If mental health is health, positive affirmations are reps. Positive affirmations are exercises needed to boost mental health. They can relieve acute emotional distress, boost motivation or self-esteem, and build resilience to help people deal with feelings like anxiety and depression. Affirmations are powerful, and although they’re not a suitable replacement for professional help, one of their benefits is that they’re accessible.
How Do They Work?
When we think, billions of neurons send electrical impulses in our brains, and the more that happens, the more sensitive the neurons become, strengthening their pathways.
As one psychologist explained, “Our brains are always looking for shortcuts, and tend to latch onto thoughts that come up the most or are the most easily accessible.”
So, our most frequent thoughts should be beneficial and reinforce positive beliefs. Using positive affirmations has been proven to decrease stress, improve performance, confidence and self-esteem, plus increase overall well-being. Over time, repeating positive affirmations has been shown to reshape how you think and feel about yourself. On the other hand, constantly thinking pessimistic thoughts like “I’m not good enough” makes it easier to access that idea and believe it as fact.
Positive affirmations disrupt negative thought patterns and build new neural pathways in your brain. Reciting affirmations can activate areas in the brain associated with reward, reminding people of their self-worth. Changing the way you think will impact your actions, which can be used to develop new skills, improve relationships, and succeed in many areas of life. Positive affirmations are a way for you to hack your brain, essentially.
Making Positive Affirmations
When making positive affirmations, first figure out what about yourself you want to focus on, then highlight the positive. Research shows that identifying your values and affirming your identity helps with self-talk. Start by answering questions like “who am I?” “what’s important to me?” “what do I want?” By reflecting on these questions you will be better able to make affirmations addressing your specific concerns or goals.
Just because affirmations are meant to be deeply personal doesn’t mean you can’t borrow quotes and mantras. Authors like Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou are great sources of wisdom. Plus, there’s the internet. And while “I am strong, I am capable, and I feel great” or “I am original, and I matter” may be generic, that doesn’t mean they’re not applicable to your life or that they can’t be effective. Figuring out the right affirmations for you isn’t an exact science, and that’s okay, because there are no wrong answers, and trial and error is your friend.
Method of Delivery
You’ll want to sort out how you’re going to track and go over your positive affirmations, because repetition is key. Some options include writing them down, recording them, doing visualization exercises or using an app, and each has its own benefits.
Writing out positive affirmations gives you a built-in visual aid to help make the affirmations feel real, and not just conceptual. If you write them down on sticky pads and display them prominently, this can also act as a reminder to say them. Use the present tense when wording your affirmations, because they’re meant to be about the present and future, not the past. Writing the affirmations by hand will also help with memorization, but if they’re on your phone, they’re more accessible.
If you prefer audio, you can repeat the affirmations to yourself aloud or listen to recordings of them. One of the benefits of audio versions of affirmations is that hearing yourself recite positive messages makes the statements more believable and easier to accept, because they’re not from an external source. Many experts recommend repeating affirmations in front of a mirror — first thing in the morning if possible — to hear and see yourself saying them. It’s almost certain to feel awkward at first, but it’s worth the temporary discomfort.
Reciting positive affirmations via visualization is a common technique used by athletes. Like meditating, the goal of visualization is to quiet your mind and create a calm, reflective headspace to focus on a specific goal. Experts recommend visualizing a scene that calms, before adding the affirmations.
Some research suggests that saying or writing affirmations can foster a deeper sense of belonging.
Getting Started
Positive affirmations are personal, and there’s no correct way to incorporate them into your life. The most important thing is to start; don’t feel pressured to do it daily, because the real benefit of positive affirmations comes when they’re a natural part of your mental health habits.
Affirmations should be short, easy-to-remember and ideally start with “I am,” “I will,” or “I can”– followed by a statement. Some experts recommend repeating just one affirmation to start. You can create a routine around the affirmations, but being able to say them anywhere, anytime is also beneficial.
Marcus Medford | Contributing Writer
