Mornings are all about new beginnings and fresh starts. They are the perfect time to put your mind in a state of utmost belief in yourself and your potential before the day unrolls and everyone else gets to have their say. That being said, you can start each day feeling the way you want to feel about yourself and your life. If you are not sure how to do that and the concept of positive morning affirmations or positive mantras is unfamiliar to you, continue reading to learn about the power of positive thinking and transforming belief.
What are morning affirmations?
Affirmations are positive statements that can help you regain your motivation and overcome the limits of your beliefs. It is best to practice them in the morning, preferably in front of a mirror. I know, this may sound a bit silly and wacky, but time and practice will show you how inspiring they can be and how they can change your mindset for the better.
The reason positive affirmations work is that they help surpass the limiting beliefs installed in us by sending a positive message to parts of our subconscious. Regardless of whether you are struggling with motivation to start the day, be productive, achieve success, lose weight, or you are just lacking a general sense of happiness and contentment, positive morning affirmation are a good start towards setting your mind towards the achievement of those goals.
How to say morning affirmations?
While the checklist below on how to say morning affirmations is not a complete blueprint by any stretch of the imagination, it is definitely a solid framework that will help you practice your morning affirmations, especially if you are doing them for the first time.
- Choose statements that you can relate to, or create your own. Use words like “trying” or “willing”. You must be able to believe the affirmation in order for it to be effective.
- Say the affirmation in the first person, present tense, out loud. For example, say “I can” or “I am” instead of “I will”.
- Adjust the affirmation to what you want to cultivate that particular day.
- Believe the words you are saying! You must accept them as the ultimate truth.
- Repetition is definitely a key! Start by repeating each affirmation at least three times in the morning, and then use them during the day whenever you feel the need. The more often you use these affirmations, the more your brain will look for opportunities to support what you are confirming.
Benefits of morning affirmations
Affirmations work to improve all aspects of your life because they help make your life become filled with positivity and gratitude. The benefits of morning affirmations are numerous, and you’ll know you are on the right path when you start noticing (and this you definitely will) that:
- you are less negative
- you only surround yourself with positive people and things
- good things ARE happening to you
- you have a better perspective of things
- you have a better focus
- you are more grateful
A team of scientists published a paper in Behaviour Research and Therapy, arguing for the utility for positive ideation, even in circumstances where people are faced with a generalized anxiety disorder. According to their findings:
The replacement of worry with different forms of positive ideation, even when unrelated to the content of worry itself, seems to have similar beneficial effects, suggesting that any form of positive ideation can be used to effectively counter worry.
Eagleson C, Hayes S, Mathews A, Perman G, Hirsch CR. The power of positive thinking: Pathological worry is reduced by thought replacement in Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Behav Res Ther. 2016;78:13–18. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2015.12.017
When to do morning affirmations?
Although there is no rule as to when it is the best time to use affirmations, using them in the morning is by far most effective. The main reason is that when you use affirmations in the morning, you are starting your day with a positive frame of mind. Also, saying morning affirmations just after you wake up can help get rid of any negativity from bad dreams and prevent your brain from becoming overloaded with any difficulties or problems you might be experiencing.
However, in order to maintain the positive thought flow, repeat the morning affirmations constantly throughout the day.
This will help you maintain a positive outlook, be optimistic, and perhaps improve multiple areas of your life such as health, fitness, your relationships, your career, etc.
How to create your own affirmations?
Think about what you are seeking to attract, and then think about the beliefs that impede you from vibrating on the right frequency. Do you feel insecure about something? Is there a fear haunting you? As unpleasant as this first stage of the process is, it will help you design affirmations that will bring you greater confidence and a more positive self-image.
As a next step, get this negative belief out of your mind by writing it down. By doing this, you are symbolically detaching yourself from this assumption and getting ready to replace it with positive and encouraging ones. Find the opposite of this negative belief and make it the center of your affirmation. In doing so, stay clear from words that carry negative connotations like don’t, won’t, or can’t and use only positive language.
For example, instead of replacing the negative thought “I am ugly” with “I am not ugly”, use a stronger and more positive statement, like “I am beautiful”. This will make your affirmation much more effective.
It is that simple, really!
However, if you need some inspiration throughout this process, there are a lot of ready-made powerful affirmations that may help you deal with a range of issues. The following list of morning affirmations might inspire you to create your own.
Morning affirmations for success
- I believe I can do whatever I set my mind to.
- I am strong and I am attracting great opportunities.
- I have dreams and goals that I am going to achieve.
- I am the sole creator of my life.
- I embrace every challenge as an opportunity to grow.
- I am brave. I am willing to face my fears.
- Today I am prepared for success.
- I will prosper. There are no limits to my growth.
- I will stay focused on my goals.
- I am a winner.
Morning affirmations for weight loss
- I am losing weight.
- I am confident about how I look.
- I listen to my body’s needs.
- I take care of my body.
- I feel good in my body.
- I love eating healthy and going to the gym.
- I believe I am able to change my habits and create better and healthier ones.
- Every day brings me closer to my ideal weight.
- I am strong in body and mind.
- I am unstoppable. I can achieve the body I want.
Morning affirmations for a productive day
- Today is going to be a good day.
- Today I focus on the good.
- I will fill this day with positive thoughts.
- I believe in my potential.
- I allow myself to go after my dreams.
- I feel motivated.
- I am determined and I will not give up.
- I know that each day is a new opportunity for great things.
- I greet this day with excitement about the possibilities that it brings.
- I have what it takes to overcome any obstacles.
Morning affirmations for happiness
- I am choosing to be grateful and happy today.
- I am happy, I am healthy, I am strong.
- I am open to happiness and joy.
- I am worth loving.
- Today is full of beautiful moments.
- I am grateful for the happiness I feel today.
- I am surrounded by positive energy and peace.
- I am focused on finding happiness everywhere.
- I am open to receive happiness and kindness.
- Today I am allowing myself to stay positive and happy.
These are just some examples of positive morning affirmations that you can adopt, adapt or use as guidelines while creating your own. You can find thousands more online, and if you want to get really inspired and get rid of any doubt that you might still have in their effectiveness, I personally recommend you start this journey by following Louise Hay, and watching her YouTube videos.
Besides her amazing heartening life story, you will find many positive daily affirmations to uplift your day and help you create your best life.
Making a habit
Practicing positive morning affirmations is all about creating a strong set of habits. Habits of belief, habits of having a positive outlook, habits of repetition… Having that in mind, the best way to adopt this set of habits is to anchor the practice of morning affirmations into your life. The most effective method? Tie it up with another habit.
A good way to approach this would be to have a very simple habit that you perform almost in a state of automation. This can be drinking your morning cup of tea, or having your breakfast.
Once you decide on the activity, simply make it a habit to follow this same activity with a practice of morning affirmations. You can spend one or two minutes at the beginning, and up the time window slightly from there onward.
That being said, to practice positive morning affirmations is to adopt a set of habits that inevitably leads to an improved self-image, better outlook, and plenty of mental energy to tackle whatever the day may bring. It is worth a try, isn’t it – after all, what is there to lose?