Do Affirmations Really Work to Improve My Life for the Better?

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Affirmations are positive statements that improve your health, self-control, and much more!

Key Points of Article:

  1. Affirmations are statements you implement into your life to improve it for the better.
  2. Affirmations are backed by studies and science.
  3. Affirmations are an important role in the self-improvement journey.
  4. You can use Affirmations in multiple ways.

Affirmations are statements that you listen to or state to yourself and are science-backed and proven to improve your life in multiple ways! 1

The more you choose to think thoughts that make you feel good, the quicker the affirmations work.

Louise Hay2

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  • In the 1980s, Affirmation research blew up. In the Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience articles published in 2016, they found that self-affirmation activates the brain systems.
  • These brain systems that are activated when self-affirming occurs are related to reward self-related processing.3
  • Other studies, such as the one conducted through Health Psychology, found that when one completes affirmations, they increase health-promoting behavior without anything else changing. 4
  • In the National Academy of Sciences, they confirmed just this. They found that affirmations change the brain’s response to health messages and result in behavior change. 5
  • Social psychologist studies confirmed that affirmations approve stress, academic performance, and insecurity. 6

What does all this science mean?

  • Simply put, science shows when Affirmations are implemented into the self-help journey, your brain changes and the result is equivalent to the affirmations that you’ve listened to.
  • Scientists call this the Self-Affirmation Theory.

“Self-affirmation theory is a psychological theory that focuses on how individuals adapt to information or experiences that are threatening to their self-concept.” 7

Claude Steele- Self Affirmation Theory

Affirmations play an important role in the self-improvement journey because they are a tool that will help you alter your life for the better.

Affirmations can be used in multiple ways. Here’s how:

  1. Listening to Affirmations – Best for those who learn best through hearing. EX: I learn best through podcasts, seminars, and audiobooks.
  2. Writing Affirmations – Best for those who are kinesthetic learners who learn best through action. EX: I learn best through writing notes.
  3. Reading Affirmations – Best for those who are visual learners who learn best through reading. EX: I learn best through reading the textbook.

All that matters is that you implement what works best for you. That’s it!

The self-help journey is all about what works for you. If these don’t work for you, that’s 100% valid. Find more self-help resources that may work for you at Rosabethmooon.com

What do you think of this article? Please let me know in the comments below!

  1. Bredehoft, David J. Ph.D. “The Science Behind Self-Affirmations Science Is Showing Self-affirmations Are Valuable for Health and Well-being.” Psychology Today, 2023, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-age-of-overindulgence/202307/the-science-behind-self-affirmations#:~:text=Affirmations%20are%20short%20statements%20that,in%20a%20variety%20of%20ways. Accessed 30 Jan. 2024. ↩︎
  2. Hay, Louise. “The Power Of Affirmations.” Louise Hay, 29 Jan. 2024, www.louisehay.com/the-power-of-affirmations/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2024. ↩︎
  3. Cascio, C. N., et al. (2016). Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 2016, 621–629. ↩︎
  4. Epton, T., & Harris, P. R. (2008). Self-affirmation promotes health behavior change. Health Psychology, 27, 746–752. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.27.6.746 ↩︎
  5.  Falk, E. B., et al. (2015). Self-affirmation alters the brain’s response to health messages and subsequent behavior change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(7), 1977–1982 ↩︎
  6. Hay, Louise. “Affirmations May Improve Life Satisfaction and Well-Being.” Psychology Today, 28 Jul. 2023, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-age-of-overindulgence/202307/affirmations-may-improve-life-satisfaction-and-well-being. Accessed 30 Jan. 2024. ↩︎
  7. Bredehoft, David J. Ph.D. “Affirmations May Improve Life Satisfaction and Well-Being.” Psychology Today, 28 Jul. 2023, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-age-of-overindulgence/202307/affirmations-may-improve-life-satisfaction-and-well-being. Accessed 30 Jan. 2024.. ↩︎

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