How To Affirm Positive Thoughts
Thinking about past failures or negative experiences can be very discouraging, but doing it for too long can have longer lasting effects.
Thinking about past failures or negative experiences can be very discouraging, but doing it for too long can have longer lasting effects. This is why most people who suffer a major loss also feel like they’re not able to go on after that.
They may feel so down in spirit and depressed that they cannot function at work or home. It can even make them give up trying to do things that matter to them.
After their loss, many people start avoiding situations where they could potentially run into the person they were before or experience another failure.
This is how internalized negativity becomes an ingrained habit.
It can eventually push you into a place where you don’t want to try anymore. You might stop wanting to live your life because you think everything will fail anyways.
You might believe that your dreams are impossible to achieve, and thus you give up trying to find out what you were meant to do with your life.
But this isn’t a healthy way to feel! And it’s definitely not helpful in the process of developing self-confidence.
So now, let’s learn some ways to boost your confidence level. Let us begin by looking at some tips for affirmation.
Challenge negative thoughts
Even though it may feel uncomfortable at times, you can’t ignore or eliminate negative thinking completely. You have to work on it, challenge it, and do your best to not let it control you and your actions.
Negative thinking will always exist in the world, but you don’t need to contribute to its growth unless you want to.
Think about that for a minute — you’re putting energy into the situation whether you like it or not. If you wanted to stop someone else from having a bad day, would you keep complaining about how they didn’t seem happy? Or would you try to be happier so they could learn from your happiness?
The more you expose yourself to positive experiences, the easier it’ll become to recognize and enjoy them, which reduces stress and helps you relax. Try telling off-topic stories about what’s going well for you, reading success books, celebrating milestones, etc. – anything that makes you feeling good and encourages you to repeat the behavior!
It takes some time to develop this habit, but once you do, you’ll notice big changes in your emotional state and overall wellness. Plus, you’ll probably start to realize that most of the things you thought were important before no longer matter as much.
Your health is one of the biggest keys to living a successful life, and learning how to reduce mental stress is an easy way to do that.
Be optimistic
Even if things are not going your way, you can still be an optimist. You can believe that life will get better for you, eventually.
Optimism is a quality that comes more naturally to some people than others. It’s like having a built-in motivation system that boosts your own confidence and self-esteem.
By practicing optimism, you can improve your mood, achieve your goals, create lasting success, and live a happier, healthier life.
You can learn how to affirm positive thoughts. Let us look at several strategies to do just this.
The first strategy we will discuss is using the word “never.” Why? Because it removes any possibility of negative thinking. If you think about something once, then why would you ever say or imply that it never happens?
Next, identify what makes you feel bad about yourself. Then, replace those words with something less damaging. For example, instead of saying, ‘I am a failure,’ try saying, ‘I have failed today, but I will succeed tomorrow.’
or
“I’m a total loser,” is what you tell yourself _______________________. Instead, choose to say, “Today I made a mistake, but I’ll win next time.” Or even, “It’s okay if I make a few mistakes before I win.
Focus on your strengths
It is easy to focus on what you do not like about yourself or what others have told you about you, but it is more productive to look for ways to appreciate and acknowledge your good qualities.
By doing so, you will be changing how you perceive of yourself, which can then influence other people’s perceptions of you.
This will also help you to shift your perception of your life – whether that is because you feel happier within yourself or because you feel less stressed out.
Affirming thoughts are an effective way to boost your self-confidence and inspire motivation. They can be you saying something kind to yourself, or thinking about all of your good traits.
Look on the bright side
Thinking about all of the things you’re not doing makes it hard to think about what you are doing, right? So instead try looking at the things you are doing – practicing your sports skills, going out with friends, reading a book, talking to someone you love, or whatever activities bring joy to your life.
By this logic, thinking about how much you don’t have time for something can be a good thing because it creates more space in your day to do something else. Plus, you could make a case that having no time for something is a sign that you’re already spending too much time on that item.
Keep your head up
A lot of people get nervous when they are having a bad day or week. They feel worried, stressed, or fearful about what is happening around them or in their lives at that time.
All too often, these negative thoughts can drown out the more positive ones. You may start to believe that you’re not worthy or successful enough — which only adds to the stress and worry you already have.
It’s important to remember that no one else but you controls your mind and your life. Only you control how you think and behave.
So instead of letting all this negativity run away with you, try doing something different.
Keep your head up!
Think about things that made you happy earlier in the day. Listen to an audiobook or podcast you had been wanting to listen to. Read the book you were planning to read months ago.
Whatever you do, don’t let yourself fall into a bedroll for sleep. Get out and do something active – take a walk, go swimming, hit the gym, whatever feels right for you.
Above all, remain conscious of what you’re thinking. Don’t forget that you are responsible for your own mental health and wellness.
Be a positive force
The opposite of negative thinking is not positive thinking, it’s negative thinking. Negative thoughts are just like any other habits – you get into them regularly and then feel bad for having them.
So how do you stop that? You replace the negative thought with a positive one. “I’m going to have a salad instead of pizza for lunch” or “My pants don’t fit well, but I look good so who cares!”
It may sound silly, but this works. Try it out.
Look on the bright side
It is very common when we are having a bad day or week to complain about what has happened and focus only on the negative aspects of things.
It is very easy to get stuck in this habit and feel like you can’t break out of it.
But there is an important lesson in how to affirm positive thoughts.
You should try to look on the bright side of situations, even if they’re not that bright. Why? Because research shows that it makes your overall mood better and helps you cope with challenges more effectively.
Affirming positivity takes some effort at first. You will have to be conscious of all sorts of things before getting benefits from doing it. But once you learn this new skill, you’ll keep learning something new every day!
There are several ways to do this. The best way depends on the situation and person, so here are some tips for different people.
Change your attitude
It’s much easier to have positive thoughts if you are already having positive experiences, but that isn’t always possible. When this is the case, it becomes important to use strategies to help you relax and to associate yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself.
Try practicing gratitude on at least a weekly basis. Start by thinking of something you want, then think of all the ways you have it – health, family, friends, money, etc. Refuse to say anything negative until you’ve given every bit of credit for these things to God.
Once you’ve mastered that, try adding one or two new things each week. You can add something small like eating an avocado or baking a cake, or something bigger like going out for dinner or taking a trip. Just remember, don’t overdo it! Keep it simple and natural so you won’t get too stressed out.
If you need more inspiration, read through our list of inspirational quotes. There are many great ones that focus on how to achieve success and enjoy life.