Why Affirmations Work

Affirmations are the story you tell yourself - about yourself. They have the power to create your identity and guide the course of your life. But is there any scientific proof they work? And if so then how exactly DO they work?

Do Affirmations Work?

"Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny." - Lao Tzu

Over 2500 years ago the Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu warned us to watch our thoughts as they become our destiny. Affirmations however go a step beyond just watching - affirmations are a way to guide and control your thoughts and thus guide and control the outcome of your life.

So do affirmations work? Yes, absolutely they do. The easiest way to confirm that is to try them out yourself - just try some affirmations for a few days and you will notice a change in your behavior almost immediately. That changed behavior, produced by regular affirmations, and sustained over a prolonged period of time is what the life-changing power of affirmations is all about.

Besides testing it out in your own life, many studies have also shown the effectiveness of affirmations. Below are 5 of them:

Affirmations Improve Academic Performance:

A study published in the journal "Science" in 2018 explored the impact of self-affirmation exercises on academic performance among disadvantaged students. The researchers found that students who engaged in self-affirmation activities showed a significant improvement in their grades, especially among those who were underperforming. Affirmations helped boost their confidence and academic resilience, leading to better outcomes in the classroom.

Affirmations Reduce Health-Detrimental Stress:

Research conducted at Carnegie Mellon University investigated the role of self-affirmation in reducing stress and improving problem-solving abilities. The study, published in "Health Psychology" in 2016, revealed that individuals who practiced self-affirmation techniques experienced reduced stress responses when faced with a challenging situation. This suggests that affirmations can act as a buffer against stress, enhancing an individual's ability to cope effectively.

Affirmations Promote Healthier Behaviors:

Studies in health psychology have explored the impact of affirmations on health-related behaviors. Research published in the "British Journal of Health Psychology" in 2010 examined the effectiveness of self-affirmation interventions in promoting healthier eating habits. The findings indicated that individuals who practiced affirmations related to their health were more likely to make positive dietary choices, emphasizing the potential of affirmations in encouraging healthier behaviors.

Affirmations Enhance Goal Achievement:

A study published in the "Journal of Experimental Social Psychology" in 2015 investigated the relationship between self-affirmation and goal pursuit. The research demonstrated that individuals who affirmed their values and abilities were more likely to persist in pursuing their goals, even in the face of setbacks. Affirmations were shown to enhance motivation and resilience, playing a crucial role in achieving long-term objectives.

Affirmations Alleviate Depressive Symptoms:

Research published in the "Journal of Counseling Psychology" in 2014 explored the impact of self-affirmation exercises on individuals with depressive symptoms. The study found that engaging in affirmations that focused on personal values and strengths helped participants counter negative self-beliefs and improve their overall mood. Affirmations served as a valuable complementary strategy in managing depressive symptoms.

How do Affirmations Work?

Your entire life experience is made of thoughts. Your thoughts control how you react to all situations. Your thoughts talk to you throughout the day, commenting on your every move. Your thoughts about yourself form your very identity and that process ultimately determines the person who goes out into the world and makes things happen in your life. This is the basis for the quote:

"You become what you think about" - Earl Nightingale

This is also what Lao Tzu meant when he observed that your thoughts eventually become your destiny. And one of the most effective ways to guide your thoughts to be what you want them to be is through affirmations.

Repetition Rewires your Subconscious Mind

Have you ever tried to make a change in your life only to have it fail after a few days? The reason you failed is that your promise to yourself was but a moment in time - fleeting. You see, your mind has a sub-conscious auto-pilot that takes over whenever your conscious mind is not looking. Affirmations are a way to re-program that auto pilot for lasting change.

The magic of affirmations is in the repetition.

Your subconscious mind is not like your conscious mind, it can’t discern between good and bad, right and wrong, positive and negative. It only knows one thing, if something is repeated often enough, we keep it, if not we throw it away.

This is why bad habits are so hard to break because they were formed in the subconscious mind yet we try to break them with the conscious mind. Yet we’ve all been there, you make up your mind to do something and it works for a few days or so and then before you know it you’re back to your old ways.

This is because your subconscious mind does not learn by being told what to do - no, your subconscious mind learns by brute repetition.

And this is where the magic of affirmations comes in, you simply repeat over and over the way you would like to be in the world and eventually the subconscious mind gets the message and you begin to behave in new and improved ways - automatically!

