Affirmations are thoughts you consciously repeat to your self desiring a specific outcome. These are curious. Do they work? Sometimes they seem to and at other times they produce no results. I also believe affirmations work where we have control over the outcome. The process should be in our hands. They don’t work if they are dependent on the behaviour of others or situations outside our control.
What we can control
One of the things that is there in our control is our behaviour. Affirmations have a greater chance of working when we focus on our behaviour. If we desire a particular behaviour or desire the absence of a particular behaviour, then affirmations have a chance of working. Also, I think affirmations should be done not just before we do need the result but at other times too.
Affirmations work especially well when we are trying to control daytime sleepiness, hunger, bathroom breaks, tiredness, fixed waking up time etc because the entire behaviour is in our control.
Where they don't work
Affirmations fail when we want a change of behaviour in another person or asking for things outside our control. Affirmations, if you understand them are messages we are telling ourselves. Hence they have a chance of working if you try to control your behaviour and not outside forces.
Telling yourself repeatedly, “I want more money in my life”, “I want to reduce my weight” “I want my children to behave better” or any others things is only a wish. You can say it a thousand times it is not going to materialize because a lot of the outcome is dependent on the outside world. Telling yourself, “I am going to start searching for a job tomorrow”, “I am going to the gym tomorrow” “I am going to control my anger and expectations with my children’ has a greater chance of working as the behaviour is in your control.
Affirmations seem to be effective if they are about yourself and not about the outside world. What do you think?