“Make your life a masterpiece; imagine no limitations on what you can be, have or do.” Brian Tracy.
It’s so true that you reap what you sow, particularly when it comes to our minds. I know that if I’m feeling stressed, down or frustrated with other people in my life, it’s usually more to do what I’m ‘feeding’ my mind (in terms of self-talk) rather than outside circumstances. And when I feel really good, you can guarantee that the inner chatter is positive and self-supporting.
With this in mind, have you ever thought that our brains are quite similar to computers? They really are. We can actually programme them to work better for us. The potential is huge! Think about it. Habits originate in the brain. And psychologists know that our subconscious minds can be trained to shift towards healthier habits and thought processes, and away from ones that don’t serve us well – so why aren’t we using this more?
Affirmations have been used to successfully treat people with low self-esteem, depression, and other mental health conditions. And they have been shown to stimulate the areas in our brains that make us more likely to make positive changes in regard to our health.
Yes, we can train our brains for a ‘slimmer you’.
Choose the Right One AND Commit
Positive affirmations can be super effective, but only if used correctly. When people choose sentences that don’t quite ‘fit’ for them, the results can be disappointing at best, or sabotaging at worst. For instance, if the affirmation feels strange or too far away from where we feel now, it will actually make you feel more isolated. So choose your words carefully.
Try to choose wording that really resonates with you and your emotions. And also, commit to using affirmations for at least three weeks to give your mind time to adapt. Too often, people don’t give their affirmation enough time to take hold, so this time commitment is essential for success.
Start your affirmations in the morning, ideally while shaving or putting on make-up so that it becomes part of your daily ritual. Then try to repeat it while driving in the car that day, and again at bed-time, alongside your visualisation exercises (this combination has been shown to be the most powerful in shifting the brain into new, positive habits).
Create New Patterns
Unfortunately so many of us focus more on what is missing in our life and on what we DON’T want, rather than what we want to create. Affirmations side-step this way of thinking…these positive mental repetitions can reboot our thinking patterns so that, over time, we begin to think – and act – differently. We actually start to create the person we want to be; rather than the person we just dream of being.
Examples of Positive Affirmations (better still, try to come up with your own!):
– I am willing to change.
– I can do this.
– I have the power to change my life.
– I eat only what I need.
– I aim to eat like a slim person.
– I enjoy nourishing my body with healthy food.
– I choose to be slim and healthy.
– Losing body fat is easy and effortless for me now.
– I am getting stronger and slimmer every day.
– I treat my body with love and kindness.
– I am worthy of unconditional self-love and self-compassion.
– I am good enough. I am even more than that.
– I am learning to be kind to myself.
– I am letting go of guilt, as it no longer serves me.
– I am grateful for the body I have and the all it does for me.
– Losing weight is exciting; I feel better every day.
– I exercise because it makes me feel good.
– Smaller portions suit my body better.
– I deserve to be slim and to love my body.
– This time it’s different.
– I believe in myself.
Check out some more examples here.
Or listen to an audio on affirmations by the brilliant motivational author Louise Hay, who passed away only last year aged 91
Take some time to devise your affirmation – and choose just one to start with.
I hope ‘The Simplest Way to Train your Brain for a Slimmer You’ gives you the inspiration you need to pick that first positive affirmation. Please email me at maebh.coyle@motivation.ie to share with us what one works best for you.
