Affirmations occupy an intriguing realm in discussions with peak performers. Some, particularly many ‘success teachers,’ attribute affirmations with setting up their mindset for optimal positive performance every morning. Others imagine someone broke and sitting in a scruffy bedsit all day repeating ‘I am a millionaire’ and hoping it will happen, that’s a waste of time.
Drawing on my research, experience, personal experiments and experience of other people I’m going to look at affirmations from the neuroscience perspective.
What are affirmations?
Affirmations are short statements you repeat to remind yourself of a thought or habit you want to start developing.
Neuroscience points to the reticular activating system (RAS) in the brain, which filters through the billions of bits of information entering your brain and picks out what is most important to you.
Your focus and interest in something guides your RAS. So it makes sense that repeating a positive statement frequently will alert your RAS to pay attention to it.
When do affirmations Work.
If the affirmation is about a belief you already hold, then your RAS will help keep it present for you. It will be that useful alignment the success teachers mention. It also helps implant new beliefs.
For example i can tell myself the affirmation ‘I am a natural writer’ each morning for the next few months. Thanks to my RAS, this will make me pay more attention to images and mentions of writing.
So my brain will search for evidence to back it up. For example, I am a good swimmer, I enjoy playing in the lake and I’m a boss on the balance board in the gym. My brain could reasonably conclude that my affirmation statement may be realistic.
This is ‘confirmation bias’ within the brain, which seeks to reinforce beliefs that I hold.
It would also downplay ‘that one time’ I fell off a skateboard and ended up with some impressive bruises.
Because the affirmation is a positive statement, it would also increase my enthusiasm, as I will be expecting my first surfing lesson to be fun, exciting and easy.
This is where affirmations work well to give me the best chance of a positive experience.
The reality Check.
When I finally get on the surfboard for the first time, my experience of it will decide if that belief holds. A good experience will reinforce my belief in being a natural surfer. And a horrible experience will create doubt that statement was true.
The interplay between expectation and experience will refine that belief over time, as the brain tries to create the most accurate model of the world.
When Affirmations Don’t Work.
A key point in my surfing example was that I had no pre-existing belief about surfing.
Your beliefs are your brain’s model of the world based on learning, role models and personal experience.
The brain spends a lot of energy developing and refining your beliefs so that it has the best chance of predicting what will happen in the next moment.
The better your brain can predict the immediate future, the better your chances of survival. You are here today because your ancestors’ brains predicted well enough that they survived to reproduce.
So, if you are looking to support existing beliefs or install positive beliefs in learning new skills, affirmations can be a great boost.
But if you are looking to change existing beliefs that are holding you back, then affirmations must be used a little differently.
For example low self-esteem is a vicious cycle that goes like this: first it starts with negative thoughts, then high anxiety and poor performance. This leads to failure and self-blame.
We all go through it, you are not alone. These are the hacks I use in my life to punch negative thoughts out of my head.
- Practicing being grateful for even the littlest of things.
Write down ten things that made you feel grateful. This can be anything! Like making a healthy, delicious breakfast or saying something friendly to the coffee barista.
- Exercise. Move your body.
Exercise of all types, even walking, can activate a release of happiness-inducing endorphins. I like to take a walk around the neighborhood or nearby park. It really makes a difference about how I feel throughout the day.
- Stop being mean to yourself.
When you are harsh to yourself, you don’t feel and act confidently. This puts a severe dent in your self-confidence. Use more positive affirmations.
- Do something that makes you happy.
Writing, painting, reading, surfing, yoga. Take the time to do something that makes your soul happy.
- Help Others.
Volunteering is so rewarding but even doing something kind for others is a great way to boost self-esteem. Helping a friend with chores or buying a co-worker a coffee is always a great way to start.
- Meditation.
Seriously, try it out. Research proves that it can do wonders for your self-esteem.
- Smile more.
Research suggests that when you smile, even if you don’t feel happy, your brain gets the message that you are in a good mood and motivates you into having a positive attitude.
- Writing in a journal.
