Both self-affirmation and positivity are common practices in today’s society due to the many well-known mental and physical benefits that can result from practicing them. Self-affirming – the recognizing and asserting of the existence and value of one’s individual self – reduces defensiveness to threatening information, reduces negative effects of stereotype threat, and promotes adaptive coping and goal achievement. These benefits also extend to better physical health outcomes, highlighting a need to examine the role of self-affirmation in health contexts.
A study published in Annals of Behavioral Medicine identified two factors that may buffer against some of the negative effects of cancer treatment: optimism and spontaneous self-affirmation. Participants higher in spontaneous self-affirmation reported greater happiness and hopefulness, lower likelihood of cognitive impairment, and greater likelihood of cancer information seeking.
Optimism and spontaneous self-affirmation may also be associated with beneficial health-related outcomes among cancer survivors. Evidence suggests that greater optimism among cancer survivors is associated with numerous positive outcomes, including greater happiness, positive emotions, better quality of life, and less depression, fatigue, and distress, among others.
Results of the study also found that spontaneous self-affirmation was associated with more positive and less negative feelings and emotions, better self-reported health, and a better health care experience.
Self-affirmation remains significantly associated with greater hopefulness overall. When people self-affirm—for example, by following instructions to reflect on their personal strengths and values —their self-belief increases and their perspective is altered to view challenges as less threatening, which can lead to healthier behaviors, lower stress, and greater perceived meaning in life.
Spontaneous self-affirmation has also more broadly been associated with “more positive perceptions of communication with one’s provider, better perceived quality of care, greater likelihood of asking questions in a medical appointment, [and] greater information seeking for oneself” (find study here).
Spontaneous self-affirmation is also favorable because it has been shown to be adaptable, is easy to bring about, and the positive effects of self-affirmation appear to be recurring over time.
You have the power to improve your life by simply being more mindful of your own thoughts. Don’t give energy to negative thoughts you have and start believing in yourself. Choose to feed your subconscious mind with positive and empowering visualized experiences and find greater happiness, hopefulness, and self-esteem.
How to practice affirmations for better health:
If you’re interested in using affirmations for mindful living and a healthy life, the Selfpause app has a variety of health affirmations to help you find greater hopefulness, more energy, and less stress so you may prioritize healthier behaviors. You can also use the app to write and record your own personal affirmations!
