Do Self-Affirmations Work? Here’s What Experts Say

It’s incredibly difficult and heartbreaking to look in the mirror and not like what you see. Whether you struggle with weight gain, acne, have stretch marks, or other perfectly normal bodily features and marks, society can make you feel less worthy than you are.

But positive self-talk and self-affirmations can help you take back control of that narrative in more ways than one. Here are some benefits of practicing more of them and knowing how they work for better confidence:

Positive affirmations rewire our brains

The human brain is incredibly fascinating. This muscle mass responds incredibly well to messaging and positive affirmations, as they do negative messaging too. Neuroplasticity is the concept that explains this and confirms that our brains do, in fact, start thinking differently when trained to do so.

They work best when they’re specific

However, generic, cookie-cutter affirmations fall flat when it comes to effectiveness. Instead, it helps to try affirmations that are more specific to you, your situation, and your needs. Instead of trying the same affirmations as an Instagram influencer, you figure out what you need most at this moment. It could be based on your merit and achievements, physical attributes, or even your mental health.

It’s also important to make them realistic

In addition to making them more specific, they should also be realistic. That’s because our brains work on rewards-based systems, and the more realistic, attainable, and relevant your affirmations are, the better you’ll feel emotional. Don’t think of grand schemes for the distant future or ideas and plans that don’t apply to you—instead, focus on small goals and affirmations based on reality. For instance, telling yourself that you’ll ace the interview is better than saying you will get that job and be CEO in the next year.

There’s a lot more power to affirmations that many of us would be willing to admit. In fact, they’re some of the most powerful tools to improve self-esteem and may feel silly at first, but they’re effective, especially when coupled with other strategies to improve self-esteem, like subconscious mind healing techniques. Learn more about our services and how we can help you feel and be more confident in your skin by scheduling a free consultation today. You can schedule both in-person and Skype sessions with our hypnosis expert Rekha Shrivastava.