About a year ago, I attended a training on neuroscience. I learned then that we need to say affirmations 200 times a day to change the way neurons fire in our brain. I didn’t write any notes about this and it is from my memory, so it may be flawed. I tried Google and couldn’t find the science or research to back this. Help a girl out….if you know where I can find this, let me know and I’ll add a link in this post. I just remember thinking 200 times a day….really? I even laughed out loud and a couple people turned around to look at me. At that time, I had a list of about 20 affirmations that I would say sometimes once per day….and I thought they were going to say 3 times or 10 times for how many times we needed to say an affirmation…..200 times every single day will actually change our brains, they said. Okay, so this made me think I needed to change the way I do affirmations.
Step ONE….I think I needed to get the number of affirmations down from 20 to 1….maybe 2. In order to do this, I think I needed just the right one. This brings me to the next step.
Step TWO….find just the right affirmation. You can make it up, ya know? What do you NEED right now? There are many, many available online and in books. The secret is to find just the right one for you. What is going on with you? Are you sad and depressed? Anxious? Unhappy with your body? Unhappy with your work? What’s on your mind all the time that needs changing? Find the negative loop that you play over and over in your mind that is impacting your daily life….then turn it around. This is a bit of an art. Some of us will know it when we find it because it will resonate in our body. Some of us will resist it and that will clue us in that maybe that’s what we need to change in our brains. Be a little bit of a detective and search for it….do some research….it is there.
Step THREE….write it down several times. Get some post-it notes and index cards. Write it down on several of them. Place one on your mirror…one in your wallet….one in your car….one by your pillow. You get the idea.
Step FOUR….get creative. Use markers and poster board and make a big version of your affirmation. Use the computer and play with fonts and clip art to print out a nice version of your affirmation. Write it on 3 note cards, address it to yourself and stamp it. Then ask 3 friends to mail it to you 10, 20 and 30 days out.
Step FIVE…look at your daily routine. What does your typical day look like? Put a post-it by the shower and say your affirmation 10 times in the shower. Put an index card in the kitchen and say it 10 times while you have breakfast. Have a post-it in the car and say it 10 times while you are driving to work. Have a post-it in your lunch box and say it 10 times while you enjoy your lunch. Find several pockets of time throughout your routine to add a reminder and some repeating of your affirmation.
Step SIX….create some rituals. Have some fun with this one. Get a stone or memento of some kind and have it in your pocket. Hold it and say your affirmation a few times. Or, get an essential oil that you like and put a drop on your wrist and say your affirmation while pressing the oil in, then while breathing the scent in. Speaking of breathing in….breathe in your affirmation, then as you exhale breathe out the resistance or fear or limiting belief that led you to the affirmation in the first place. Make it part of your meditation. Write your affirmation at the top of your to-do list or journal entry.
These are some ideas to get you started. See how you can add to this and feel free to share your own ideas. Try your affirmation and any of the ideas listed above….shoot for 200 times for the next 40 days and see what happens. Let me know what you notice.
Need an affirmation to get you started? Choose one of these until you find just the right one for you:
I love and accept myself right now.
I am worthy of love and belonging.
I am good enough!
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