It is already September and I’m in a deep productivity slump. I don’t feel the urge to do anything and just looking forward to weekends so I can sleep more. I know it is not healthy and I want to put a stop to it.
As I do some reading, I now realize it is a sign that I’m having a burnt-out. And one of the ways to manage burnout is by incorporating daily morning affirmation. Hmm, interesting.
Affirmations.
I first heard about the concept when I read the book ‘ Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod. He introduces the concepts of SAVERS in his morning routine.
S – Silence
A – Affirmations
V – Visualization
E – Exercise
R – Read
S – Scribe
While I’m quite familiar with being silent, read and scribe in my daily morning routine, I have never try affirmation and visualization before (I purposely exclude exercise as there is nowhere I will exercise in the morning. Or in any time else, ever. I will work on it later. One step at a time).
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Psychology Today describes them as a way to “reprogram the subconscious mind, to encourage us to believe certain things about ourselves or the world and our place in it.
Ehhh what? I don’t get it, you say?
Another simpler explanation by positive psychology, who defines the affirmation as the positive phrases or statements used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts.
The concept of repeating the positive words daily, in front of the mirror is so alien to me. To be honest, yes, I am into the self-development thingy but repeating positive words while looking at my face * cringe*. It sounds so corny. So, so corny.
But lots of people swear by the power of affirmation. Science has reported in various empirical studies that positive self-affirmations can give lots of benefits from decrease health deteriorating disease, lower stress levels and improve academic performance.
Sounds good eh?
As I read more articles on the concepts of affirmation I’m quite convinced. The idea of improving self-efficacy (our ability to control moral outcomes and flexibility in perceiving when our moral compassed get challenged) is the area of myself I should work on
I’m fat, I’m stupid, I’m not good with Maths
There’s no way I can do it, it is in my genetic I’m unable to do public speaking
I cannot do this and that, because I am this and that
And the list goes on and on
Do you get me? We are so accustomed to talking negatively about ourselves (and others, ahem!), that it become so weird to talk positively about ourselves. I think it is about time to view ourselves positively so it will translate in the way we perceived the world.
How to create the ultimate morning affirmations that will help us overcome this slump or whatever states we are currently in?
STEP ONE: Identify the issues, situation that you are currently in
Issues you faced might be something similar to this
- I don’t feel motivated or urge to do anything
- Easily feel bored
- Feeling like I don’t do and achieve enough
- Doom scrolling in my downtime
- I don’t know what I’m feeling
STEP TWO: Create a list of affirmations that resonant with whatever feelings or situation you are currently in
If you google, you can find various lists of affirmations that can help kickstart our morning affirmation journey. But I do feel it is important to create our own affirmations so it doesn’t really feel like reading a script but really what we ought to become.
Though some list is quite okay, I think a few of them is quite general and not really specific. So following the productivity guru, Matt D’Avela, we can try to use the Enneagram personality test to identify our personality traits to create more personalized positive morning affirmation. I know it’s not really necessary, but if it sounds fun.
Based on the current issues faced as well as the enneagram personality test we can create more personified morning daily affirmations. The more personal the affirmations, the more likely we believe in them.
30-morning affirmation ideas to start your day:
- Today is going to be filled with joy
- I have been given the gift of ‘present’ of the new day, I have endless possibilities
- I accept that I am not perfect and have flaws and that’s okay
- I have set my goals and I’m working in that direction
- I have given 24 hours the same as the other people to achieve what I want
- I have enough to feel contempt and happy
- I have been blessed with an opportunity today and I should go and take it
- I have given full control to plan and paint my day bright
- I let go of the need to need to accomplish things perfectly
- I set reasonable expectations with myself
- I have all the tools to improve myself
- There is so much bliss & joy waiting for me today
- Today I choose to see good in everyone and everything
- I love the person that I’m becoming
- Just because I didn’t finish my to-do list doesn’t mean I’m worthless and didn’t work hard
- I have accomplished enough to feel successful and worthwhile
- I have all I need to make today the best day
- I have whatever it takes to face the challenges of the day
The I AM morning affirmation
- I am confident with what I have been doing in my life
- I can control my feeling and emotions
- I am at ease with life
- I am capable of anything if I set my mind to
- I’m ready and excited for today
- I am confident, healthy, and mindful
- I am beautiful, confident, and strong ( I snort as I read this, will work on it better )
- I’m allowing myself to do mistakes so I can grow and learn
- I am not responsible for what other people think of me as I cannot control their perception
- I am more than enough I am what I am. People will accept me for who I am
- I am grateful for another day blessed upon me
- I am ready to improve myself 1% better than yesterday
Okay, so I have listed 30 daily morning affirmation ideas to help you kickstart in creating your list.
But, let’s add extra fun and zing to it. Let’s combine the affirmation along with the idea of ‘accountability mirror’ by David Goggin’s’.
STEP THREE: Hold yourself accountable
David Goggin is the retired army navy seal, the famous author of the book Can’t Hurt Me. In one of the chapters, he introduces the concepts of accountability mirror.
When Goggin’s stood in front of that mirror, he looked at his reflection and said, “You’re fat, you’re lazy, and you’re a liar. What are you going to do about it?”
The gist of what he explained in this chapter is: Whatever happened to us, it is because of our own actions. So we should own it.
If we are fat and lazy. That is because we are allowing ourselves to become fat and lazy. So look at the mirror and see us from what we are.
But what we speak to the mirror is the reflection of what we think of ourselves. Negative self-talk won’t completely convince you to be better. It will make you feel worst. Like speaking to others, we should be nice to ourselves. And, that’s when the positive affirmation comes in.
“ Yes, I am fat and lazy, I accept the fact (acceptance),
But, because I value myself, I will eat more healthy and set specific goals (encouragement).
I accept that I am not perfect and have flaws and that’s okay (affirmation 1) and I am working passionately to reach the goal that I set (affirmation 2).
Affirmation and accountability. That’s the strategy I’m aiming for.
STEP FOUR: Make it visible
Sticky notes, my friend. Use sticky notes
Write down clearly your daily morning affirmation and stick it around your mirror. It is like you become your own cheerleader. Some days certain affirmation resonant well with your life and certain days other affirmation works better. Keep on rotating the list of affirmation to make it sounds fresh and give different perspective every time you read it.
p/s: You can use positive quotes from the books you read, your favourite movies, or from your loved one to give context to your affirmation.
STEP FIVE: Just start
I am legit sceptical of the idea of daily affirmations for the longest time. I dreaded the idea of me talking to myself nicely. It is cheesy and corny.
But now, I’m in the deepest slump, and I know that only I can pull myself out. I have created certain goals and targets but it doesn’t seem enough to help me get out of the rut.
Then, I try these affirmations.
Not going to lie, I still feel quite awkward with the daily affirmations especially as I need to look myself in the mirror as I did it. But then I realize, I haven’t look after and being completely comfortable & vulnerable with my own self for the longest time. That’s why it is so awkward.
But having said that, I found it is remarkably interesting to hold myself accountable and affirms it afterwards. Like I can mindfully change myself and manoeuvre my life in the direction I wanted. Okay maybe it sounds exaggerated a little but what I’m trying to say is just start, and try it yourself.
Maybe daily morning affirmation is the pushing factor and reminder of what we all needs in our life
Try these 5 simple steps with a 30 list of the daily morning affirmation and share with me your thoughts about it.
