The Benefits of Positive Affirmations

What are positive affirmations? 

Positive affirmations are quite simply positive phrases or statements that are used to change negative or unhelpful thoughts. 

They can be used to achieve not just a more positive state of mind, but also create positive change in behaviour and motivation, self-esteem, confidence and happiness.  The reason they work is because the mind can’t tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined. 

All too often we get caught up in negative self-talk which, over time, increases stress, anxiety and low mood, which then begins to have a wider impact on our behaviour and day-to-day life as well as encouraging further negative self-talk or feelings of failure and worthlessness.   

“Man is what he believes” – Anton Chekov, Russian playwright 

Beliefs are guiding principles that provide direction and meaning, and by bringing in positive affirmations into your everyday life you can directly affect both how you feel as well as your goals, dreams and aspirations.  These positive beliefs (or affirmations) act as ‘internal commands’1 to the brain and when we choose to change our thoughts it actually has a biochemical reaction in the body creating a chain reaction: 

Changing our thinking, changes our beliefs which then changes our behaviour (as well as our mood and outlook on life). 

The effect of positive thinking on the brain is even being studies, and there is some MRI evidence suggests that self-positivity can have a beneficial impact on the prefrontal cortex, which is the area of the brain responsible for planning, decision-making, problem-solving and self-control. 

Further research has also demonstrated how the use of daily positive affirmations can decrease health-deteriorating stress, improve physical behaviours and habits (e.g. eating healthier, exercising more, etc), help us cope better with stress and reduce rumination.