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The repetition of positive, affirming words like “I can do this,” or “I’m worthy,” can often be applied for an extra dose of confidence in difficult situations. Otherwise known as positive affirmations, these phrases can serve as helpful reminders across a variety of scenarios, including times of anxiety, moments of low self-worth and when beginning or ending your day.
Read on to better understand what positive affirmations are, who might use them and when they might be applied.
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What Are Positive Affirmations?
Positive affirmations are similar to personal mantras, but they’re more of a mental shortcut that’s reflective of your personal values, according to CJ Bathgate, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in the Division of Neurology and Behavioral Health at National Jewish Health. “A positive affirmation is a concise, realistic statement that embodies something we value, whether it’s who we want to be or what we want in life,” she says. “Our brains are always looking for shortcuts and tend to latch onto thoughts that come up the most or are the most easily accessible.”
At times, it’s easier to let negative thoughts like “I’m not qualified enough for this job,” circulate in your mind and to interpret those thoughts as fact. A more positive go-to statement at the front of your mind can help counter those thoughts, she adds.
The key to finding a positive affirmation that works for you is not to simply adapt a phrase you heard or to use one that’s worked well for someone else. It has to make sense in your life and reflect your personal values, Bathgate says.
Who Might Use Positive Affirmations?
Anyone can benefit from implementing positive affirmations. Though they may look different for each person, positive affirmations have been known to benefit the following groups, according to Bathgate:
- Kids
- Teens
- Adults
- Athletes
- Students
- Corporate professionals
- Health care workers
- Parents
Positive affirmations can help in a number of scenarios, such as quieting an anxious mind before an interview, bracing for meeting your in-laws for the first time or working through a difficult breakup. Athletes or students might use affirmations to get into a positive or motivated mindset before a test or game. However, positive affirmations are not specific to high-pressure situations. Anyone can use them to find calm and grounding, says Jennifer Kelman, a mental health provider at JustAnswer.
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Do Positive Affirmations Work?
In some cases, positive affirmations can be a reminder of resilience. “Internal mantras are a great practice to rebuild confidence and reduce anxiety,” Kelman says. They may also supplement therapy work if you work with a mental health provider. In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), positive affirmations can help a person to accept their reality and look at situations from a more rational perspective, Bathgate adds.
Using positive affirmations to combat anxiety and stress has also been shown to improve stress management by facilitating effective problem solving. When chronically stressed students repeated self-affirmations that were reflective of their life values and interests, they were found to be more successful in a problem-solving task than people who didn’t, according to a 2013 study published by PLOS ONE.
Motivational positive affirmations can also help bolster confidence, activating certain areas of the brain associated with reward in order to remind people of their self-worth, according to a study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. It’s important to make sure these statements are grounded in reality and your values, however, and are not overly optimistic, to avoid toxic positivity and feeding yourself thoughts that aren’t necessarily true or useful, adds Bathgate.
How to Use Positive Affirmations
Positive affirmations can be used in a variety of ways, including the following.
Tune Into an App
There are several apps that focus on positive affirmations, such as ThinkUp, Shine or I am. Depending on the app you choose, you’ll be able to read or listen to affirmations created by others to get inspiration for your own. In some cases, you can write or create your own verbal affirmations. “You can even record yourself or a loved one saying these helpful affirmations for you to plug in and play anytime you need it,” says Kelman.
Write Them Down
Writing out positive affirmations so they can act as visual aids is another tactic for making them part of a daily practice. If you’re writing your own, write in the present tense, as the affirmations should be about the present and future, not the past. Kelman also suggests jotting down affirmations on cards or sticky notes and hanging them up in accessible, prominent places for a physical reminder of your value statement.
Visualize Your Affirmations
If writing your positive affirmations and hanging them where others can see makes you uncomfortable, keep them in your mind. “Visualization can also be a helpful use of affirmations. Develop personal phrases that work best for you, and put them into practice when the need arises,” says Kelman. Turn your mind off and cultivate a quiet, meditative state by visualizing a calming scene along with the affirmation, she adds. If your happy place is a beach and listening to the ocean, visualize that. If you’re most calm while hiking in nature, envision your favorite trail along with your positive or grounding statement. “There is no right or wrong way to do it, as long as you find the visualization and affirmations that work for you,” says Kelman.
Recite Them Aloud
You can use positive affirmations anywhere, anytime. Give yourself a little pep talk out loud in front of the mirror, in your car on the way to work or anywhere you happen to be. Start your short positive affirmation with the words, “I am…” “I can…” or “I will…” followed by a present tense statement, says Bathgate. It’s best to keep it simple so the statement is something you can easily remember and turn to when you’re stressed or need motivation. “If you use too many words, the affirmation might lose some of its staying power,” Bathgate adds.
Affirmations should resonate and stay with you, and it’s a good idea to speak the words out loud to help affirm your statement. “It can be very powerful to start your morning off by looking in the mirror and audibly saying your affirmation at least 10 times, even if you feel silly,” says Bathgate. Repetition solidifies the affirmation in your mind as a true statement. “The more you say it, the more you’ll begin to use that neural pathway,” she adds. And be patient—it might take a few weeks to get comfortable saying your positive affirmations out loud and meaning the words you say.
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Examples of Positive Affirmations
If you’re interested in making positive affirmations part of your daily routine and are keen to create your own, consider the examples recommended below by Bathgate and Kelman.
To alleviate anxiety and stress:
- “I am calm, I am in control, and I am safe.”
- “I am stronger than my anxiety.”
- “I am enough. I did enough. I can let go.”
To combat depression:
- “I am in charge of how I feel, and today I choose happiness.”
- “I am content, I am safe, and I feel strong.”
- “I am a resilient survivor.”
To build confidence and motivation:
- “I am a leader, and challenges help me grow.”
- “I am strong, I am capable, and I feel great.”
- “I am choosing to be helpful and kind.
To bolster self-worth:
- “I am original, and I matter.”
- “I love deeply and deserve to be loved fully.”
- “I forgive myself for mistakes I made when I didn’t know better.”
- “I am worthy of respect.”
