{"id":6079,"date":"2014-05-22T11:00:36","date_gmt":"2014-05-22T10:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=6079"},"modified":"2023-03-12T20:19:32","modified_gmt":"2023-03-12T20:19:32","slug":"daily-affirmations-do-they-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/daily-affirmations-do-they-work.htm","title":{"rendered":"Daily Affirmations &#8211; Do They Really Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Affirmations &#8211; Helpful Or Harmful?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_11867\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/8701961224_862d032108.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11867\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11867\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/8701961224_862d032108-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"daily affirmations\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/8701961224_862d032108-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/8701961224_862d032108.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-11867\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/bitesizeinspiration\/8701961224\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Omar Reyes<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Award-winning film \u2018The Help&#8221; introduces us to black maid Aibileen Clark, working for a rich white family in the time of America\u2019s Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. She is trying to positively influence her little charge, Mae Mobley, her employers&#8217; rather unloved and uncared for child. Aibileen offers Mae the following saying which they repeat together: \u2018You is kind, you is smart, you is important.\u2019 The implication here is that by repeating this positive statement or &#8216;affirmation&#8217;, the small child will take the ideas on board, believe them, and be a better person.<\/p>\n<p>Aibileen clearly hopes that these words will perhaps go some way to make up for Mae\u2019s emotionally withdrawn mother. But can this actually happen? Are daily affirmations of any value? Do they actually work? Or are they little more than fortune cookie wisdom, masquerading as words of genuine value?<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What Are Affirmations?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Affirmations are positive motivational messages.<\/strong> They are small statements which you say to yourself, perhaps daily, or even repeatedly throughout the day, to help you <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/goal-setting-in-therapy.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">achieve something<\/a><\/span>, or <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/boost-low-self-esteem-counsellor.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">feel better about yourself<\/a><\/span>. You can use affirmations created by others or create your own, such as: \u201cI am worthy of love.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Many self-help writers encourage the use of daily affirmations to help people improve their lives.<\/strong> Louise Hay\u2019s bestselling book, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">You Can Heal Your Life<\/span>, begins each chapter with an affirmation. Chapter One, for example, begins by stating, &#8220;I rejoice in the knowledge that I have the power of my own mind to use in any way I choose.&#8221; The reader is urged to keep saying and writing the affirmations that are offered throughout Hay\u2019s book.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The idea self-help teachers offer is that focusing on affirmations helps reduce negative thinking.<\/strong> It\u2019s then proposed that these positive thoughts, such as \u201cI am willing to change,\u201d will yield fruit by daily repetition. But how do those who endorse daily affirmations believe that they work?<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How Might Affirmations Work?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_11869\" style=\"width: 276px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/10232322395_c2a920a2ff2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11869\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11869\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/10232322395_c2a920a2ff2-266x400.jpg\" alt=\"louise hay affirmations\" width=\"266\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/10232322395_c2a920a2ff2-266x400.jpg 266w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/10232322395_c2a920a2ff2.jpg 333w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 266px) 100vw, 266px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-11869\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: Purple Sherbet Photography<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Here are four reasons put forward by self-help believers for how affirmations may work:<\/p>\n<p><strong> 1. Affirmations may rewire our brain.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The philosophy is that affirmations can <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/cbt-dysfunctional-behaviour.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">erase a previously negative script <\/a><\/span>and replace it with something positive within our subconscious mind. This constant repetition is thought to affect the chemical pathways in our brain \u2013 essentially, we are rewiring our brain.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Affirmations may trick our brains into believing things that aren\u2019t true.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If we keep feeding positive messages into our brains, even though they aren\u2019t necessarily true at that point, we can begin to believe them. In this way, we become what our self-talk is. If we constantly think of ourselves as stupid and relay these messages to our brain then we will struggle to feel positive. If we keep \u201ctricking\u201d our brain with positive messages then this will have a positive impact.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. An affirmation may motivate us and keep us focused.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If we continually repeat, \u201cI am going to make my business a success,\u201d by focusing our mind constantly on this we may well alter our behaviour accordingly. In this way, the affirmation works because it has triggered action in the person saying it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. An affirmation can serve as a reminder of our values.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In a world filled with negativity, it\u2019s easy to lose track of positive thoughts. In this sense, an affirmation \u2013 constant reinforcement of a view &#8211; can keep our values to the fore.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What Does Science and Research Have to Say About Affirmations? <\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_11871\" style=\"width: 381px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6980709631_7a7bd81e32.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11871\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11871\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6980709631_7a7bd81e32-371x400.jpg\" alt=\"positive affirmations\" width=\"371\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6980709631_7a7bd81e32-371x400.jpg 371w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6980709631_7a7bd81e32.jpg 464w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 371px) 100vw, 371px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-11871\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/notionscapital\/6980709631\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Mike Licht<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Science is not as blindly supportive of affirmations as the self-help industry, although results are varied and research is ongoing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A study done at the University of Waterloo in Canada saw researchers asking participants to say &#8220;I am loveable&#8221;. They concluded that &#8220;repeating positive self-statements may benefit certain people, such as individuals with high self-esteem, but backfire for the very people who need them the most.