Positive health affirmations are effective phrases. It is a form of autosuggestion. It alters our way of thinking for the better. Some examples are –
- “I have the energy and vision to accomplish my goals.”
- “I have incredible talents and I will use them.”
- “Creative energy comes from me and leads me to brilliant ideas.”
- “I am patient and manage to remain calm in difficult situations.”
The key is to keep repeating the same phrase daily so that, over time, your brain conditions itself and believes what you are telling yourself. In this way, they act by strengthening our belief in our potential. As a result, positive affirmations change our attitudes, behaviors and habits. Studies show that optimistic people are healthier and positive affirmations are an excellent tool.
Practicing self-affirmation makes important neural pathways more active
One of the main theories about positive thinking is the self- affirmation theory, based on the idea that we can maintain our sense of personal integrity through positive statements about what we believe. A 2016 study set out to investigate whether there are changes in the brain when we assert ourselves in positive ways. Already anticipating the results, yes, there are changes. Evidence showed that certain neural pathways were active when the attendants performed self-affirmation tasks. The prefrontal cortex is an important area of the brain, related to complex behaviors and thoughts.
Positive thinking is effective in reducing anxiety and worry
In 2015, researchers conducted an investigation of 102 individuals diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder to determine whether positive approaches could supplant intrusive negative thoughts. Researchers randomly asked participants to do three interventions – (1) mental imagery of positive outcomes for issues of concern, (2) generating verbal descriptions of positive outcomes related to worry, or (3) generating positive images not related to current concerns. The main finding was that all three groups showed significant reductions in negative intrusions, in addition to reporting a decrease in anxiety and worry.
Negative thoughts increase Alzheimer’s risk
Unlike previous studies, this third one is a warning. Researchers at University College London have concluded that repetitive negative thinking can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s. Previous studies indicated a correlation of mental health with depression and anxiety, two risk factors for cognitive decline and Alzheimer. Researchers conducted mental health exams and questionnaires of 360 adults, leading to the conclusion that negative thoughts are associated with an increase in a certain protein, Tau, which is a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease.
Are you now convinced of the benefits of positive thinking?
We also believe that positive emotion is a prerequisite for good health and, consequently, for high performance. After all, living in high performance is contemplating the physical, mental and emotional aspects, seeking a balance between these pillars. Nevertheless, positive emotions just “don’t sprout”, they must be cultivated, and this is done through positive attitudes, such as thoughts and affirmations. Do you know where to start? Be grateful. Meditate. Make positive affirmations such as I chose to be happy, I am capable, I am in control of my life, I accept and love myself completely, I am responsible for taking care of myself, etc.
Challenge your goal
No matter how difficult the goal, if you keep saying, “It’s too hard. I’ll never make it” that is where you certainly would not make it. Some other examples of negative thoughts we have that unconsciously end up functioning as negative affirmations are “I’m going to fail”, “I can’t do this”, “and It’s too much for me”. If you find yourself having this kind of thinking, change it. You may end up creating a limiting belief and then find it more difficult to take corrective action.