Recently, I heard someone say that positive self-talk was “food for the brain.” I have some affirmation cards that a good friend gave me and I review them from time to time, and choose a new one to put next to my desk. I thought I was doing well to have them visible. However, if affirming messages are food, I’m going a long time between meals! Maybe it’s time to up my affirmation game and use them daily? I could certainly use a good dose of positive everyday.
Positive Self-Talk Affects Your Brain
Affirmations are nutrients that help give us the power to grow and move in a positive direction. There is science behind this idea. Affirmations focusing on the future actually change neural pathways and make our brains more receptive.* In other words, when you talk, your brain will listen.
Affirmation Theory
According to affirmation theory, our positive messages should connect to our core values and beliefs. Repeating these ideas to ourselves can have mental and physical health benefits. If we are encountering a difficult time that challenges our confidence, repeating our affirmations can remind us of our strengths. “…positive affirmations can deliver long-term benefits by creating a positive feedback loop between the self and an individual’s ability to adapt over time. Self-affirmations may also reduce the threat presented by challenges to an individual’s self-valuation.”**
Choosing Your Affirmations
The positive statements that I use are ones that resonate with my values and goals. We need to believe in what we’re saying for it to be effective. There may be some commercially available ones that appeal to you. I like some of the simple ones such as:
I am enough. I have enough.
Yes, I can.
I am responsible for MY happiness.
But, I can also make my own by taking a negative statement that I tell myself and re-wording it into a positive one:
“This isn’t good enough,” is changed to “progress over perfection.”
“I shouldn’t be struggling with this,” is changed to “I am doing the best I can.”
The affirmations change depending on what’s going on in my life at the time but the underlying messages are reinforcing my values and goals. When I’m tempted to listen to negative self-talk, affirmations are cheering me on.
Enjoy “snacking” on the affirmations that nourish you before breakfast and at bedtime.
Comment below with your favourite ones.
*https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4814782/#sec-a.p.etitle
**https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/the-science-of-affirmations
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