Positive Affirmations. Do They Work And How Long Does It Take? (2024)

I am guessing you have heard of positive affirmations before? If not, welcome to the party.

I have written a few posts grouping together some of my favourite daily affirmations. Affirmations have helped make significant changes in my life. I was a total skeptic at first (rolling my eyes as I imagine you are now). These simple little phrases hold a lot of power, as do you. So give them a whirl.

One thing I get asked often is “how long does it take”. There are a lot of variables, but today’s blog post will look at the how, why and how long of using affirmations.

Positive Affirmations. Do they work and how long does it take?

What are affirmations?

Affirmations are positive statements or positive phrases used to challenge negative thoughts, unhelpful thoughts, and negative beliefs.

How do you use them?

Affirmations are simple to use. You find a negative belief that you wish to change and create a simple statement to challenge it. You then say that statement every day, as many times as possible.

Quick example. If you are working on becoming a calmer parent (aren’t we all?) you could use the phrase “I am calm and in control”. You repeat this at different times of the day and you can use it to deescalate a situation when you feel yourself losing patience. It works great for me and having a strong-willed child, I need to call on this one a lot.

How do affirmations work?

It’s good to remember that your subconscious mind believes all that you tell it. This is both good and bad. As simply put by French philosopher Michel de Montaigne “my life has been full of terrible misfortunes most of which never happened”. As a serious catastrophic thinker, I fully understand what he was saying.

Positive affirmations work in the same way. They tell your unconscious mind that all is well and, in time, you will nurture a more positive mindset. Pretty exciting stuff.

Post: Parenting a Strong-Willed Child and Homeschooling.

The benefits of affirmations.

There are many benefits of using affirmations, but here are my top 6.

1. Awareness. All change starts with awareness. Observing your thoughts allows you to see patterns, negative thoughts, or limiting beliefs that need attention. Then you can take action to change your state of mind.
2. Gratitude. When daily affirmations become a new habit (a new positive habit) you will notice your level of gratitude increases. Focusing on the good things that already exist in your life (whether this be positive qualities, abundance or people) only makes you attract and be grateful for more of the same.
3. Language. Affirmations change the way you speak about yourself, your situation, other people, and the world around you. I noticed quickly how badly I used to speak of myself (out loud and in my head). Your words have power. Make them powerful words working for you, not against you.
4. Goals. Creating a daily affirmation routine makes you focus on your big goal (or goals). Sometimes it takes a little attention to understand what your goals are. I found through daily affirmation, meditation and journalling my goals become clearer so I could move in the right way towards them.
5. Self-esteem. If you suffer from low self-esteem, using affirmations and increasing positive thoughts will help you feel better about yourself. As long as you use them frequently, have a positive mental image and believe in them.
6. Physical health. Mental health and physical health are close companions. If you are making positive changes to your emotional state, this will have a knock on effect on your physical state (think of the negative way stress affects your physical health).

There is a caveat that I want to state here, though. Affirmations are only part of the puzzle. They need to be carried out alongside action. You can’t simply think yourself healthier whilst you sit on the couch munching another donut (sadly).

I needed to change my thoughts and words, but I also followed this up with action. For me, this was running and making braver decisions, such as posting my first blog post even though I had major imposter syndrome.

How to create an effective affirmation?

There are just a few simple rules to think about when creating a winning affirmation.

Keep them in the present tense if possible (I am instead of I will).

Make them specific. Shorter and to the point is better, but long affirmations work as well. Just keep specific and write it down so you can remember what to say.,

Include a strong emotional or action word (I talk with confidence and ease).

When you use the affirmation, remember to:

Visualise the situation or outcome. What does it look like, feel like, sound like? Have a clear mental image.

Be consistent. Say your affirmations daily as many times as possible. First thing in the morning and last thing at night are a must for me, plus whenever I remember in the day. I also throw them in at random times, when I am washing the dishes, taking a walk or having a shower.

Be patient and persistent. I would love to say this is your magic wand and instant success is around the corner, but I would be lying. Sorry. Just go through the steps above, chose a few to start with and be persistent. We all start somewhere. Make this your day one.

How long do they take to work?

This really depends on how ingrained the habit or thought pattern is, your general level of positivity, and how consistent you are with them. For some people who commit to the process daily, they might see positive shifts in as little as a month.

If the thought is deeply ingrained and you say your affirmation twice a day but continue to think and speak negatively the rest of the day, it’s going to take a lot longer. Hopefully, though, your own affirmation routine will quickly highlight (back to observing, the first crucial step) how you speak and think and make you aware of your general attitude.

One thing I know is once you make headway with one change or mindset shift, things will happen more quickly. The first barrier will always be the hardest, but once you break it down, others will not seem as daunting. Don’t be too concerned about the time frame, just start.