I started doing this and I love it! According to research, you need to balance your negative thoughts by having three positive thoughts each time something negative comes into your mind. A journal can really help with maintaining that.
- Dressing well can boost your confidence.
This advice really helped me Just like magic. When you dressed well, you will feel a surge of confidence. Multiple studies have shown that dressing well increases your performance and heightens others’ impressions of you.
Examples of positive affirmations.
I’m a healthy normal person. My body functions normally, under any conditions. I function perfectly normally in the presence of animals. My body functions normally, whatever the surrounding odors are. I am free of past negative influences which have been causing my allergic reactions. Soon I’ll be able to eat any food I like. Each day that goes by strengthens my conviction that I am in the process of resolving all past problems. I perceive of myself as a person who is not allergic to anything…
I can now eat (name the food) easily and find it delicious. I am free of past negative influences. My body now reacts normally to all the foods I eat…
To me loving means listening unconditionally and without prejudices, to the needs of another person, and fully appreciating his or her worth. I have the right to be open with other people…
I stop thinking only about myself, and think more about others. Every day I try to do something kind, something that brings a smile to a suffering face…
I always take other people’s feelings into consideration. I am aware of their feelings, sensitive to their attitudes and opinions. I know how to listen. I show a sincere interest in the convictions, thoughts and ideas of others. And since my interest is sincere, other people recognize that and start counting on me…
I maintain a victorious attitude towards life. I know there is no task a person cannot accomplish once he or she has made up his mind. I want to accomplish… (name the task). My ambition is completely legitimate. I want to make progress in my work, as well as in my intellectual and moral development. I will leave nothing to chance. Attaining the success I aspire to depends solely on me…
I reconstruct myself with a brighter future. I am not content with being less than I can become. I’m as capable as any other human being who has ever lived. I am not afraid of my own greatness…
I am not content with being less than I can become. I’m as capable as any other human being who has ever lived. I am not afraid of my own greatness. I always remember that I can become anything I choose to be, and that greatness is there for the taking if I really want it…
I am no longer satisfied with what I can get, but only with what I want to get. I know I can obtain everything… gain access to the highest circles… I only have to want it… and have faith in my success, and I will succeed…
I am aware, conscious, and ready! I am overflowing with vitality and ambition. I exploit every opportunity with dynamism and enthusiasm. I am a CEO (or a lawyer, or any profession of your choice). Every day brings me closer to my goal. I know I am already there. It’s fantastic. I accept my own amazing future. I am full of ambition, and there is nothing wrong with that. I want to succeed in my work, as well as in my personal development…
My blood is getting richer and richer, more and more red, more and more nourishing. It is getting to be more and more like healthy blood. My anaemia is gradually disappearing, carrying away with it the host of problems that accompany being anaemic. My blood is rich, and is replenished daily…
What other people think or say about me doesn’t bother me. If my inner Guide is with me, if He (or She) approves of my thoughts and actions, then everything is all right. I am calm and strong!
