Some might say, “Affirmations are just wishful thinking.” But science begs to differ. While they aren’t magic spells, they are potent tools for healing and upgrading your life experience when used correctly and consistently.
More and more people are using positive affirmations in their daily lives to help them change their perceptions, reach their personal goals, and heal from trauma.
However, affirmations are more than motivational slogans. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that demonstrates how and why affirmations work on your subconscious mind and affect everything around you.
Additionally, there are even physical and mental health benefits to using affirmations. We will especially be looking at using affirmations as a powerful tool for healing from trauma.
Also, not any affirmation will do. It must be done in the correct manner in order to maximize its benefits.
The research that supports the use of affirmations tends to fall into two camps:
psychological theory
neuroscience
Psychological theory
Psychological theory consists of affirmations that reflect your self-identity.
Self-affirmation theory is mostly based on the idea that you can improve your mental health by changing your view of yourself. You can change the script about who you are and bolster your self-esteem by acknowledging and focusing on your positive aspects to become more confident about your capabilities.
Self-affirmation theory asserts that your self-identity is flexible and that you can change your view of yourself as a person. This means you can choose to see yourself as strong, smart, and capable of doing whatever you want.
This is where affirmations that align with your personal values can be particularly powerful
Neuroscience
Through neuroscience, there is increasing research that shows the physical impact of affirmations on the structure of your brain.
When you practice positive affirmations you are introducing new concepts to your brain and opening up new neural pathways. Ever muttered a pep talk to yourself in the mirror before a big presentation or interview?
This self-talk, or affirmations as they're better known, isn’t just a confidence-boosting exercise. It has deep roots in neuroscience. In the age of self-help and mindfulness, affirmations have taken center stage, but what is their real power?
Understanding the Science Behind Affirmations
Affirmations are more than just feel-good phrases. They have a real impact on the brain's structure and function. Neuroscience reveals that our thoughts, especially repeated ones, can alter our brain's neural pathways.
Words carry an emotional weight. Ever noticed how a kind word can brighten your day, while a negative one can bring you down? That’s because our brain processes words, not just for their meaning but also for their emotional impact.
Neuroplasticity: The Brain's Ability to Adapt
The human brain isn’t static; it’s adaptable. Known as neuroplasticity, this adaptability means that our experiences, behaviors, and even thoughts can rewire our brains. Affirmations, being repetitive positive thoughts, can facilitate this process, strengthening pathways associated with positivity and resilience.
Brainwave States
Understanding the different states of brainwaves provides insights into how affirmations work at deeper neural levels. There are mainly five states:
Gamma (30-100Hz): Associated with heightened perception, learning, and problem-solving tasks. This state signifies a fully alert mind.
Beta (13-30Hz): This is our normal waking consciousness, associated with active thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making. It can also correlate with anxiety when overly active.
Alpha (8-13Hz): The bridge between conscious and subconscious. It's associated with relaxation, meditation, and a state of calm awareness. It's in this state that affirmations can deeply penetrate our subconscious.
Theta (4-8Hz): This deeper state of relaxation is often linked with REM sleep, deep meditation, and creativity. Healing and rejuvenation are said to happen in this state.
Delta (0.1-4Hz): The slowest brainwaves, associated with deep dreamless sleep and healing. It's also the state where our subconscious runs many of our bodily functions.
Different emotional states and behaviors can activate these frequencies. For instance, a traumatic event might cause prolonged Beta activity, which can be anxiety-inducing.
Positive affirmations can help transition the brain from a Beta to an Alpha or Theta state, promoting relaxation and healing.
The Positive Impacts of Regular Affirmations
From boosting your self-esteem to reducing stress levels, affirmations can be transformative.
They act as reminders of our worth, capabilities, and goals. Over time, they can reshape our beliefs and attitudes, fostering a more positive outlook on life.
This is what changes your mindset from negative self-doubt to positive confidence. Scientists have mapped the changes that occur in the brain when we choose to move to a more optimistic frame of mind. Building and reinforcing those neural pathways when you think about your own personal values you are activating the part of your prefrontal cortex that is involved in the self-related processing of information and positive valuation.
Positive self-identity affirmations and your health
Science has proven some surprising physical health benefits of daily practicing positive affirmations.
