Affirm yourself and silence the inner critic!
Affirmations are simple but powerful ways to change how we speak to and about ourselves. Through the act of self-affirmation, we are able to meet our personal needs, improve our quality of life and nurture the relationship we have with self.
For author and wellness coach Phemelo Segoe, teaching people how to affirm themselves and giving them a safe space to do so remains a priority.
Through her book Affirmations Journal, Segoe enables readers to continuously work on silencing the inner critic by creating and embracing a positive inner-voice.
“I think we sometimes take our self-talk very lightly and forget the importance of holding space for our mistakes and showing ourselves compassion. As soon as I started having kinder and more empowering conversations with myself, I began to trust and love myself more. This is why I encourage affirmations,” she says.
Segoe believes affirmations are not only a self-loving way to manifest one’s goals through the law of attraction, but that they also play a vital part in one’s spirituality.
“We are spiritual beings and our words tap into the spiritual realm. Before a thought can become a thing, it has to be an idea. And all these thoughts come from somewhere. The power to create our reality lies in our words and that’s why it is important to watch what we say”.
While Affirmations Journal encourages written affirmations, intentions and feelings, there are other ways to affirm yourself as long as you are being intentional and using the powerful words ‘I am’.You can stand in front of the mirror and repeat positive affirmations, or even record them on your phone and listen to them regularly in order to re-programme your thoughts.
“Regardless of how you choose to affirm yourself, you need to identify the negative talk and use the right language. When spiraling into self-doubt, you need to catch yourself in the moment, acknowledge that such thoughts are wrong and then apologise to yourself. We know when we disrespect other people but we hardly realise it when we disrespect ourselves,” she says.
Self-affirming action can and will most likely feel very strange and uncomfortable at first. However, with consistency, this can put you in charge of your thoughts and improve your quality of life.
“I still affirm myself almost everyday. Even on bad days, I’ll have an affirmation for that specific circumstance. Self-doubt is something that you have to constantly work on. When your inner critic is telling you that you cannot do something, you need to affirm that you can”.
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