Affirmations are all the rage nowadays & especially among the younger generations in our society. Affirmations also play a massive role in the self-help community & in the spiritual community. There are even some religions out there that believe in the power of using prayer & affirmations to help create a healthy & positive mindset, specifically to treat & heal the mind, body, & soul as one. While telling yourself regularly how wonderful you indeed are may seem a tad radical & unconventional (which is what we’re all about!), there is a scientific & psychological method to the use of affirmations that may provide you some enlightenment on whether or not they work. That being said, let’s explore some of the science behind the use of affirmations in everyday life & if they genuinely work!
The Psychology Behind Affirmations
When using affirmations, you have the ability to use the power of psychology to present mental shifts in your life. A common theory that has been used as a psychological method to shift your mental state is called the Self-Affirmation Theory. The manner in which this theory typically works is you utilize your affirmations in a first-person tense to maintain a consistently positive view of yourself. When people hold a more positive personal view of themselves with the use of affirmations, this then allows them to shift their perspective of the world in a more positive light.
The Neuroscience Behind Affirmations
We are about to get real science-y here, so let’s dive in! Using affirmations as a part of your sense of self also has the ability to not only shift people’s state of mind from a psychology standpoint, but it has been proven that it can cause brain dynamic shifts as well. Two dominant research studies conducted in the last few years in books such as Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience and Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology have directly studied the correlation of self-affirmations and neuroscience.
The study from the journal of sport & exercise psychology studied an experiment that analyzed the relationship between positive & negative self-talk & physical performance. It concluded in the findings that positive self-statements led to better performance than negative self-statements in 2 out of 3 physical tasks conducted by participants in the study. Respectively in the study, social cognitive & affective neuroscience showed that participants who positively affirmed showed increased activity in critical areas of the brain’s self-processing & valuation systems when reflecting on future-oriented core values. While these studies are intriguing & resourceful, we have linked them within this post for your viewing & reading pleasure.
At the end of the day, there is psychological & scientific proof that affirmations do work. Affirmations are so much more than just a catchy way to tell yourself that you’re pretty rad & capable of great things. Affirmations have the power to shift your mood & completely shift your mindset to change your life as well!
