The power of positive self-affirmation

Wellbeing is a multifaceted concept that encompasses physical, emotional, and psychological dimensions of human life, and achieving and maintaining a high level of wellbeing is a goal that many people aspire to. Therefore, it is essential to identify practices that can help to improve or maintain wellbeing in order to live a healthy and happy life.

Positive self-affirmations can have a profound effect on your psychological and emotional wellbeing. Affirmations are rooted in positive psychology and are simple but effective tools for improving mood, coping with stress and reducing negative affect, including symptoms of depression and anxiety (Emanuel et al., 2016; Jessop, Harris & Gibbons, 2023; Lakuta, 2021; Pandey, Tiwari & Rai, 2021; Sharouni et al., 2022).

What are self-affirmations?

Self-affirmation theory, which was first introduced by Claude Steele in 1988, suggests that one of the ways in which people self-regulate is by trying to maintain their own self-worth and integrity (Sherman & Cohen, 2002). This theory proposes that people are motivated to view themselves as moral, capable and adaptable in the face of threats to their self-image (Armitage, 2016; Pandey, Tiwari & Rai, 2021). Therefore, self-affirmation theory provides a framework for describing how people respond to threats to their self-image, which is to affirm values, strengths and attributes they most favour or prefer in themselves (Jessop, Harris & Gibbons, 2023; Pandey, Tiwari & Rai, 2021).

These threats are seen as risks to the individual’s self-integrity and most frequently prompt a defensive response. However, self-affirmations can buffer against this defensive response by boosting self-integrity when people are reminded of affirmed values and attributes (Jessop, Harris & Gibbons, 2023). Importantly, even self-affirmations unrelated to the threat can be useful in protecting self-image and self-integrity, meaning self-affirmations are a powerful tool to be used against many different threats (Jessop, Harris & Gibbons, 2023).

Types of wellbeing

Psychological research outlines two main types of wellbeing, namely hedonic and eudaimonic. Hedonic wellbeing relates to a positive mood or feeling positive emotions and the absence of negative affect. Broadly, It involves feelings of pleasure, joy and comfort (Jessop, Harris & Gibbons, 2023; Sharouni et al., 2022). On the other hand, eudaimonic wellbeing relates to higher-order feelings of living life in a way that aligns with your own values, principles and pursuits. It reflects a life lived according to your best or true self and the fulfillment of different psychological needs (Jessop, Harris & Gibbons, 2023; Sharouni et al., 2022). Hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing are complementary in that improvements to one are related to improvements to the other. Positive self-affirmations have been found to boost both types of wellbeing (Sharouni et al., 2022).

Self-affirmations and wellbeing

Self-affirmations can enhance both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing in a number of ways, including buffering against external and internal threats to self-integrity, boosting resilience, enhancing coping with stressful situations, improving self-control and self-efficacy, and reducing defensive reactions (Jessop, Harris & Gibbons, 2023; Pandey, Tiwari & Rai, 2021).

Self-affirmations have a direct impact on stress reduction. They can help individuals cope with stress by reminding them of their strengths, values, and abilities. When faced with a stressful situation, repeating self-affirmations can serve as a buffer against the negative effects of stress (Cohen & Sherman, 2014; Morgan & Atkin, 2016). This practice can lower cortisol and epinephrine levels in response to stressful situations, and promote emotional resilience, making it easier for people to navigate adversity and maintain their well-being in challenging times (Cohen & Sherman, 2014; Jessop, Harris & Gibbons, 2023; Morgan & Atkin, 2016).

Another important impact of self-affirmations is that they help to reduce defensiveness in response to challenging or threatening information (Cohen & Sherman, 2014). This can be especially important in health contexts where patients receive threatening health information. Self-affirmations can help people be more receptive to this information and allow them to open up more in response, which would allow for better treatment outcomes (Cohen & Sherman, 2014). Similarly, self-affirmations can promote behaviour change in people that have unhealthy habits, such as smoking, by allowing them to be more receptive to information that challenges these habits (Cohen & Sherman, 2014).

There is even evidence that affirmations can lead to improved physical health or reduced feelings of negative physical effects of diseases such as cancer. For example, in one study, participants with cancer who self-affirmed often reported fewer physical symptoms than participants who did not self-affirm (Emanuel et al., 2016). Self-affirmed individuals with chronic health conditions also show improved outcomes, such as increased use of medication, when compared to non-affirmed people (Cohen & Sherman, 2014).

