Positive Affirmations: Do They Actually Work?

Photo by whitney sause on Unsplash.

When you scroll through social media, you will come across numerous phrases like “I am enough” or “I don’t chase, I attract.” If you flip through Discovering Her’s home page, a warm affirmation welcomes you to the site, ‘Everything is working out for my highest good.” And every therapist and psychologist on the planet swears by these words. So, are affirmations worth the hype, and do they actually work?

What Are Affirmations?

Affirmations are phrases that evoke a positive state of mind. They are a part of a self-help strategy that promotes self-confidence and belief in personal abilities.
I stumbled upon affirmations on Instagram. One day, I was scrolling mindlessly on the socials when I stumbled upon a Marissa Peers video. In it, she repeated some words over and over. “Every day and in every way, and I am getting better and better.”

These words stuck with me during a season of my life when I felt lost and uncertain. Thanks to the algorithm, I kept finding more and more videos of Marissa Peers sharing various affirmations, such as “I am worthy, I am deserving, and I am enough.”

Later, I discovered that Marissa Peers was a renowned therapist and author of various self-help books. Then it clicked; she was not just uttering words; she was speaking facts from her experience as a psychologist and therapist.

The phrase “Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better” was originally coined in the 19th century by French psychologist Emile Coue. He had noticed that his patients would recover faster if her helped them expect recovery. Therefore, he developed optimistic autosuggestions that the patient repeated over time. Over time, the optimistic autosuggestions were replaced by affirmations, but the concept remained the same.

Affirmations were popularized in the late 1980s by Louise Hay through her “All is well” mantra. Later, social psychologist Claude Steele presented the ‘Self-affirmation theory’ which stated that human beings are fundamentally motivated to maintain a positive self-view. We like to view ourselves in a good light.

How do Affirmations Work?

Affirmations work through neuroplasticity. That is your brain’s ability to adapt and change in response to different circumstances throughout life, as well as through repetition. Marissa Peers teaches that the mind learns through repetition. Fortunately, the brain cannot differentiate between reality and imagination, which is helpful when it comes to affirmations.

If you create a mental image of you sucking on a lemon, your mouth will begin to produce saliva, which counters the acidity. Remember, the lemon is imaginary. Therefore, if you say affirmations numerous times, your brain begins to believe them. Naturally, it rewires to support this new ‘reality’.

Therefore, when you regularly repeat affirming statements about yourself like “I am strong, I am beautiful, I am smart.” Your brain registers it as fact. This is an excellent tool for countering negative and anxious thoughts. In retrospect, your brain will believe whatever you feed it, good or bad.

For example, if you keep saying, “I am such a loser, nothing works out for me”, your reality will match these words. As a result, you will always feel like everything is hard and that you are indeed a loser.

Replace such words and thoughts with positive ones like “I have all that it takes to handle whatever comes my way.” Such an affirmation gives you hope to tackle life challenges with ease.

Anna Tarazevich on Pexel.

When Affirmations Don’t Work.

There are instances in which affirmations fail. Studies have shown that if you don’t match your words with actions, the affirmation is bound to fail. You can stare at yourself in the mirror and affirm that you are a good writer or that you are skilled, but if you don’t write, it is pointless. If you don’t get off the couch and get some actual skills, no amount of affirmation can make you feel good about yourself.

Also, if you state unrealistic affirmations, your brain will automatically reject them. For example, if you state that you are a millionaire when you can’t afford a meal, your brain will be like, “No, you’re not!” This can leave you feeling even worse.

Hence, for affirmations to work, they have to be realistic. If you are just getting started, aim for a ballpark figure rather than a specific position. A realistic affirmation about money would be, “I am getting better at handling money.” With time, you will be able to make a narrower affirmation, such as “I am rich.”

Final Thoughts.

Affirmations work, but only if you make the change. They are not scapegoats to avoid the real work. Neither are they horses of toxic positivity, attempting to downplay reality. An affirmation is an honest assessment of your life. They only work when rooted in truth, self-respect, and a genuine desire for change.