Why affirmations don’t work

Why Affirmations Don’t Work… and how to make an emotional pivot.

Imagine you’re in an emotional funk.

You may be feeling a bit down on yourself; discouraged about your prospects or things in general are not working out the way you want them to.

And you’ve heard that negative thoughts and emotions aren’t good. In fact, they tend to create more of the same and the last thing you need is more of what you’ve already got.

So, you reach for something – anything to turn things around. You go for an inspirational book or stack of cards and randomly pull…

“I freely express who I am.”  

“I have unlimited potential.”

“Everything in my life is working out in my favor.”

Does that make you feel better? Likely not.

At times like this affirmations seem like an outright lie, or at best a split person inside of you who is telling you that everything is okay when the other side knows clearly it’s not.

Affirmations when used at the wrong time or for the wrong purpose cause cognitive dissonance – an inconsistency in your thoughts and beliefs that cause more conflict rather than the emotional relief you were seeking.

You can’t possibly hold two conflicting beliefs at the same time.

To pivot out of an emotional state you need a bridge – an emotional connector that gets you from where you are to where you want to be.

Try a few of these on for size. Just plug in your desired outcome or feeling to any one of these bridge phases and see what happens.

“I am in the process of…”

“I love it when…. works out beautifully for me.”

“I so enjoy the feeling of…”

“It gives me so much pleasure to…”

It doesn’t matter if you are looking to lose 20 pounds, find the love of your life, make a career shift or have a fatter bank account. These emotional bridges are an immediate pivot for whatever emotional slump you may find yourself in.

Here are some completed examples that you can simply swipe if they work for you.

“I am in the process of getting a healthy, fit body.”

“I love it when I feel sexy in my clothes.”

“I so enjoy the feeling of a man’s hand on the small of my back as we walk down the street.”

“I like traveling and buying nice things for myself.”

“I like the feeling of safety that comes from saving money.”

“I’m in the process of creating more wealth.”

Do you get my drift?

Next time you are in a funk, try pivoting with an emotional bridge and let me know how it goes.

Talk soon!