Why Positive Affirmations May Not Be Working For You

You’ve taken the plunge into the practice of positive affirmations but nothing seems to be changing for you.

What’s up with that?

Is it just a bunch of hocus-pocus, mumbo jumbo?

Don’t abandon your mala beads just yet. Positive affirmations do work in a very profound way. So let’s take a look at what could be going on in your practice that could be keeping you from its benefits.

What Are Positive Affirmations

Let’s grab a quick micro refresher on positive affirmations.

Reciting positive affirmations is the practice of creating and repeating a phrase aloud or silently to help you consciously stay focused on something you are trying to achieve or overcome.

The mind is a very active organ. It’s got a lot of territory to take care of so there’s no question it is off and running without your permission. When we’re trying to accomplish something or perhaps overcome something, for some reason the human default seems to be worry and analyze. And so your mind starts bringing to your attention all sorts of negative what ifs.

The job of positive affirmations is to slow that mental process down and assist you in staying focused on the positive outcome you’re hoping to achieve.

It sounds pretty simple, right. So why isn’t it working?

What Could Be Going Wrong

An important thing to remember about positive affirmations is that they are not expressions of magic. Rambling an affirmation off without focus and feeling will yield nothing but frustration and disbelief.

Here’s a few things that might be interfering in your positive results:

• • • Your attention is not focused on what you’re saying
    • Your affirmation is negative, not positive
    • You don’t believe a word you’re saying
    • You’re expecting immediate results

Let’s Take an Individual Look at Each One of Those:

• • • Your attention is not focused on what you’re saying. This is normal in the beginning. Don’t give up. It takes a little time. Being unfocused is also quite normal when you’re under stress and are hoping reciting positivity will sweep away your troubles. Recite slowly and mentally force yourself to pay attention to every word. When your mind wanders – and it will – just keep pulling it back into focusing on your words.
    • Your affirmation is negative, not positive. The words you use in your affirmation matter greatly. The mind does not discern between positive and negative – it simply adopts and brings into reality that which we focus on and convince it of. So it is very important that your affirmation consists of positive wording. For example, if you’re saying something like “I will not lose my job, I will not lose my job”, that is a negative statement. And what you’re focusing on and energizing is “losing your job”. A positive spin on that would be something like “I am good at my job and my company appreciates my work”. Reword your affirmation until you have created a positive statement. This, too, takes time. Try not to stress. Create.
    • You don’t believe a word you’re saying. Remember, affirmations are not wishful thinking or vocal magic potions. The positive result does not come from repeating something a certain number of times and then – poof! – your wish has been granted. Mentally and emotionally connect with what you’re saying. Physically or energetically feel what you are saying. If “you” don’t believe what you’re reciting, neither will your mind. You may feel silly the first time you practice positive affirmations. But stay with it and eventually feeling silly will replace itself with belief.
    • You’re expecting immediate results. This is a hard one to overcome. You’ve got a dilemma and you need positive results NOW. That is totally understandable. You’re human. But it’s also totally unreasonable. Remember, affirmations are not magic wands granting wishes to you upon completion of reciting them. Their purpose is to assist you in focusing on a positive result about something. The result you should be working toward is a positive outlook because once you can set out to accomplish or overcome something with a positive mindset, you will begin to attract or encounter positive opportunities to bring your desired result to life.

How Do You Make Positive Affirmations Work?

Okay. So, hopefully you have a better understanding of what positive affirmations are, how they work, and how you can put them to positive work for you.

Let’s get to it.

How to Create and Practice Positive Affirmations:

• • • Choose something you are trying to accomplish or overcome (Start simple if it’s your first try at this)
    • Create a short, convincing statement about it (keep tweaking it until it feels right)
    • Don’t worry about location. (Having a perfectly set up and quiet space is wonderful. The reality is, though, it’s not always possible, and when we’re calling on a positive affirmation we can be anywhere and under any circumstance. You can certainly “create a space” to practice daily affirmations. But you can also practice them wherever you are by mentally shutting out whatever is going on around you. It’s not always easy. But don’t abandon practicing positive affirmations because you don’t have the “perfect place or time”.)
    • Take a few slow, deep breaths to settle your physical and mental energy (It helps you focus when you’re not a bumbling energetic mess)
    • Recite your positive affirmation (There’s no right or wrong number of times you need to say your affirmation in order for it to “work”. Remember, it is not a magic potion. What makes it “work” is focus and feeling. Recite it 40 times or recite it for 3 minutes, just begin a consistent practice. Connect with “reciting it” not “checking off a positive affirmation to do list”)
    • Repeat often

I hope this helps and I hope you develop an understanding and practice of positive affirmations. In a world inundated with distractions and stress, practicing positive affirmations is very grounding.

Photo by Elijah Hiett on Unsplash