Mantras are short phrases that contain distilled wisdom. They carry significant meaning in a few short words and have the ability to transform a person. They are often thought of as spiritual or religious chants, however, you can apply the power of mantras to everyday life.
The words you speak have a significant impact on your life. Words can change your brain; the language you use promotes cognitive functioning by strengthening areas of your frontal lobe. Knowing this, it’s easy to see how mantras can help improve your life.
Mantras are phrases consisting of a few short words. You use mantras by repeating them aloud or by saying them in your mind, hence developing a healthy mental habit.
You can use mantras anywhere and at any time. Since they are short, they are easy to remember. Once you repeat mantras long enough, they also become automatic. You don’t need to work at using mantras and that makes them a convenient and quick mental tool.
By using mantras of your own, you can shape your personality to reflect the kind of person you want to be. You are what you repeatedly do and by using mantras you enable yourself to make mental and personal changes that lead to growth. Here are some of the benefits of using mantras in your life:
- It effectively helps you disrupt strong thought patterns
- You can use mantras to reinforce positive ideas
- Repeating mantras can help you shape a new identity
These are some of the ways that mantras can help you develop as a person. Let’s dive deeper and understand how you can make your own mantras and how to turn them in a strong habit.
How to Create Your Mantras
There are no wrong ways to create your own personal mantras. However, here’s a guideline that will make it easier for you to develop a mantra that has meaning for you.
Do Freewriting
Freewriting is where you continuously type out or write words as they come to your mind. The important thing is not to edit your thoughts or pause for any reason. Set a timer for 15 minutes, and when it begins, start writing and only stop when the timer goes off.
The reason you do this is that editing your thoughts blocks your creativity from flowing. When you freewrite, you allow your original thoughts and ideas to come to the surface.
Use freewriting to come up with mantras that you may want to use. You can also write about what is important to you and the changes you want to make in your life. This content can help you identify the kind of words and phrases that will give you inner strength.
Choose a Mantra
To begin with, it’s helpful to go through your writing and underline those phrases that appeal to you the most. You can narrow down on the mantra that has the most meaning for you.
Make it positive: Make sure you frame your mantra in a positive manner.
Saying ‘I choose to see the silver lining in everything around me’ is more powerful than saying ‘I will not be negative today.’
Keep it short: A mantra needs to be easy to remember which is why you should keep it short – no longer than a few words for a single sentence.
Start with one: It’s helpful to begin with a single mantra. Once you get used to repeating mantras frequently and every day, you can change it or add more as it becomes a familiar part of your routine.
When you’ve found the right mantra for you, you just have to make it part of your daily routine.
Create Reminders to Practice Daily
If you’re new to using mantras, it’s helpful to set up a reminder with the help of an app to practice every day. Mobile apps and other productivity tools will help you stay on track.
Create reminders on your phone and on your wearable device to repeat your mantras during the day. You can also build a daily to-do list that includes practicing your mantras.
It’s very useful to repeat your mantras just when you’re facing challenges at work or in your personal life. A mantra will help disrupt unhelpful thoughts and give you the energy to move into a more positive direction.
Mantras Lead to Betterment and Mental Strength
Words have the power to transform your life, and mantras allow you to easily and conveniently use words to change your mindset.
We’ve looked at why mantras are great tools for self-improvement and how you can create them for yourself. Go ahead and make mantras a part of your life to see incredible and positive changes.