celebrate your journey. Carry this positivity with you.