By brynn pyper
“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.
”
Positive affirmations are often referenced in circles of self-improvement, encouraging Pinterest boards, and health magazines, but they aren’t often discussed in the realm of positive psychology. Affirmations are just statements about oneself, but the public view is split on whether affirmations are good or not; some people view them only as wishful thinking, while others recite their affirmations daily like a spiritual mantra. The scientific view of positive affirmations, however, depends on which type you’re talking about; there are a couple of different theories about affirmations, and it turns out that we affirm ourselves in different ways.
Self-affirmation theory (Steele, 1988) has been the foundation for how we view positive affirmations from a social psychological perspective. Self-affirmation theory proposes that people will seek to positively affirm themselves when they experience threats to their self-conception, and that the affirmation does not have to be directly related to the threat in order to help reduce the threat. It suggests that individuals take a “global self-worth approach” rather than more specific attention on each threat. Sometimes people also self-affirm spontaneously, not in response to any threat, and research indicates that this kind of self-affirmation is associated with better well-being (Emanuel et al., 2018). This approach to affirmation, that any kind of self-affirming statements made to oneself helps, has been researched as a treatment intervention; researchers have seen that writing about values and goals helps to solidify and encourage self-affirmation, which also leads to higher levels of happiness and well-being (Robinson, 2014). So, you can help yourself attack threats and stressors by positively affirming yourself, even if you don’t directly address the effect of the threat!
Positive affirmations, on the other hand, are more related to cognitive psychology and cognitive therapy approaches. The motivation behind positive affirmations could relate to cognitive distortions and the inner dialogue that are addressed in cognitive therapy (Beck, 1963), and the creation of positive affirmations to combat negative dialogue could be particularly helpful because of the consistent attention and treatment given to those negative thought processes in light of direct affirmations against them. Positive affirmations in this sense are more specific to attacking those stressors, in contrast with self-affirmation theory. You can affirm yourself in ways that do address your major threats too!
Educators also study the use of effective affirmations in teaching and encouraging children in their learning. Teachers are told that the best types of affirmations in the classroom are the ones that help students maintain a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset (Conroy et al., 2009). Genuine and authentic feedback may also be more effective in producing change in children (Hu et al., 2021). These affirmations in the classroom are more related to specific actions and approaches rather than in attacking threats like the other two theories; you can reinforce principles and behavior by affirming it, so long as you are honest and genuine and help the child focus on progressing rather than on a singular goal.
Now that we have an academic background of affirmations, where could they fit into the pillars of human flourishing that we talk about in positive psychology? Well, positive affirmations fall into a couple different categories of well-being strategies that could definitely help with overall happiness—and, of course, standing up against situations that threaten your self-image. Consistent repetition is important to stimulate change in any efforts to self-improvement, but affirmations can be particularly effective in stimulating self-compassion and value activation. Other applicable principles could include purpose and personal growth. Essentially, affirmations can be a well-being strategy to help in several different realms of positive psychology, which leaves a lot of potential for growth!
At this point, you may be wondering, “Well, how do I form affirmations? What are they supposed to look like? How do I know if they’re working?” The simple answer is that it’s all up to you! Your personal affirmations may be ones you find online, or they may be ones that you painstakingly construct to address some of your stronger fears and worries. They should resonate with you, your values, and your personal goals, and they should motivate you to move forward in your life. Here are some tips I’ve learned as I have tried to form helpful and encouraging affirmations for myself:
Use active “I am [doing something]” statements, such as “I am seeking happiness and success” or “I am maintaining and creating healthy relationships” to encourage the growth mindset.
Consider your biggest worries and negative self-dialogue, and form directly contrasting affirmations. For example, if you feel very overwhelmed with uncertainty in the future, you could craft an affirmation like “I am trusting that things will work out.”
Try to form believable and genuine affirmations. They don’t have to be entirely true, but they should reflect your true feelings about what you want for yourself. If your affirmations match your personal goals, then they can encourage you to move forward and internalize your actions. For example, you may feel that your relationships are unfulfilling and that you don’t invest enough, but you want to form healthy and significant relationships, so you could form an appropriate affirmation to reflect that goal, such as “I am building healthy relationships with others that are interdependent and fulfilling.”
Affirmations can be a really effective way to apply some of these other principles of positive psychology, and the research supports their ideology as well. Ultimately, you know what your values and goals are, and you can take the time to internalize them through positively affirming your efforts. It’s like a boost you can give yourself! If you want to try a new well-being strategy, write some affirmations and read them daily; I guarantee they can help you in moving forward in your pursuit of personal growth and lasting happiness.
“The love and attention you always thought you wanted from someone else, is the love and attention you first need to give to yourself.
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References
Beck, A. T. (1963). Thinking and depression: I. Idiosyncratic content and cognitive distortions. Archives of General Psychiatry, 9(4), 324-333.
Conroy, M. A., Sutherland, K. S., Snyder, A., Al-Hendawl, M., & Vo, A. (2009). Creating a positive classroom atmosphere: Teachers’ use of effective praise and feedback. Beyond Behavior, 19(2), 18–26. https://johnston1025.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/creating-a-positive-classroom-environment.pdf
Emanuel, A. S., Howell, J. L., Taber, J M., Ferrer, R. A., Klein, W. M. P., & 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. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105316643595
Hu, B. Y., Guan, L., Li, Y., Roberts, S. K., & Zhang, X. (2021). Feedback matters: Examining the use of feedback strategies by Chinese preschool teachers in science lessons. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50, 1355–1371. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01265-3
Robinson, S. (2014). A case study of self-affirmations in teacher education. Journal of Invitational Theory and Practice, 20, 27–36. https://doi.org/10.26522/jitp.v20i.3734
Steele, C. M. (1988). The psychology of self-affirmation: Sustaining the integrity of the self. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 21. 261–302. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60229-4