Examples of affirmations

An affirmation is a positive statement or declaration made to reinforce a positive belief or mindset. It is a self-empowering technique where individuals express positive thoughts about themselves or their goals, aiming to cultivate a more optimistic and constructive outlook on life.

What makes an affirmation "good" often depends on several factors, including:

1. Positive Language: Good affirmations use positive and uplifting language. They focus on what you want or aspire to achieve rather than what you want to avoid.

2. Present Tense: Affirmations are often framed in the present tense to create a sense of immediacy and encourage the belief that the positive statement is already true.

3. Personal and Specific: Effective affirmations are personal and tailored to individual goals. They address specific areas of one's life or aspects of personal development.

Here are three examples of good affirmations:

1. "I am deserving of success and embrace the abundance that life offers me. Every day, I am moving closer to my goals."

2. "I radiate confidence, self-respect, and inner harmony. My thoughts are focused on positivity, and I attract positivity into my life."

3. "I am resilient, and I can overcome any obstacles in my path. Challenges are opportunities for growth, and I am becoming stronger with every experience."

Ways to practice self-affirmation

Here are seven ways to practice self-affirmation:

1. Daily ritual: Make self-affirmations a part of your daily routine. Set aside a specific time each day, such as in the morning or before bedtime, to repeat your affirmations. Consistency is key to making them effective.

2. Write them down: Write your affirmations in a journal or on sticky notes and place them where you'll see them regularly, like on your bathroom mirror, computer screen, or refrigerator. Visual cues can reinforce the message.

3. Use positive language: Phrase your affirmations in a positive and present-tense manner. Instead of saying, "I will be confident," say, "I am confident." This helps your mind focus on the present moment.

4. Personalize your affirmations: Tailor your affirmations to your specific goals and needs. Address areas in your life where you may be struggling or seeking improvement. Personalised affirmations have a stronger impact.

5. Believe in your affirmations: It's essential to believe in the truth of your affirmations. If you have a hard time believing a particular affirmation, start with smaller, more believable ones and work your way up.

6. Visualise success: When you repeat your affirmations, visualise yourself living them. Picture yourself achieving your goals and embodying the qualities you're affirming. This can make your affirmations more powerful.

7. Affirm in challenging situations: Use affirmations when you're facing difficult situations or self-doubt. Repeat your affirmations to boost your confidence and remind yourself of your strengths in moments of adversity.

Remember that self-affirmations are not a solution to life’s challenges in themselves, but rather a tool to shift your mindset and build self-confidence. Over time, they can help you cultivate a more positive and self-assured outlook on life.

References

Armitage, C. J. (2016). A brief psychological intervention to protect subjective well-being in a community sample. Quality of Life Research, 25, 385-391.

Cohen, G. L., & Sherman, D. K. (2014). The psychology of change: Self-affirmation and social psychological intervention. Annual review of psychology, 65, 333-371.

Emanuel, A. S., Howell, J. L., Taber, J. M., Ferrer, R. A., Klein, W. M., & Harris, P. R. (2018). Spontaneous self-affirmation is associated with psychological well-being: Evidence from a US national adult survey sample. Journal of Health Psychology, 23(1), 95-102.

Jessop, D. C., Harris, P. R., & Gibbons, T. (2023). Individual differences in spontaneous self-affirmation predict well-being. Self and Identity, 22(2), 247-275.

Łakuta, P. (2023). Brief self-affirmation intervention for adults with psoriasis for reducing anxiety and depression and boosting well-being: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Psychological Medicine, 53(6), 2574-2584.

Morgan, J., & Atkin, L. (2016). Expelling stress for primary school teachers: Self-affirmation increases positive emotions in teaching and emotion reappraisal. International journal of environmental research and public health, 13(5), 500.

Pandey, R., Tiwari, G., & Rai, P. (2021). Restoring and preserving capacity of self-affirmation for well-being in Indian adults with non-clinical depressive tendencies. Current Issues in Personality Psychology, 9(2), 135-147.

Sharouni, T. J., McClymont, R. G., Alcorn, C., Rebar, A. L., Law, K. H., Jackson, B., ... & Dimmock, J. A. (2022). Within‐and between‐person relationships between spontaneous self‐affirmations, coping style, and wellbeing. Stress and Health, 38(5), 940-949.

Sherman, D. K., & Cohen, G. L. (2002). Accepting threatening information: Self–Affirmation and the reduction of defensive biases. Current directions in psychological science, 11(4), 119-123.