The practice of affirmations has a measurable impact on your resilience and how well you deal with stress as well as having a positive effect on depression and anxiety. Regular and consistent use of affirmations can help lower your levels of cortisol and adrenaline, both harmful stress hormones.
As your stress response declines your heart rate and blood pressure will decrease reducing your risk of stroke and heart attack. People who think positively are also more likely to lead healthier lifestyles, exercise more and eat a healthy diet. Science clearly shows us that we have nothing to lose and everything to gain by using positive affirmations
Affirmations: A Tool for Healing from Trauma, PTSD, and Abuse
Healing from deep-seated traumas requires a multi-faceted approach. Alongside professional therapies, positive affirmations play an essential role.
Rebuilding Self-Worth: Abuse and trauma can leave scars on one's self-esteem. Affirmations reiterate the individual's value, slowly chipping away at ingrained negative beliefs.
Regaining Control: Affirmations can be a tool for victims to regain a sense of control over their minds and bodies, which might have felt lost during traumatic experiences.
Rewiring Negative Thought Patterns: PTSD can trap individuals in harmful thought loops. Consistent positive affirmations can challenge and alter these patterns, offering a more hopeful perspective.
Grounding: Especially for PTSD sufferers, affirmations can serve as grounding tools, bringing them back to the present moment when faced with triggering situations.
Reinforcing Therapy: While therapy addresses trauma head-on, affirmations act as consistent, gentle reminders of the healing journey's progress and the sufferer's resilience.
Incorporating affirmations in your healing journey offers survivors a daily dose of positivity, slowly but surely guiding your brain away from pain and towards recovery.
The Right Way to Practice Affirmations
Not all affirmations are created equal.
For them to be truly effective, they need to be personal, positive, and present tense. And more than just saying them, feeling them and visualizing the desired outcome amplifies their power.
Pointers for Creating the Best Affirmations:
Keep It Positive: Frame your affirmations in a positive manner. Instead of saying, "I am not scared of public speaking," opt for "I am confident when speaking in public."
Present Tense: Ensure that your affirmation is in the present tense, as if it's already a reality. Instead of "I will be," use "I am."
Be Specific: Vague affirmations can dilute their impact. If you have a particular goal or desire, make sure your affirmation addresses it directly.
Short and Sweet: While there's no strict word limit, shorter affirmations are easier to remember and repeat, making them more likely to be used regularly.
Include Emotion: Emotional words can make your affirmation more potent. Saying "I am passionately pursuing my dreams" has a stronger emotional pull than just "I am pursuing my dreams." As you recite your affirmation, really feel its truth in your body. This emotional connection amplifies its impact.
Personalize It: Your affirmations should resonate with you on a personal level. Even if you start with a generic affirmation, tweak it to make it your own.
Make It Believable: While affirmations often stretch you beyond your comfort zone, they should still be within the realm of believability. If you don't believe it's possible, your subconscious mind might reject it.
Avoid Negations: Stay away from words like "don't," "can't," or "won't." The subconscious mind doesn't process negatives well. Instead of "I don't eat junk food," you can say "I always choose healthy and nourishing foods."
Visual Imagery: If your affirmation brings up a strong mental image, that's a good sign. Visual cues can enhance the effectiveness of your positive statement. If you can see it then you can believe it then you can achieve it.
Consistent Repetition: An affirmation gains power through repetition. The more you say it, the more it embeds itself into your subconscious, reinforcing its message.
Stay Open-minded: While your affirmation should be believable, stay open to all the ways it might come true. You might be surprised by the paths that open up.
Pair With Action: While affirmations help shift your mindset, pairing them with actionable steps towards your goals magnifies their effect.
Armed with these pointers, you're well on your way to crafting affirmations that can make a real difference in your mindset and, subsequently, your life.
Remember, the best affirmations are the ones that resonate deeply with you.
Best Times to Use Positive Affirmations and Why:
Upon Waking: Starting your day with positive affirmations sets a constructive tone for the rest of the day. Your mind is fresh, making it an opportune time to instill positivity and intentions for the day ahead.
Before Sleep: As you wind down, reciting affirmations helps to process the day's events positively. The affirmations can then work subconsciously during sleep, reinforcing their messages in the relaxed state of the mind.
