Affirmations are BULLSHIT & here's WHY.

also 3 ways you can actually make them work.

You will never catch me recommending affirmations and here is why.

There are 3 problems with affirmations (and HOW you can actually make your affirmation list work for you): 

1. Confirmation Bias: It is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs or values.

If you are struggling with a poor sense of self or self image at the moment, and repeat phrases like "I am worthy, I am the best, I am amazing" etc. to yourself..

..it will go against everything you believe about you.

No matter how true or false that is in reality.

Falsely repeating that you feel confident about yourself in the form of affirmations will only amplify the lack of that confidence. 

Making you feel WORSE.

2.The upward curve: Positive self-statements seem to provide a boost only to people with positive evaluations of themselves.

I.e. A Positive self-image: Those who more or less feel good about themselves already.

and that boost is small. 

So, unless you’re already feeling good about yourself, positive self statements aren’t going to make you feel any better, and they could even make you feel worse.


3.Action before words: Affirmations without action is just Lying.

Instead, chase actions with affirmations. 

Whatever you are feeling anxious about:
-Take a small step towards solving it.
-Follow it with your affirmation.

For example:

If you do not feel 'good enough/skilled' with your work:

-Take up a small, pilot project, put a time limit on it. Develop your skills as your work in this low stakes project.

-Follow it with an affirmation, preferably in the present tense: "I can deal with whatever life throws at me" "I am becoming more skilled with my work" etc.

GET.TO.WORK.

YES, affirmations can help you in moments of extreme panic.

Repeating an affirming phrase to yourself MAY help you mitigate your anxiety for a brief moment.

But, isolated affirmations are only about as useful as that.

Use affirmations as a supplement to action and not a substitute of action.