You’ve probably heard about the power of positive affirmations. Perhaps, you’ve tried them, or maybe you have an aversion to them.
We are big fans of affirmations because they help you move through self-doubt and challenging times in life. If you’ve never given them a try, the idea might seem a bit strange at first. It might feel completely weird to tell yourself how amazing or beautiful or strong you are (especially when you feel the opposite).
If you’re already freaking out and feeling the woo-woo vibes, stay with us and keep reading. We will touch on the science behind positive affirmation, there’s quite a lot of studies that back up the benefits of affirmations.
Before we dive in, if you’re already a huge fan of positive affirmation and want more, we are running a 14 Day Movement, Meditation, and Affirmation Challenge. Each day you will move your amazing body with online Yoga and Pilates classes, designed to strengthen the body and focus the mind. You’ll also go deep into the practice of Meditation, where you’ll find clarity and a sense of peace. But the real magic of this Challenge is the power of positive affirmations.
This 14 Day Challenge will be the most amazing mind-body connection reset.
We begin on the 20 May 2024, if you’d like to be part of it all, simply activate your MerryBody App. Head on over to your App Store and download the App. Or if you are on desktop, you can sign up here.
What are Positive Affirmations?
Positive affirmations are positive phrases or statements that challenge the thoughts that do not serve you.
Using them is simple, find an affirmation that resonates and repeat it to yourself.
Our MerryBody Mantra is: You are amazing, just as you are, right here and right now.
We end each and every Yoga, Pilates, Yin Yoga and Meditation with it. When you hear it enough… watch out, you’ll begin to believe it! That’s the goal anyway, and it works!
Whether it’s to motivate yourself, spark positive change in your life or boost your self-esteem and confidence, affirmations are a fantastic tool to overcome negative self-talk and shift your thought patterns.
Is There Science Behind Positive Affirmations?
You may have seen all the manifestation gurus out there making it feel like hocus pocus, and there’s a lot of that out there. But let’s break it all down, perhaps they teach it in a whimsical, magical way, but all they are doing is helping you shift your thoughts.
When you shift your thoughts, from negative to positive, or from scarcity to abundance, or self-limiting to self-believing… this also shifts your actions. Your every day actions, the big ones and small ones, create the path you are walking.
If you’re thinking “I can’t possibly do this, I’m not smart enough” it leads to a certain action. If you are thinking “I can do this, I am capable, I am resilient, I can learn” it leads to another action.
Make sense?
Instead of talking yourself out of the opportunities, you take them.
Instead of waiting for life to happen, you go out and make it happen.
It might not all go according to plan, in fact, it could all work out even better!
Ok, lets get to the science already! The use of positive affirmations is supported and recognised by psychological theories. The backbone of positive affirmations lies in the self-affirmation theory.
Basically, this theory suggests that when you use affirmations you can boost your psychological resilience and sense of self.
Researchers have found that affirmations leverage your brain’s ability to rewire itself, forming new neural connections that reinforce positive beliefs and behaviours. This leads to a reduction of stress, improvement of problem-solving abilities and a boost in general performance. So, when you consistently practice positive affirmations, you are actively reinforcing your self-esteem and this helps you deal with the ups and downs of life. Positive Affirmation is a powerful tool for maintaining mental health and overall well-being. (Cascio et al., 2016).
The Impacts of Using Positive Affirmations
Using positive affirmations can have a transformative impact on your life.
These simple, yet powerful statements can shift your thoughts. Welcoming positive affirmations into your daily routine can create lasting changes, not only in how you view yourself but also in how you see the world around you.
Boosts Self-Esteem
Regularly practising positive affirmations helps to boost your self-esteem, self-worth and self-acceptance. This is especially important in this day in age with social media. Too many messages are telling you that you’re not enough, it’s time to actively remind yourself of the truth (that you are enough).
Improves Performance
Affirmations can increase your motivation and help you maintain your focus on your goals and desires. Many great athletes, performers and successful business founders talk about using the power of affirmation and visualisation to reach their goals.
Shift your Mindset
There is no wrong or right in how you want to go about life. We like to focus on cultivating a positive mindset (in touch with reality), if you’d like to shift yours to a more positive mindset, affirmations will help you.
Reduces Stress
By using affirmations, you will also begin to notice that you respond differently to stressful situations. They are a great tool to help reduce your stress and anxiety.
How to use Positive Affirmation?
If you are ready to experience the benefits of positive affirmation, you can start right now. Go and grab a piece of paper and write these words.
I am Enough.
Then stick it on your fridge, on your mirror, in your wardrobe or on your coffee machine. Wherever you want! Just make sure it’s somewhere you go often. You need to see this message every day.
It can be as simple as this, but if you’d like to take it a step further. Join our 14 Day Movement, Meditation and Affirmation Challenge.
Something special happens when you link, affirmation to practices like Yoga, Pilates and Meditation. It solidifies the positive affirmations, it amplifies them. By the end of the 14 days, prepare to feel more confidence, more resilience and a sense of abundance.
We begin on the 20 May 2024, if you’d like to be part of it all, simply sign up to MerryBody.
Head on over to your App Store and download the App. Or if you are on desktop, you can sign up here.
Always merrymaking,
Emma + Carla