During Meditation: The calm and focused state achieved during meditation makes it an excellent time for affirmations. The mind is more receptive, allowing the positive messages to sink deeper.
Before a Challenging Task: Reciting affirmations before facing a challenge can bolster confidence and reduce anxiety, equipping you to handle the task with greater ease.
During Moments of Self-Doubt: In instances where negative thoughts creep in, counteracting with a positive affirmation can help shift your mindset and reaffirm your self-worth.
These times are optimal because the mind is in a receptive, calm, or transitional state, making it more malleable to positive influence and the reinforcement of constructive beliefs.
Affirmations are like the siblings of mindfulness and meditation. While each has its unique features, they all converge on the idea of harnessing the power of the mind to bring about positive change.
Take a look at our article about mudras hand gestures that also activate neuropathways to healing.
In the vast expanse of the human psyche, the power of positive affirmations stands as a beacon of transformative potential.
Understanding the intricacies of our brainwave states provides insights into how these affirmations sculpt our neural pathways. More than mere statements, they serve as instruments of healing, especially for those grappling with trauma and PTSD.
With undeniable health benefits, from stress reduction to improved heart health, affirmations are a testament to the mind-body connection. Crafting them requires intention and understanding, ensuring they resonate deeply with our core beliefs.
Embracing positive thinking and positive words at key moments, such as upon waking or during meditation, amplifies their potency. The power of affirmations goes beyond mere words. They're a bridge between our desires and our reality.
Books: (All books are Amazon affiliate links. Your clicks and purchases go towards supporting our mission)
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale - This is a classic that has influenced many in understanding the profound effects of positive thinking.
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne - Explores the law of attraction and how positive thoughts can bring about positive life changes.
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay - A comprehensive look at affirmations and how they can heal different areas of your life.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck - Focuses on the concept of "fixed" vs. "growth" mindsets.
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen - An influential classic that delves into the philosophy that a person is literally what they think, and that thoughts shape character, health, circumstances, and destiny.
What to Say When You Talk to Yourself by Dr. Shad Helmstetter - A guide on self-talk, exploring how we program ourselves and how we can change the internal narrative for better results in life.
The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz - Offers practical advice to help readers think creatively, live larger lives, and achieve their most ambitious dreams.
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz - While not strictly about positive thinking, this book offers profound insights into how we can create happiness and love in our lives by shifting our beliefs and agreements.
Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting: The Astonishing Power of Feelings by Lynn Grabhorn - This book delves into how our feelings, and not just our thoughts, shape our realities. It provides a step-by-step guide to understanding how we attract things with our emotions.
Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao by Dr. Wayne Dyer - Based on the Tao Te Ching, Dr. Dyer provides insights and affirmations to bring about positive change in one's life by changing their thoughts.
Apps:
ThinkUp - An app for personal growth and mindset, where users can select affirmations, record them in their own voice, and play them back.
Shine - This app aims to be a mental health support system for your struggles with stress and anxiety. It is also a community for people suffering from mental and emotional illnesses like depression, panic attacks, and severe anxiety.
Websites:
The Mindful Tech Lifestyle - Offers various resources on positive thinking, including articles, exercises, and courses.
Rethink Mental Illness - is an organization dedicated to helping people shift their perspective, making it easier to start working towards positive change. The organization’s website provides information about resources that align with this goal.
LouiseHay.com - The official website of Louise L. Hay offers various resources on affirmations and positive thinking.
Podcasts:
The Affirmation Babe Podcast by Ashlina Kaposta - Delves into the power of affirmations for manifesting dreams.
The Power of Positive Summit - Features various experts speaking on positivity and its effects.
The Science of Success - Although not exclusively about positive thinking, this podcast often covers the benefits of a positive mindset and how to cultivate it.
Online Courses:
Coursera's "Positive Psychology by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - A course that offers a deep dive into the benefits of positive thinking and strategies to harness it.
Udemy's "Positive Thinking: Reprogram Your Mind - Offers techniques to switch to a positive mindset.
These resources provide a mix of scientific insights, practical strategies, and real-world experiences related to positive thinking and speaking. Exploring them can help one cultivate a more optimistic, empowered approach to life.
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