More and more people are becoming interested in manifestation all the time.  After all, who wouldn’t want to learn how to create the life they desire?  Yet, many of us have been working towards manifesting for years with minimal or no results.  We create vision boards, repeat affirmations, journal about them, and wonder why they don’t happen.

Some of us may have manifested some things, but not consistently. Often, we don’t understand how it worked well enough to repeat the process.  As the saying goes, “Where attention goes, energy flows”.  This applies to our negative attention as well as our positive attention.  So, if your thoughts are swirling about how few friends you have, how little money you have, or how you attract the wrong intimate partners, in a pool of sadness and regret, you attract more of the same.

There are multiple steps to collapsing timelines (another way of thinking about manifesting), the basics of which I will share with you here.  Understand that your subconscious mind is most receptive right before sleep and directly when you wake up.  This is when we have the most neuroplasticity, which means that your brain is reprogrammable.  Science shows us that your subconscious rules a large portion of your life, so it’s invaluable to take advantage of this neuroplasticity by doing a brief meditation in the immediate moment upon waking.  

During this meditation, think of at least 3 affirmations and gratitudes, but don’t just say them; feel them.   Embodying the practice makes it far more powerful. Most of us have been delineating affirmations and gratitudes without immersing ourselves in the emotions associated with them.  This is ineffective.  So, start your day off right with this exercise.  I would encourage you to do 20 gratitudes and affirmations if you have time.  Still, the most important part is to embody the emotions associated with those.

Notice how doing this exercise makes you feel a little bit better, which you then want to spread throughout your day.  At first, you may notice that the good feeling fades quickly.  That’s normal.  Every time your mood dips, pause. Place your hand on your heart, take 2-3 deep breaths, and recall 3 more things you’re grateful for. Remember to really feel the emotions associated with those things.  Take at least 4-5 mindful moments throughout the day doing this exact exercise.  Over time, this practice strengthens your ability to sustain a positive mood. 

To make this morning practice stick, program your brain the night before.  As you settle into bed, relax your body and silently affirm, “I will do a mindful moment when I wake up”.  You can actually practice the exercise at night before you go to sleep because, as you get relaxed, you gain access to the neuroplasticity of your brain and have access to programming your subconscious mind.

It is also helpful to meditate sometimes during the day.  This is an excellent time to tune into these ideas, reminding yourself that you are part of the field, the energy connecting everything.  Your dominant energy is the frequency you send out, and the field mirrors it back to you.  To collapse into a more ideal timeline, you have to assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled.  This means you must feel what you would feel if you already had all your wishes met.  Imagine the relief of financial freedom or the joy of a loving relationship.

One proven tool I teach is thought restructuring, a cognitive therapy technique shown to improve mood.   If these manifestation techniques feel overwhelming, start here. You can learn this technique on this site by searching for cognitive therapy.  Practicing this skill 20–50 times helps train your brain to replace negative thoughts with more neutral or positive ones, making it easier to apply the practices above. This is the number that research says will teach your brain to come up with more positive thoughts.

Another effective tool is EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), which helps the body release difficult emotions.  You’ll find a page that teaches you how to do EFT.  While EFT isn’t designed for mania, it helps reduce challenging emotions, teaches emotion regulation, and distinguishes between anxiety and mania.

With consistent practice, you’ll likely notice within a month that your mood is sustaining improvement for greater portions of the day.  After two months of daily practice (several times a day), many people notice a significant overall shift. If you’re managing depression or anxiety, progress may take longer—and that’s okay. Be patient with yourself. Blessings and good luck!