Affirmations? Woo-woo or Wise?

I confess I was on the Woo- Woo train until recently. I had all kinds of judgmental assumptions and mental stories about affirmations and the people who did them.

Had I done any research, looked into evidence? I had not. I just had a sort of passive, smug sense of superiority founded on nothing ( and yes - I continue to learn more about myself and my Inner Judge every day).

As a coach I’m super curious about neuroscience and psychology so it was inevitable I was going to bump into the facts about affirmations. And - ahem - there is a lot of evidence for them, even though it’s not always called ‘affirmations’.

So yes. Along with knowing our brains are plastic - we can create new neural pathways and mental habits that serve us, rather than letting old mental narratives control us - come affirmations. A tool that can be an effective part of that brain retraining/rewiring process for greater resilience, happiness and success on our own terms.

A mind well trained with affirmations has the right thoughts queued up and ready for retrieval at a moment’s notice. Here are some you could try:

“ I am the only one who gets to decide if I am enough”.

“I can’t control everything that happens. What I can control is the way I respond to what happens. In choosing my response I have power.”

“I won’t get caught up in what could’ve been or should’ve been. I will focus instead on the power & possibility of what is, right now.”

“There is a big difference between empty fatigue & gratifying exhaustion. Life is precious. I will invest in the activities that move me.”

“My next step in the right direction doesn’t have to be a big one.”

“All my small victories are worth celebrating”.