Do affirmations work?

How do affirmations work? Until recently there has been little evidence to show us, other than perhaps the placebo effect. However, there is now some, kindly gathered together by Affirmative Thinking, who suggest that neuroplasticity is the answer.

Our experiences make physical changes in our brains, which shape our thinking. But even without this, if repeating negative thoughts, such as ‘I am never good enough’ or ‘I can’t’ makes you feel bad, it seems reasonable to assume that repeating positive ones will help you feel better. Anecdotal evidence and hundreds of self-help books demonstrate that many people find affirmations helpful.

Who invented affirmations?

The person generally credited with the discovery (or development) of affirmations was Emil Coué, a Frenchman who graduated with a degree in pharmacology in 1876 and worked as an apothecary from 1882 to 1910. Coué studied hypnosis but was interested in the power of suggestion and how it worked both in and out of trance. He began praising some of the medicines he was dispensing or leaving small positive notes in medicine packets for some of his patients to find. He discovered that those who received these messages improved more than those who did not.

This led Coué to believe that although the effects of the medication were primarily physical, they could be improved by the patient’s state of mind or attitude. He suggested that replacing ‘thoughts of illness’ with ‘thoughts of cure’ would help people to feel better, and that repeating positive thoughts over time would encourage the mind to accept them as true.

Coué called his method ‘auto-suggestion’, and asked his patients to repeat his suggested affirmation – day by day in every way I am getting better and better – 20 times each morning and each evening. It needed to be repeated softly but with faith until it came to be fully accepted.

What should my affirmations be about?

Affirmations are positive statements of what you want to happen. So:

• Make a list of things you’d like to change in your life,
• Write out the negative thoughts that get in the way of you changing them,
• Create affirmations that undermine negative thoughts, and focus your mind on solutions.

So if you want to quit smoking but worry that you’ll fail because you have in the past, use something like ‘I have all the courage, determination and willpower I need to quit for good’.

How to write an affirmation

You need to put some thought into your affirmation and make sure it:

• is in the present tense (‘I am a strong, confident person’ rather than ‘I will be a strong, confident person’),
• uses simple language (‘I feel confident wherever I go’ and not ‘I generalise my developing positivism into a multiplicity of environments’),
• focuses on positive rather than negative goals (‘I am a happy, healthy non-smoker’ instead of ‘I don’t smoke any more’),
• is short – the best affirmations are usually down to one phrase or sentence,
• is realistic (consistently repeating ‘I am confident that I am capable of flight’ will not allow you to actually fly).

How to use affirmations

There are many different ways of working with affirmations, and you may not want to repeat yours a total of 40 times a day as Coué’s patients were asked to.

The method I like best is the ‘mirror technique’ which first appeared in the ‘The Magic of Believing’ by Claude Bristol and has also appeared in other self-help books such as ‘You Can Heal Your Life’ by Louise Hay.

Stand in front of a mirror, look directly into your own eyes and repeat your affirmation. Speak the affirmation aloud – quietly but firmly. It’s important to say your affirmation with expression, as if you already believed it. Napoleon Hill, a pioneer of self-help literature, said that ‘the mere reading of the words is of no consequence – unless you mix emotion, or feeling with your words’.

I ask clients to do this five times every morning and evening, usually when brushing their teeth. Louise Hay suggests that you should stop and repeat your affirmation a few times whenever you pass in front of a reflective surface.

Reinforcing your affirmation

Put your affirmation where you will see and hear it regularly:

• on your computer screen saver
• on the cover of your phone, notepad or diary
• on post-it notes around the house
• on a home-made mobile phone ring-tone

Be creative and if you think of other places, let me know, and I’ll add them to this article.

Troubleshooting affirmations

If you find it too difficult or embarrassing to say your affirmation as if you mean it, it may be too far from what you think of as truth now for you to use it effectively. Try making a series of affirmations that get progressively closer to your goal. Use each one for a while, until you notice a change in attitude, then go on to the next. For example:

• I choose healthier foods and portions every day
• I eat what my body needs and no more
• I am a slim and healthy person

If you have lots of different goals, work with one at a time, so as not to confuse your unconscious mind with conflicting demands. Once you have reached your goal with one, move on to the next one.

Persevere, it can take two or three weeks before you notice a difference.

Sometimes, especially for those with low self-esteem, affirmations don’t seem to help. If this happens to you, think about using hypnotherapy. It can help you work through any issues that are getting in the way. Recent studies show that restructuring your affirmations can help and I can teach you how to do this in just one session. Contact me to book an appointment.