Power of positive thinking

Science says positive affirmation really works but, as Hillary Eaton finds, you need to be in the right frame of mind to begin with.

Stay positive. You can do this. Be kind to yourself. The power of positive affirmation is something most of us use throughout the day, whether unwittingly or intentionally, to help us overcome obstacles, get through a hard time, cheer ourselves up, or will ourselves into a positive and content state of being where we can achieve our goals.

But does thinking happy thoughts actually help us or are positive affirmations little more than a really good placebo effect at work?

It’s an especially important question in 2021, a time when so many of us are anxiety-riddled, selfcritical or struggle with self-doubt.

In fact, anxiety has never been more common than it is today. According to the World Health Organisation, one in every 13 people worldwide is currently suffering from chronic anxiety. It’s the fastest-growing mental health condition in the world.

Battling the unseen beast of anxiety and selfdoubt is difficult. Anxiety often leaves us feeling isolated, trapped and unable to cope with the tasks life puts in front of us.

In the world of wellness, there has been a collective push to curb anxiety, self-doubt, and unnecessary self-criticism by examining our thoughts and learning how to take control of how we speak to ourselves, internally.

This is all done in the hope that changing the way we speak down to ourselves with a positive outlook or affirmation can curb these negative thoughts and feelings. ‘‘The way we think directly impacts how we feel and function,’’ says lifestyle coach and author Sarah Laurie.

Founder of Take a Breath, an app geared towards helping people combat anxiety and improve their mental health, Laurie is out to help us understand how powerful our thoughts can be.

‘‘Science demonstrates that the thoughts we have consistently, create ‘tracks on our brain’ like pathways in a forest. What this means is that over time, the thoughts we have start to occur automatically.

‘‘This is good when we think optimistic, constructive thoughts, however it also explains why it can be a challenge if we’ve been overwhelmed or stressed for some time as our worried, overwhelmed thinking becomes a pattern.’’

Science has been curious about the connection between positive affirmations and positive thinking for some time. Research on the matter dates back as far as the 1920s. Studies over the years have consistently shown that there is likely a connection between the two, but recent studies have begun to understand what this connection means. It turns out, it relies on a few key things.

According to 2016 findings published in the Journal of Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, when images were taken of the test subjects’ brains during moments of positive selfaffirmation, researchers were able to identify activity in the region of the brain in charge of valuation and self-processing.

This activity was particularly charged with those whose affirmations were connected to futurefocused and actionable goals. Translation: an affirmation linked to something actionable that

‘‘Science demonstrates that the thoughts we have consistently, create ‘tracks on our brain’ like pathways in a forest.’’

Sarah Laurie

Lifestyle coach and author, left

you can achieve in the future may be the most powerful.

So what sort of tangible changes are these linked to? Such benefits listed in the same study range from decreased levels of stress to increased feelings of wellbeing and improved academic performance.

There are also suggestions that people using positive affirmation techniques are more open to behavioural changes. So those bad habits you’re trying to kick? Maybe you just need the extra power of telling yourself you can.

But there are a few catches. Self-affirmation is often something we do internally without consciousness, making it hard for us to properly attribute the benefits of our positive thoughts to their positive outcomes. That’s where we have to retrain our brains to be more mindful.

‘‘[Be mindful] during tough times and also when life feels great,’’ Laurie explains of retraining ourselves to think positively. ‘‘It’s important to actively and consistently recognise aspects of life that are good.’’

Findings in The Psychology of Change: Selfaffirmation and Social Psychological Intervention found that mindfulness, paired with selfaffirmation, may have the ability to create a positive feedback loop between affirmation and action, if properly cultivated.

Meaning, the more you practice and achieve change due to positive affirmation, the more power these affirmations may hold.

Beyond our headspace and behavioural changes, positive affirmation and thinking are also linked to a decrease in disease. From decrease in cardiovascular disease to an overall decreased mortality rate in healthy and diseased people in the population, there are myriad ways that positivity has been correlated to a healthier you.

So how can you begin to be more positive and affirming to yourself?

Since the most effective form of self-affirmations have been linked to things that are actionable and attainable in the future, those in the know suggest starting by looking at what goals you can actually fulfil. Shooting for the stars with something lofty? Identify small goals that will build up into your larger one – with time.

No matter what these goals are, it’s important to note that self-affirmation does not necessarily work for all goals and for all sorts of people. If you’re suffering from low self-esteem or feelings of depression, you may not be in the right mental state to benefit from positive affirmations.

As outlined by Dr Joanne Wood’s study in the Journal of Psychological Science, for those who are in a deeply negative headspace to begin with, or struggling with low self-esteem, positive affirmations can often feel like something they are not able to do, or worthy of, which in turn can make them feel even worse.

With this in mind, it’s important to use positiveaffirmation therapy when you are in the correct state of mind to begin with.