How to make your affirmations work faster?

These are a few tricks I have picked up from various people to help you get better results.

1. Write them down. As well as saying or thinking your affirmations, write them out daily. Research shows that people who write out their goals are more likely to achieve them. Add them to your journal, scribble them on a shopping list, keep an affirmation note pad (I do this). Just write them down, every day.
2. Meditate with them. I like to add the affirmations I am working on into my daily meditation, right at the end. My mind is clearer and more optimistic after a meditation, so it’s a good time to drop in a few positive thoughts.
3. Say them in the morning and at night time. The best time to say your affirmations is whenever you have a spare few moments. However, starting and ending the day with a quick affirmation recital is a great way to incorporate them into daily life. I am a mom, so I know mornings are hectic and by bedtime I am exhausted. So I keep a little print out of my affirmations by the bed. They take me only a minute to say.
4. Journal on any improvements. Change happens in increments, so it is easy to miss minor improvements. Keeping a quick journal, even once a week, will highlight any wins and keep you motivated to carry on. I have been doing this for a long time now and I am always amazed at the progress I have made.
5. Post it note it. Write a few affirmations and stick them in places you will look often. The bedroom mirror, on the fridge, your closet door. Surround yourself with positivity. The good thing about affirmations is you can’t say them too much.

Struggling for inspiration? Check out my epic affirmation lists below.

Post: 159 Affirmations for Letting Go.

Post: 59 Affirmations for Gratitude.

Post: 71 Positive Affirmations for Sleep.

Post: 72 Affirmations for Overcoming Fear and Anxiety.

Examples of positive affirmations.

The following examples are affirmations I have used (and still use).

I am calm and in control of my emotions.

I am happy and living my best version of life.

I am actively working to reduce my anxiety.

I am a good Mom, even on hard days.

Fear no longer controls my decisions.

I am joyfully and happily free to be me.

I am here right now.

This feeling will pass.

I am full of positive energy and abundance.

I am walking towards a happier life.

I am strong, capable and amazing.

I am living my life exactly as I should be. Other people’s opinions about me do not matter.

Why affirmations might not work for you.

As I briefly mentioned above, affirmations are just a part of the puzzle. If you do not truly believe in what you are trying to change, it will be harder to achieve. I knew I could exist without anxiety controlling my life, even when every day was a battle to get through and every night I was wide awake with insomnia. I still imagined myself clearly how I wanted to be. Sleeping again, feeling happy, going dancing, being a calm mum.

If you simply say an affirmation but are thinking, “this is a load of rubbish, I don’t believe it”, you won’t see much change. This is actually a negative affirmation, and it has just as much power as the positive ones.

You also need to follow up with action. Change your thoughts, change your words, change your habits, change your actions, change your life.

Great books about affirmations and positivity.

Power Thoughts. 365 Daily Affirmations (Louise Hay). The queen of all things affirmation Louise created this book full of positive affirmations. Open at random or pick what you need.

You are a Badass (Jen Sincero). I love this book. It’s too the point and very easy to read. Sometimes it takes some blunt advice to get moving.

The Power of I Am (Joel Osteen). The clues in the title.

A little Bit of Faith. Hopeful Affirmations for every day of the year. (Katie Piper).

Beautiful design, inspirational and perfect if you need a pick me up on a tough day or hard times.

The Book of Positive Thoughts (Helen Exley).

A cute little book, full of positive quotes and affirmations, collected by Helen. It’s a good pick me up for your bookshelf.

Get Rich, Lucky Bitch (Denise Duffield-Thomas).

I love Denise and her podcasts and books. This book is full of money affirmations and abundance manifestations. It helps you to work out your money blocks and limiting beliefs.

Start Where You Are (Meera Lee Patel).

A beautiful book that acts as a journal with simple exercises to help you understand how to slow down and discover what you want and hope for. Full of inspiring quotes, graphics and thought-provoking questions.

Final thoughts…

Don’t overlook the power of affirmations in your own self development. Positive thinking can change your life if you take action on those thoughts. The good news is you can start them right now. No experience needed.

I don’t say this lightly. Having suffered from chronic anxiety, probably since childhood, with absolute low self-esteem and living through severe Postpartum Depression. I have used daily positive affirmations alongside meditation, running, writing, and some medication for a while to bring me into the woman and mom I am today.

Could you do me a favour before you go, please? I want to create my own little study to see how long affirmations take to work for you. If you are willing to take part, drop me a message below or fill in the contact form and I will be in touch.

Anything else you want to add or say on your experience with affirmations? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading and giving up a few moments of your time.

Here with you.

Amanda x