How Affirmations Rewire your Brain to make Changes

I thought I'd share some of my thoughts and ideas about affirmations that can rewire the brain that is the first tentative step in creating change. In my education and training about the brain and neural circuits there are ways of altering behaviour, physical and emotional health and well-being.

Affirmations have been around for years

Many of us have heard about affirmations, perhaps used them in the past.

From time-to-time affirmations come very much into fashion and then fade away as another idea comes into vogue.

Now I admit affirmations have never been my thing - well not knowingly, anyway. Thirty years ago they seemed to be just 'pie in the sky' wishing for change.

I now encourage clients studying my Pain Support Program to use positive words as self-talk, either to the brain or body or 'both'. Spoken out loud or internal self-talk that starts to rewire the brain and create changes, physical and emotional.

Change needs neuroplasticity to happen

I found some years ago what I call a middle way - a way to start an awareness or readiness of the creation of change.

This was when I studied yoga teaching. Affirmations were introduced in one of the course modules.

This part of the course was about self-development; setting goals, making plans and invariably using affirmations to help achieve them. At this time, I used patient goals at the beginning of my kinesiology consultations when it was important to make sure the goal was worded appropriately.

In my yoga training we are told affirmations should be “I” statement so that we are taking ownership. Perhaps this is true, perhaps not, but let's stay with the idea of using “I” statements and discuss the three different “I” statements suggested.

First, begin your affirmation with the words “I am…” as that this has the strongest energy. Secondly, an affirmation can be “I have….” and this implies the ability to do something.

The third type of affirmation, and this is the one that interested me to use with clients. 

This third type of affirmation turned out to be useful particularly when working with people who are or have been suffering with chronic pain or anxiety - but nothing worked.

• They may have got initial changes, that didn’t last.

• They seemed to be on a carousel continuously searching for a new therapist.

• With each new therapist they had some improvement, then they’re back to where they started.

So a constant honeymoon period of hope but no real change and no real movement towards being happy and healthy.

All of us may have some aspects of our work or life that we keep hoping or wishing we could alter.

Maybe we expended much energy on “I am…”  or “I have…” affirmations.

• Talked to yourself in the mirror,

• stuck “I” stickers all over the fridge,

• muttered your affirmations every day driving to work.

But after all this effort same old stuff is still the same old stuff! I have certainly been there. However I think this third affirmation may be different and worth exploring.

The third type of affirmation begins with the words “I allow …..” 

This is when you really want something, but your mind rejects it, or fights against it.

Rewiring the brain takes time and consistency

In my kinesiology practice I have seen people make amazing changes: -

• They have completely got rid of their pain.

• They no longer get anxious,

• They could be described as stress resilient.

• They achieve a level of confidence that gains them recognition at work or other parts of their life so they have the ability to transcend family or relationship problems.

• They have achieved promotion at work that seemed unthinkable previous to having kinesiology treatment.

Therefore, when a client makes little or no progress after the initial three or four consultations, I am always searching for a reason for this lack of progress, or inability of the body or mind to make changes.

A Better type of Affirmation to Begin to Rewire your Brain.

This affirmation of “I allow ........”, may be able to bring an awareness to those who have tried everything and say, “I've tried that, but it didn't work”.

Even though the work you have done or the treatment you've had could enable change to take place there is still some aspect of your mind's belief system that rejects change.

Perhaps in general with the concept of an affirmation that starts with “I allow” progress may be made. When you really want something but your mind rejects believing that can you have it, or that you can do it, or you can achieve it - let’s begin at a gentler place and pace.

I hope awareness of this last affirmation will help me to assist those of you who are not achieving the major changes and improvements that you and your clinician would like to see.

Finally from my extensive experience in kinesiology I suggest adding a fourth affirmation (especially for us females), “I give myself permission to…” - we give everything and much of ourselves to everyone else, this wording is more focussed on self to re-energize our minds and body to be stronger and more resilient.

Again from clinical experience, top of the list would be “I give myself permission to say no”!

Conclusion

We often want to make changes, but when we don't understand how the brain is wired we often give up too soon to make 'changes stick'. Our brain has leant much about us over the years and will always try to bring us back to the way we usually live our lives.

• Some of the most important things to consider are: -

• Define the change and why it matters.

• Choose from above the affirmation that will work for you.

• What are the benefits from the change - to you or to others.

• Do you have the time and energy to commit to re-wiring your brain.

I hope this article gives you something to ponder, as pondering is good.

Pondering is a precursor to making positive changes.

Jean Jordan – about me

After over 20 years of owning pain clinics, I started Natural Pain Solutions (NPS) to reach more people, rather than one person at a time.  After studying Postgraduate Pain Management & Freedom from Chronic Pain with Howard Schubiner, I want to spread the word about neuroplastic holistic self-help techniques people can use at home and healthcare practitioners can use in their clinics.

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NOTE: The information on this website is for education purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis. Consult your local healthcare practitioner.