How you talk to yourself matters a lot. Have you ever made a mistake at work and berated yourself for ‘being so dumb’ or called yourself a name like ‘stupid’? We all do it. It’s often feels like a natural reflex to an unexpected action or accident.

Negative self-talk and unhelpful behaviours can be challenging to change. This is where affirmations can help. Affirmations (also called ‘self-affirmations’) are statements said with confidence about a perceived truth. They help you to make significant change.

When we use affirmations mindfully and with kindness, we are growing something positive. The regions in the brain that are activated in this process are often referred to as the ‘reward circuits’, and include the medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex.* These regions support our planning, decision making, problem solving, self-control, and regulate the balance of internal and externally focused attention. Affirming statements can help our brain to ‘wire in’ the positive affirmation, and doing this may prime our mindset for positive actions and behaviours.

*Source pg. 86 Finding Your Well-BEing

There are also many positive wellbeing impacts. Research has found affirmations can:

• increase physical activity
• support us to respond with the intention to change for the better
• lower stress and rumination
• and GROW OUR OPTIMISM...

When our optimism grows, our clarity about the changes we desire may improve too! This can support a hopeful outlook about your future.

In Chapter 5 of my book Finding Your Well-BEing, I teach you how to create affirmations for your best self and how to use them effectively.

Why not try some today! They may improve your agency, support you toward positive change and help you to achieve your priorities. Please keep me posted with how you go.