I see it all the time, in the faces of my patients, friends, and family; that longing for a miracle cure to every problem life throws us. “ I have back pain” one will say and explain how it just wouldn’t go away and their torment at not finding an answer despite every blood test and scans that had found no physical problem. “I can’t be intimate with my partner” again waiting for me to offer a drug or more investigations that would solve the problem instantly. At first, I agreed, this is what we’re taught in medical school if there is physical pain look for a physical cause if you cannot find one refer the patient to a psychiatrist if they keep coming back. At the same time, I saw others with life situations that most couldn’t endure, physical conditions that were debilitating yet they were there pushing through, full of positivity and hope. I even saw this in my life when faced with obstacles, when there seemed no solution in sight, I too was able to have a positive outlook and then the miracle would occur this positive mindset, the desired outcome would become my reality.
During my teens, I simply thought nothing of what I later learned was called affirmations. I just thought there is nothing else I can do so I am just going to imagine every day as hard as I can and repeat a better outcome. During my time working with cancer patients, I saw those who kept a positive mindset and belief in affirmations or manifestation as I prefer to sometimes think of it, live longer than they were given to live. In the same way, I have seen those expected to live much longer give up within days having affirmed their belief that they couldn’t make it. So I could see as a Doctor and within my own experience that positive affirmations had the power to heal.
I understand you ‘ve heard it before; this is what my patients and friends say when they ask me for a solution to a problem and I reply “change your mindset and set daily affirmations for the outcome you want”. There has been a recent rise and popularity in the area of holistic and wellness so a lot gets lost in translation. Is it a plant diet this week or is it keto? Are we doing yoga or acupuncture? Does CBD oil work? And on it goes, and you guessed it the answer isn’t that simple but I can tell you that everything begins with your mind. Start with setting the right intentions, work on what you focus your mind on and the rest will follow. I get it even within my profession many do not ascribe to this concept that something as simple as positive affirmations or that the mind can manifest a different outcome or for instance bring about healing. But we are seeing more and more the power of our minds. The growing area of epigenetics, Bruce H. Lipton Ph.D., one of its pioneers made discoveries revealing that our environment controls our behaviour and the structure of our cells. In other words, what you think affects your health and wellbeing. So if you can change how you perceive a difficult situation with positive affirmations this often means you can influence your emotional interaction with it and thereby the outcome.
Affirmations are positive statements that we use to affect our conscious and subconscious minds which results in changes in our behaviour and environment. When we repeat positive affirmations they become engraved in our subconscious along with the images and emotions they evoke within us.
Which in turn often lead to the following:
Yes, it does!
Ray Dalio in Principles For Success speaks about looking at the historical context of an event to know what action to apply. For instance, when looking at how to accomplish a task or goal, look at how you completed a goal previously and apply those principles. From this I decided to draft my principles of success, looking at what I did when I accomplished goals set and also what I did when I failed to reach my goals. The first principle I wrote was “unwavering belief reinforced by positive affirmations written down and pinned to my wall”. This is exactly what I did for my GCSEs, despite my parents being told they should expect me to pass at best. My 15-year-old mind didn’t fully comprehend the power of what she was doing but was motivated in wanting to make her parents proud as she saw their sadness after that particular parent’s evening. So I took a piece of paper and wrote down on it what I wanted-, “I have at least 6 A’s and the rest Bs for my GCSEs” and read it every night before bed. I got 2A*, 7A’s and 1B for my GCSEs!
I also used affirmations when I injured myself a year ago at the gym, I was so fed up I sat that morning in church 6 months later, I still see it so vividly and stated that I would no longer have pain in my left lower back. Each day I repeated that sentence and visualized myself in church, a week later my pain was gone. I am personally someone who doesn’t take medications unless necessary and so was not on any pain relief and I also was stubbornly not resting! Many others have shared similar stories with me about overcoming difficulties in their lives.
Now more than ever a positive mindset is paramount. I am having more patients present to me with anxiety and depression following the loss of loved ones, jobs, and the uncertainty we currently face. Often prescribing antidepressants does not solve the issue or the individual wishes for a more natural and self-directed treatment plan. In which case I will discuss the power of affirmations and mindful living with them subsequently giving them affirmations to take home.
I have found 4 powerful reasons for prescribing affirmations:
So here are my top 10 daily affirmations to help get you started!
The most important action to take now is to commit to a couple even one will do of your affirmations or reword some of the above and start repeating these daily without judgment.
One battle many women (including black women) fight during holiday seasons or holidays like this is how to stay motivated. The holiday season is a great time to which we all look forward. But let’s face it, holidays aren’t only rosy and jolly. They come with their fair share of work and distractions.
One battle many women (including black women) fight during holiday seasons or holidays like this is how to stay motivated. The holiday season is a great time to which we all look forward. But let’s face it, holidays aren’t only rosy and jolly. They come with their fair share of work and distractions.
“How do I get new ideas every day?” This is one question people often ask towards the end of the year.
Most people want to get new ideas to plan their goals for the New Year.
Look, everything you will do and become in life starts with an idea.
We can say your life is a reflection of the ideas you’ve been executing. My point is, you must become an idea machine if you are going to live life to its fullest potential.
For black women, self-care routines are important. Think about this: we take time out of the little we have to take care of family, friends, spouses, and even co-workers but we always bury our own needs.
In the long run, it can be harmful to us both physically and mental…