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The reason for this conclusion is that although those with high self-esteem felt slightly better after using an affirmation, those with low self-esteem felt worse. They researchers found that those with <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/myths-about-depression.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">low moods<\/a> <\/span>felt better when they were allowed to have <em>negative<\/em> thoughts.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It appears that by repeating positive messages which a person with low self-esteem sees as so far from their truth, it actually reinforces their low self-esteem.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Does that mean positive affirmations are actually a danger?<\/strong> That was not the conclusion of the researchers who did the study at all. Instead, they felt that positive affirmations can help when they are part of a program of intervention, such as <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-london.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cognitive behavioural therapy<\/a> <\/span>or working with an expert coach.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;\">And while cognitive therapies traditionally focused on manipulating the content of our thoughts, research is indicating that it may be more helpful to look to the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/mindfulness.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Third Wave Cognitive Therapies<\/a><\/span> that focus more on accepting our thoughts. This would include therapies like <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/mindfulness-based-cognitive-therapy.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MBCT (mindfulness based cognitive therapy)<\/a><\/span>. In such therapies, we are encouraged to accept all our thoughts, good and bad, positive or negative, rather than resist them. Instead we are advised to focus on positive behaviours.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>A more recent study, however, found better news about affirmations. A paper published in 2013 covered research carried out at Carnegie Mellon University which showed that affirmations improved problem-solving and creativity in stressed out students.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>It seems that people under high stress can do better problem-solving by taking a moment before a situation requiring good performance to think about something important and positive. This certainly makes affirmations quite useful to many.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Still Fancy a Try? How to Create a Personal Affirmation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Self-help teachers suggest the following steps to creating your own affirmation:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>1) <strong>Use the first person.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_11872\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6240498947_bce6e76c84.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11872\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11872\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6240498947_bce6e76c84-400x306.jpg\" alt=\"positive affirmations\" width=\"400\" height=\"306\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6240498947_bce6e76c84-400x306.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6240498947_bce6e76c84.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-11872\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: Lauren Lionheart<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Unlike our example of Aibileen and her little charge, an affirmation should really be about yourself. It is written in the first person and spoken in the first person: \u201cI am smart, I am kind, I am important.\u201d The reasoning behind this is that as you can only change yourself, and not other people, affirmations reflect this fact.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2) It must be personal. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Following from this, it needs to be a personal thing, about yourself or related to your own<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-set-goals-that-work.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">goals or aspirations<\/a><\/span>: \u201cI want to be a more effective public speaker.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>3) It needs to focus on the positive. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An affirmation needs to be positive, perhaps about a quality you\u2019d like to cultivate, or a goal you\u2019d like to achieve. No negative thoughts are allowed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4) It can be on any topic.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An affirmation can be about anything, from being a better golfer, to looking more confident on a date. Remember, though, it must focus on your own behaviour or what you want.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5) The more specific the better.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An affirmation needs to focus on something specific, rather than a woolly sense of what you\u2019d like to achieve.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6) You may, or may not, need to believe it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There is controversy here. Some say you need to believe the affirmation, others say that belief is not necessary for the affirmation to be effective.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What Do You Think About Affirmations? <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Some say that it doesn\u2019t matter what the science and the research studies say. If daily affirmations aren\u2019t doing any harm, and could be doing some good. isn\u2019t that enough? The verdict is still out.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>What do you think? Have you found that affirmations work for you? Or, have you found to the contrary, that they are of no value at all? Have you felt worse after using them? Share your experiences below, we&#8217;d love to hear! <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 2014 Ruth Nina Welsh \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyourowncounsellorandcoach.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Be Your Own Counsellor &amp; Coach<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Affirmations &#8211; Helpful Or Harmful? Award-winning film \u2018The Help&#8221; introduces us to black maid Aibileen Clark, working for a rich white family in the time of America\u2019s Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. She is trying to positively influence her little charge, Mae Mobley, her employers&#8217; rather unloved and uncared for child. Aibileen offers Mae [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"yes","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[5312],"tags":[370,292],"class_list":["post-6079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-self-help","tag-daily-affirmations","tag-positive-thinking","has_thumb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Daily Affirmations - Do They Really Work? - Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Daily affirmations- do they work? Can saying positive affirmations really change your life? 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