If you’re exploring the world of self-care, you’ve probably heard of positive affirmations. But the idea of them can make many of us inwardly cringe. Getting in front of a mirror and telling yourself you’re amazing feels alien. And it can feel almost self-indulgent.
If you’re on the fence about them, you’ve found your way to the right place. Because we’re looking into whether they actually work and if there’s any science to support it. (Spoiler alert: they work).
The Science Behind Positivity
Positive affirmations are an area of self-care that don’t often get a lot of traction on social media sites like Instagram. You’ll see a lot of physical self-care, like taking a long, picture-worthy bubble bath. Or you might see people getting VIP Smiles to give their self-confidence a boost. While these are all valid and important parts of taking care of ourselves to improve our mental health, positive affirmations can be just as effective.
Our brains are incredibly adaptable. And they can change to tackle different circumstances you might face during your life. Their adaptability is an insight into why affirmations can be so effective. Creating an image in your mind of yourself doing something you might find scary, like jumping out of a plane, sets off the areas of the brain that would activate when you’re actually doing that activity.
So repeating positive statements encourages your brain to accept these affirmations as fact. They’re especially effective when you use them to replace self-sabotaging negative thoughts. So next time you think you aren’t good enough, try telling yourself you are. It won’t be long before you believe it.
But they need to be practiced regularly. So make them a staple of your everyday routine. And they’re just a stepping stone. Combining them with breathing techniques will allow you to overcome stressful situations. The next time your blood starts to boil, tell yourself that you can remain calm, add in some breathing and notice the difference in how you approach the stressful trigger.
How To Integrate Affirmations Into Your Life
Now you know they work, where do you start?
The first step; choose affirmations that move you. Choose statements that resonate with who you are. There’s no point saying something that doesn’t ring true with who you believe you are at your core.
If getting started is difficult, try coupling affirmations with something you do in your daily routine. It could be during the time your getting ready or even when you’re making breakfast. Pairing them with exercise like Yoga is excellent. That’s because activities centered on deep breathing exercises will take that affirmation to the next level, and you’ll feel even more grounded.
Go beyond just repeating the statements. Get reading on the topic of your affirmation. If you’re using them to improve confidence, get a self-help book on the same subject.
Keep a journal to record how the affirmations make you feel and the journey they take you on. You’ll get wonderful insights into how your target area has improved, and it may even reveal other areas you might want to improve on.
Make wellness a part of your daily routine.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that positive affirmations really do work. They improve the way you see yourself and will even completely transform the way you think. But you should use them as a stepping stone. Affirmations are the perfect jumping-off point to start a better mental health journey and cultivate more love for yourself.