Put quite simply, an affirmation is a statement of truth.

An affirmation is a statement made now of what we would like in the future.

The mechanics of precisely how affirmations work are, as far as I know, unknown to scientists and psychologists.

Anecdotal and empirical evidence however suggests that affirmations can and do work, though in different ways for different people.

This seems to have an impact on your psychological and bio-chemical functioning.
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Affirmations are an internal dialogue between your conscious mind and your subconscious mind.

Then, in turn, how you see your self will begin to alter how others view you too and this sets up a cycle of positive reinforcement.

As others respond positively to you, it becomes easier for you to maintain and enhance[]/color][color=red] your self-image.
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Where affirmations can stall is when the projected self-image is so far from the current self-image that the conscious mind simply does not believe what it is saying to itself.

Exactly how far you can project a self-image away from your current self-image and still have your subconscious mind respond varies from person to person.
fIt is however possible to tool yourself and this is the key to using affirmations effectively.

Your conscious mind can fool your subconscious mind.
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To use affirmations effectively then it is up to you to experiment to find the precise method and wording that works best for you.

If you are getting it right you should feel physically energized and mentally stimulated.

If your affirmation is too demanding then your subconscious mind will know you are lying and neither your body or mind will react accordingly.

In this case I suggest that you will find it hard to make affirmations work effectively for you, though such statements can perhaps provide excellent material to meditate on.

If you are getting it right you should feel physically energized and mentally stimulated.

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Saying Affirmations

There are no hard and fast rules on how to actually say your affirmations. so choose a method that is most suitable for you.

Some people get the best results by repeating affirmations in a similar way to a religious mantra.

The same statement is uttered over and over at a rapid pace so that it becomes hypnotic and takes the speaker into a meditative trance.

Others get great results by sitting calmly and quietly reiterating the affirmation to themselves giving them time to think about and consider exactly what the words mean.

This approach works best with affirmations that are designed to calm and restore you.

Another technique is to shout out the statement as loudly as you can (while respecting the people around you) and fully focusing yourself on the words in a dynamic way.