Affirmations Control Your Reactions

Imagine the following scenario: Someone who you've been arguing with says something to you, something as simple as: "Nice shirt". Immediately you are hit with a range of thoughts. Do they really like my shirt or are they actually being sarcastic and insulting my shirt? Are they trying to be nice or trying to be mean? Should I respond with a "thank you" or a "screw you"?

So then, how do you respond? That depends, are you an insecure, angry person who takes offense easily? Or are you a calm, secure, stoic, positive person who makes the best out of all situations? It's not the situation but instead it's who you are that determines your response. The angry person takes offense and lashes out, probably making the situation worse, while the calm one takes the comment in stride and makes the best out of the situation.

But suppose you are that angry person who wants to become a person who is calm and stoic? How do you make that change? This is where affirmations come in as they have the power to transform you from an angry person to a calm one.

Affirmations Guide Your Inner Dialog

We all have a running inner dialog that responds to just about everything we see, hear and experience. It seems to have something to say regarding just about everything.

You're trying to get into a new exercise routine.
Your inner dialog says: "Exercise is too hard, I hate it".

You're trying to eat healthier.
Your inner dialog says: "Healthy food tastes terrible, I'd rather be fat and at least enjoy my food".

You're trying to start a business.
Your inner dialog says: "This is too much work, it's not worth it".

Where does that voice come from, and how do we get control of it and make it say what we want it to say? You may have guessed the answer: Affirmations have that power!

Affirmations Control how You Respond to Challenges

How we respond to events in our lives are programmed from a young age. Everyone has parents or other influences that teach you (mostly through example) how to deal with situations that you experience. If you have a particularly hot-headed influence in your life you learn to deal with situations like the one mentioned above badly.

Bad influences tend to teach us to deal with all of life's challenges in ways that range from not productive to downright destructive. How do you deal with failure, loss, with lack of motivation?

The right Affirmations repeated often enough have the power to alter the way you respond to these difficulties. No matter what the challenge there is an affirmation out there to meet it.

Dealing with a tough loss?
Affirmation: "My losses don't define me, they just make me stronger"

You don't feel like exercising today?
Affirmation: "I exercise every day no matter how I feel."

Not happy with life?
Affirmation: "Happiness pervades my being in every moment."

Thinking of eating that donut for breakfast?
Affirmation: "I always make healthy food choices"

Affirmations Create Your Identity

Affirmations ultimate power is their ability to shape your very identity. To change yourself from the inside out. Affirmations work because whenever you say "I am" during an affirmation you are communicating to your subconscious mind the type of person who you believe yourself to be and it is our subconscious mind that controls how we respond to most events and challenges.

Affirmations have the power to create the persona that we put forth into the world. Changing oneself is hard and anyone who has ever done so has done it by telling themselves over and over again. "This is who I want to be" . Affirmations are just a structured, purposeful way of doing exactly that. It's a way for you to tell the universe not just who you want to be but who you are.

How Often should I do Affirmations?

The short answer is, every day. Affirmations only work if they are drilled into your head with regular repetition. You need to do it often enough to replace your existing thoughts.

You’ve spent many years telling yourself one thing and it’s not going to just reverse overnight. Reprogramming your subconscious mind can only be done using consistent repetition. So for best results do your affirmations every day. First thing in the morning, or the last thing before bed works pretty well for a lot of people but really any time you have to yourself is good.

How long should I spend doing affirmations?

You can do them for 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10, and hour. It’s really up to you, there are no known downsides to doing affirmations. To make them effective the most important thing is doing them consistently every day until you get the results you’re looking for. However a nice amount of time that isn’t too short or too long is about 5 to 10 minutes.

Now another question related to “how long” is more along the lines of how many weeks or months do I have to do it before I see results? So you should see changes in your behavior and your actions almost immediately. Depending on what the affirmations are trying to accomplish it could take weeks, months, or even years for your actions to bear fruit. Don’t get discouraged, be encouraged by the fact that you are taking action and advancing confidently in the direction of your dreams!

How should I feel after my affirmations?

If you’ve done affirmations you know they put a smile on your face. You lay down with your headphones on and listen to a voice which tells you everything is going to work out just the way you want it to. What could be more soothing and enjoyable?

If you don’t get that feeling there is something wrong. Most likely it’s a poorly worded affirmation that is at odds with your current reality and your brain is probably rejecting it because it thinks “No that isn’t true, I don’t want to lie to myself”. If you get that feeling then just pick a different set of affirmations that makes you feel great.

So what are you waiting for? Get started on your affirmations today. Affirmation.World has thousands of affirmations for you to read, copy, play, and download.!