How to Use Positive Affirmations to Live Your Best Life

Positive affirmations are often the target of ridicule. Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers may remember a particular regular segment on Saturday Night Live that featured a character named Stuart. Stuart attempted to convince himself of his worthiness by chanting positive statements into the mirror. A whole collection of “catch phrases” came out of that series. One of my personal favorites is “You need a Checkup from the Neckup!”. And of course, “That’s just Stinkin’ Thinkin'”! Those skits were pretty funny. Beyond laughter, they also gave us something to think about. Because (all kidding aside) scientists have proven that positive affirmations can actually work miracles.

In more ways than you may expect.

And it’s in our power to use them whenever we choose.

All About the Power of Positive Affirmations

We can approach positive affirmations in many ways.

They can be written down. Or we can say them out loud, whisper them to ourselves, or journal about them.

And the benefits are wide-ranging and proven by science. More on that in a minute. But let’s start with the basics.

What exactly is a Positive Affirmation?

A positive affirmation is an action-oriented statement that reflects a desired quality or circumstance. Positive affirmations are a tool we may use to advance our growth or improve our well-being in just about any aspect of life.

For example, we can use affirmations to embody core values or qualities we aspire to. One such statement might be: “I am generous and kind to others.”

We can also use affirmations to reinforce our vision of personal success. For example: “My new job is fulfilling and enjoyable. I like my co-workers and am well compensated.”

Positive affirmation can even be used to help our bodies function better. For example, “I am recovering quickly from my surgery, and I no longer need pain medication.”

Positive Affirmation Best Practices

For positive affirmations to be most effective, they must be stated in the present tense. Consider how powerful a statement becomes when we make that minor adjustment. “I am healthy and exercise regularly” certainly sounds more real and accurate than a vague statement such as: “Someday, I will be healthy and exercise regularly.”

Experts recommend that we articulate affirmations using our own given name vs. starting them with the pronoun “I”. This may feel awkward at first. But science has proven that stating affirmations in the third person makes them more effective. Why? Because using our first name makes our statements more objective, less biased. As a result, our minds attach a higher level of legitimacy to the affirmations – in other words, we believe ourselves more!

So, if I want to knock the socks off my positive affirmation example above, I would state it like this: “Joan is healthy and exercises regularly.”

Self-Affirmation Theory

There is a psychological construct known as “self-affirmation theory”. It’s based in tenets that include the need to understand our own identity and adhere to that identity. If you’re interested in this aspect of the science, there are many academic articles on the subject.

Why Should I Care About Positive Affirmations?

But let’s cut to the chase, so to speak – why should you care about positive affirmations?

Because science has proven that positive affirmations bring many benefits to us. And that the range of benefits that may result from positive affirmations is even wider than originally thought.

So let’s talk about the benefits of positive affirmations, and the research that supports those findings.

Scientific Proof: Positive Affirmations Work

Research has determined neural pathways expand as humans engage in positive affirmations. In fact, establishing a positive affirmation habit increases activity in the exact part of the brain focused on ‘self-related information processing‘.

This stimulation helps to improve our sense of self and identity, which as described above, is a cornerstone of self-affirmation theory.

This increased brain activity has been proven to improve our emotional well-being.

But, perhaps more importantly, beyond these benefits, this activity in our brains enhances our tendency to view the future optimistically.

And having an optimistic viewpoint has been proven to lead to more positive outcomes in our daily lives.

But wait, there’s more.

Beyond these ‘sense of self’ benefits, positive affirmations may also benefit our physical health and well-being.

In fact, affirmations have been shown to reduce stress, improve and accelerate healing, and enhance our capability to achieve academic excellence, to name just a few.

Positive Affirmations: The Takeaway

Positive affirmations are an easy behavior to adopt. They don’t cost money or take a lot of time. An affirmation habit almost immediately reinforces positive, personal value statements. Because of their nature, affirmations allow us to focus energy on specific aspirations or goals. And while they help us achieve these performance goals, they also bring a wide range of health benefits.

So, are you going to start using affirmations? It may feel silly to gaze into the mirror and state the obvious: “I am awesome in so many ways!”. But what have you got to lose? Why not do it, and enjoy a smile and some laughter at the same time?

What affirmation will you focus on first? Know you will be successful in achieving all your aspirations. Just go on and plan ahead – how will you celebrate your accomplishments?

Please comment and tell us about your own positive affirmations, today – and keep remembering, we are all so much more than enough.

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Joan Senio is the founder of KindCompassCoach. Her career includes 20+ years as a private sector corporate executive and 15 years (and counting) as a consultant and coach. The common thread through her professional life has been a commitment to compassionate leadership, including leading and mentoring current and future leaders, and women from all walks of life. KindCompassCoach articles are backed by research and include facts and advice from a wide variety of experts. Joan is a member of the International Organization of Life Coaches, serves as a thought-leader for KuelLife.com and is a regular contributor to PsychReg and Sixty and Me.