It’s normal to get angry from time to time. I take responsibility for my emotions. When I begin to get angry I acknowledge the fact that I own my emotions. I remove myself from any potentially hostile situations. When I talk about my anger or dissatisfaction I say: “I feel angry when I see that happening,” instead of saying, “You make me angry when you do that.” Only I can make myself angry…
I master my emotions. I never get angry for no reason, nor do I react violently to any situation whatsoever…
I am very careful not to get angry. I have a good character, I demonstrate patience, and I always think before I act. I avoid complaining…
When I get angry about not achieving the results I want in a situation, I move quickly from “stewing to doing.’ I ask, “What can I do to turn this situation around? Is there anything I can salvage from this situation? What can I learn from this situation? How can I prevent it from happening again?”…
When I get angry I remind myself that everyone has the right to be what s/he chooses to be, and demanding that others be different will only result in prolonging my anger. I make sure to let other people make their own choices. After all, don’t I claim that right for myself?…
When I feel myself getting angry I quickly give myself the suggestion that I can switch my thoughts to something else. If need be I can always walk away from the person who is provoking the anger reaction, or expend my energy in doing something that will divert my mind – finding some other outlet for my pent-up emotions. I am going to remind myself that people can make me angry only if I allow them to do so, and that getting angry is actually flattering the other person…
The attack is passing and my heart is beating normally…
My Real Self knows all the answers I need…
From now on, whenever I feel anxious I will breathe deeply, relax, and feel a surge of energy rising through me…
I express the anxieties I have about myself, and then let go of them…
I am completely calm… completely calm… A marvelous feeling of peace and harmony spreads through my body… I am happy… my circulation is regular and my digestion is perfect…
I feel a hot current flowing through my solar plexus…
In the past I would look anxiously outside, waiting nervously for something bad to happen. From now on I look inwards, full of confidence. I look to my Inner Guide…
I am learning to interpret my anxiety as a state of excitement instead of nervousness…
I stop anxiously fighting all the little complications of life. I simplify my affairs. I have to work towards freeing myself of all forms of fear and anxiety. I feel less tense and anxious…
I am in the process of becoming a much more self confident person…
I see my life and everything that happens from the calm, clear perspective of my conscience, and profound understanding…
Everything is fine. My tension can be an ally because if I feel any anxiety, I take it as a sign to call on the means at my disposal to deal with the situation. I take a deep breath and relax. Everything’s all right. I am in control of the situation, and of myself. It’s all over, I’ve succeeded. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be…
It does no good to worry. It’s much better thinking about what I can do rather than becoming anxious. I have plenty of time to take a deep breath and relax before dealing with the situation. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. If others accept me, all the better. If they don’t, too bad. I’m not trying to make everyone love me. I concentrate on the present moment. What do I have to do now? I think mostly about the things I have to do, and about the positive results these actions will bring. If I deal with the situation step by step, I won’t have any trouble. I can’t expect people to always think as I do, and do what I want them to…
In all situations where I used to be too impressionable, I am now protected by a suit of armor through which nothing can penetrate…
I develop my aplomb and my confidence. I feel an imperturbable calm in the face of anything that happens. I don’t allow anyone to influence me…
I know that my appearance, my weight and my well being depend solely on me. I do everything necessary, every day and every instant, to create the “me” I really want to be. I am in control of myself. Only I decide what my physical appearance is like, how much I weigh, and how I feel…
I’m hungry at mealtimes… I am attracted by natural, healthy foods…
I am calm, courageous and free! My inner Guide fills me with confidence, self assurance, love and harmony. I feel free, joyous and strong. I am free, and secure under Your wing. I am free!
Negative suggestions, phobias, apprehensions, dark or sad thoughts all gradually disappear of their own accord, without my having to fight them. Even dark thoughts and feelings which are based on reality are gradually receding…
I feel good because I want to, and my feeling good has nothing to do with you. No one is unhappier than people who need (the approval of) other people. But those who want to love others become happy themselves.
I thank people who tell me things that can help me, even if what they say is difficult to accept. My feeling of gratitude replaces my need for approval. I stop looking to my spouse, or to anyone else, for approval of what I say, by cutting out things like, “Isn’t that true, dear?” or… “Don’t you agree?” or… “Ask so and so, she’ll tell you.” I reprimand myself out loud every time I find myself seeking other people’s approval. By doing so I become aware of this kind of behavior, so that I can stop it…
It is completely normal that people forget to express or even feel gratitude; therefore, if I expect other people to reward me through a show of gratitude, I am only exposing myself to a flood of bitter disappointments…
I’m sure the sales manager will notice my effort and my results…
I am perfectly relaxed when I practice archery. My reflexes are getting faster and more efficient. I can hit the target more and more easily, shot after shot. I am improving all aspects of my archery. My vision and reflexes are working marvelously well. Archery is easy for me…
My energy circulates more and more freely through my whole body, which is becoming light and luminous. My pains completely disappear because the amazing power of my subconscious mind is healing me completely…
Discover more about affirmations in the final chapter of my book.
