Positive Affirmations: What They Are and 3 to Try

"I'm not good enough." "I'll never succeed." "What's the point of even trying?"

We've all been there—those moments when self-doubt creeps in and negative thoughts start to take over. These pessimistic thought patterns can hold us back from reaching our full potential and living a life filled with happiness and success.

But what if there was a way to counteract these self-defeating thoughts?

Enter the power of positive affirmations! By consciously choosing to focus on uplifting statements, we can rewire our mindset and cultivate an optimistic outlook that propels us forward.

So, keep reading to learn more about what affirmations are and how they work before discovering three powerful affirmations that can begin to transform your mindset and help you embrace positivity in every aspect of your life.

What Are Affirmations?

Affirmations, also called self-affirmations, are positive statements you say to yourself that can help you challenge and overcome negative thoughts. They work by changing the way your brain thinks and the information it believes, making it easier for you to reach your goals.

By repeating affirmations daily, you can begin to replace negative thoughts with positive ones and create a more empowering and fulfilling mindset.

The Scientific Benefits of Affirmations

When used regularly, affirmations can not only help you cultivate more positivity, confidence, and optimism, but they can also lead to several other research-backed benefits:

Affirmations Can Reduce Stress

Repeating positive affirmations can reduce stress. More specifically, a research study demonstrated that people who used affirmations had lower cortisol levels in response to stress, indicating that they were managing stress better than those who weren't using affirmations.

Affirmations Can Promote Healthy Behaviors

Affirmations can also help people maintain healthy behavior changes, such as quitting smoking or reducing alcohol consumption.

Affirmations Can Enhance Problem-Solving Abilities

Another research study found that affirmations can enhance problem-solving abilities under stress. The individuals who used affirmations were better able to solve problems in stressful situations than those who did not use them.

Affirmations Can Improve Academic Performance

And, affirmation exercises have been shown to improve academic performance. In a series of studies, students who completed self-affirmation activities had higher GPAs at the end of the semester than those who did not.

How to Use Affirmations

It's simple to start using affirmations in your daily life. Here's a step-by-step guide:

1. Choose Your Affirmations: Identify the areas of your life that you want to improve or the negative thoughts you'd like to overcome. Create a short list of positive affirmations tailored to these specific needs.
2. Set a Routine: Determine a convenient time each day to practice your affirmations, such as first thing in the morning, during breaks, or before bedtime. And don't be afraid to use them throughout your day, too. Consistency is key for lasting change.
3. Repeat Them with Confidence: Clearly and confidently recite each affirmation, either silently or aloud, emphasizing every word. If possible, use a mirror to make eye contact with yourself as you think or speak.
4. Visualize Success: After you repeat each affirmation, close your eyes and imagine yourself embodying the positive statement in real-life situations.
5. Embrace Emotions: Allow yourself to feel any emotions that arise while practicing your affirmations, and let them further reinforce the positivity within you.
6. Adjust and Evolve: Periodically review and update your list of affirmations to reflect new goals or challenges that arise in your life.

Examples of Positive Affirmations

There's an almost endless number of affirmations you can use, but as a starting point, check out one of the Balance app's expert meditation coaches Ofosu Jones-Quartey's three favorites:

Practice Using Affirmations and More

Positive affirmations are not just empty words. They have the power to transform your thoughts and actions, and ultimately, to shape your life.

If you want more support with affirmations and other techniques to improve your overall well-being, download the Balance app today on iOS or Android. It's free for your entire first year.

And remember: You have the power to change your life.

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