We’ve all heard of affirmations.
“I can do it.”
“Money is coming to me now.”
“All is well. Everything is working out for my highest good.”
Those sorts of things.
I love affirmations. I’ve used them all through my adult life and have found them incredibly helpful.
But have you heard of self-affirmations?
That one word – self – makes a big difference.
It highlights the important difference between regular affirmations and self-affirmations.
And the difference is significant. According to science, self-affirmations help us feel stronger on the inside and inspire us to live better.
What is a self-affirmation?
A regular affirmation usually focuses on something we want to become or receive.
A self-affirmation, however, centres on a personal value – something we already hold dear and know to be true about ourselves.
For example, if you deeply value friendship, a self-affirmation might sound like:
“I am a good friend. I am supportive and kind, and I do my best to be present for my friends when they need me.”
By affirming something we already believe about ourselves, we reinforce that core part of who we are. And from this strengthened place, research shows we’re more likely to make healthier, wiser choices.
The research
In one study, participants were split into two groups.
One group wrote self-affirmations. The other simply wrote about what they’d done over the past few days.
Afterwards, both groups were casually handed an information sheet highlighting the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables.
No instructions. Just information.
A week later, researchers followed up. The self-affirmation group had eaten significantly more fruit and veg than the other group.
Why?
Because self-affirmations strengthened their internal sense of self – making it easier to choose behaviours aligned with their values.
In another similar study, people who wrote self-affirmations went on to exercise more frequently the following week.
Strengthening the core
Self-affirmations help reinforce how we already are – at our best.
They make us feel bigger on the inside. And when we feel bigger and stronger internally, life’s challenges feel more manageable.
Neurological studies even show that self-affirmations activate brain circuits linked to self-worth and resilience. That’s quite a thing!
Try this: A one-week self-affirmation practice
1. Browse this list of personal values from Brené Brown.
2. Choose 4 or 5 values that feel more important to you.
3. For each one, write a sentence or two affirming it about yourself.
For example, if your value is kindness, your affirmation might be:
“I am a kind person. I try my best to think kindly of people, speak kindly, and help others when I can.”
4. Read through your affirmations once a day for a week.
5. Reflect on why each one is true for you. (Feel free to tweak the wording as you go.)
Notice how you feel over the week. You may find you stand a little taller – inside and out.
References (in case you want to check out the research)
Fruit and veg self-affirmation study
Exercise & self-affirmation study
Berkley research on expanding the sense of self
Brain imaging research on self-affirmations
Want to go deeper?
In my YouTube video, I explore the history and science of affirmations – from early pioneer, French apothecary Émile Coué, to modern self-affirmation theory, and the present-day science of self-affirmations.
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