Power of Positive Affirmations: Do They Really Work?

Self-care gurus and therapists always advocate daily positive affirmations. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why?

The world has become more fast-paced. Everyone is always chasing the next big thing to show off on social media. This has created a constant need to always self-improve and chase goals.

Seeing people flaunt their achievements on social media often leads to feelings of inadequacy. However, starting your day with positive thinking helps cultivate a sense of inner peace. This habit could change how you live your life and perceive different issues that may arise.

But do daily affirmations work? Let’s find out.

What Are Positive Affirmations?

Simply put, positive affirmations are statements aimed at challenging your thoughts and negative feelings. Our thoughts and feelings shape our reality, and how we act and behave.

Repeating positive statements to yourself every day will challenge your self-sabotaging patterns and confront your limiting beliefs. This simple act creates a shift in your mind, and then your life.

Have you ever heard motivational speakers say if you want to change your life, change your mindset? Incorporating self-positive affirmations in your life is one of the most profound ways of changing your mind.

Slowly, you start to switch your mindset from “I can’t do this” to “I can and I will”.

Remember, whether you think you can or you can’t you are right. So always choose the positive, and it will manifest in your life.

The Science Behind Affirmations: How They Transform Your Mind

The act of repeating positive affirmations is backed by science and has been researched, applied, and tested.  

Affirmations leverage the brain's neuroplasticity. This refers to the ability of your brain to change and adapt over time. This explains why positive affirmation only works if repeated for an extended period.

With each positive statement, the brain reshapes its network of connections to create new neural pathways. Over time, your brain starts reinforcing positive thoughts and behaviors to replace the negative patterns of the past.

Ultimately, this leads to improved confidence, self-perception, and emotional resilience.

Your brain also has a reticular activating system that acts as a filter for the brain. This system determines what information to focus on and what to ignore. It then starts to scan your environment for evidence to support your affirmations. This shapes your overall perception of yourself and your life.

The self-affirmation theory suggests that affirming positive value buffers you against threats to self. This reduces your reaction to stressful events and promotes your well-being.

The Life-Changing Benefits of Daily Affirmations

Now that you understand what affirmations are, and the science behind them. Let’s look at some of the benefits of incorporating daily affirmations into your day-to-day life:

• Improved self-esteem and confidence: Positive thinking reaffirms your strengths and abilities, building your self-worth and confidence. It allows you to approach life challenges with a positive mindset.
• Reduced stress and anxiety: Positive affirmations calm your body and nervous system. This helps you reduce stress levels, promoting a sense of inner peace. Having a calm mind allows you to approach your goals with clarity and motivation throughout the day.
• Enhanced positivity and abundance: Affirmations align with the law of attraction. This law suggests that positive thoughts and beliefs attract positive experiences in life. Therefore, reaffirmation of positivity and abundance helps position you to attract and receive positive outcomes.
• Improves overall well-being: Wellness speakers advocate the need to maintain a positive mindset and have an optimistic outlook on life. Incorporating positive affirmation, you will begin to feel a great sense of happiness and well-being. Often, you may find yourself being less triggered by external factors, or having more compassion for yourself and others.

How to Create Effective Daily Affirmations

Positive affirmations can either be a mantra or be goal-oriented. Mantra affirmations tend to be shorter and easier to remember. On the other hand, goal affirmations are written affirmations in progressive tense.

The affirmation you choose depends on your current beliefs and how you aim to use them. For instance, if you are creating positive affirmations for success. A mantra would be like “I am successful.”

However, if you need more convincing, a more appropriate goal affirmation would be “I am continuously growing, learning, and achieving greater success every day." This will help your brain be less resistant to positive thoughts.

When creating affirmations, ensure to use present tense or progressive tense. Use positive words that are personalized to fit your intention, this helps you relate better to the words.

How to Use Affirmations for Maximum Impact

At first, saying these positive statements may feel awkward, especially if you are new to this concept; however, you have to persist past this stage in order to break these negative thoughts.

Create a more personalized affirmation that resonates with you and the patterns you want to overcome. If you want to see maximum impact, repeat these statements regularly. If you can, recite them daily before you sleep or just after waking up.

Incorporating mindful reflection by identifying any negative thoughts also helps create better outcomes. Visualize yourself achieving the goals you aim to achieve with the affirmations or embodying the character you desire.

Reciting them out loud, in front of a mirror helps reinforce the message and create new neural pathways. This creates a more emotional connection to the word and yourself. You can also write them down on sticky notes and place them around your house for easy remembrance.

Your mind will drift away from positive thoughts, especially in the beginning. Be aware of this, and gently bring it back to your intention.

Wrapping Up

Affirmations work, but only if you put in the work. It takes about 21 days to make a habit and 90 days to make it a lifestyle. Therefore, if you want to cultivate this new habit, you have to do it regularly and daily to experience the results you desire.

If you are struggling with negative thoughts, self-loathing, low confidence, and poor self-esteem. Incorporate positive affirmations for mental health in your life and see how your mindset will change. Engage with our speakers to learn more about well-being and positive thinking.