If you’ve ever whispered ‘I can do this’ to yourself while finishing a particularly grueling task, you’ve said what’s known as an affirmation.
And according to licensed psychologist Dr. Mikki Lee, they can be incredibly helpful when you’re trying to break negative thinking patterns.
‘Positive affirmations are positive and encouraging statements that we say to ourselves in order to replace negative or unhelpful thoughts that hold us back,’ Dr. Lee told the DailyMail.com
‘I recommend positive affirmations to many of my clients because it is a relatively simple practice backed by plenty of research and neuroscience.’
She explained that they’re key to people who struggle with confidence and self-esteem.
And when you disrupt negative thinking habits like this, Dr. Lee explained that it shifts how you think about yourselves and your experience into a more optimistic lens.
‘One of the key psychological theories behind positive affirmations is self-affirmation theory, which states that we are motivated to protect our sense of self-integrity,’ she said.
‘When we repeat positive affirmations, we maintain our sense of self-integrity by reinforcing (or affirming) our core values and strengths.’
Psychologist Dr. Mikki Lee said positive affirmations are a great way to counter negative self-talk and self-esteem issues
So when thoughts of self-criticism or failure try to pop into your head, these affirmations almost fight against them.
Dr. Lee explained that there’s research that shows some neural pathways actually increase and strengthen when people practice positive-affirmation tasks.
‘Over time, the neural pathways to positive and optimistic responses become more automatic,’ she said.
‘One way I like to explain this process to my clients is by telling them, “Neurons that fire together wire together.”‘
If you become a more positive person, you become more confident and more resilient – increasing your chances at succeeding at what it is you’re about to do.
Being more self-confident can also reaffirm your desire to make healthy life choices, which can also push you closer to your goals.
Dr. Lee shared that her favorite affirmations include, ‘I can do hard things,’ ‘I am growing every day,’ and ‘I am getting closer to the life I want.’
If you’ve never stood in front of a mirror and said positive things to yourself, it might feel a little silly doing so.
Her favorite affirmations include ‘I can do hard things’ and ‘I am getting closer to the life I want’ (stock image)
This is why Dr. Lee said she advises her clients to just try something new and go from there.
‘Try starting small so that the affirmation you choose doesn’t feel unrealistic or unattainable,’ she said.
‘For example, instead of saying, “I am worthy of success,” you could say, “I am improving every day.”‘
Then, once you feel yourself actually starting to believe those phrases, affirm yourself with bigger ideas.
The key to it all is consistency.
Dr. Lee said in the same way that seeing results in the gym requires going often, getting your affirmations to feel real will take some time and a bunch of repetition.
