Do Affirmations Work?

This question isn't as cut and dry as it may appear at first glance. Affirmations are mostly mental so their effect upon you depends greatly on how strongly they affect you as an individual.

If you repeat your affirmations over and over and cling to them as though they were the very breathe of life, then yes, it is very likely that they will work for you. However, if you make a statement that you only half believe, you aren't likely at all to be successful in your affirmation.

If you want your affirmations to work, you must repeat them over and over until you believe them completely and whole-heartedly. There is no room for self doubt when it comes to affirmations, they only serve to defeat your purposes.

The simple answer is "yes, affirmations work" when they are used correctly. The more complex answer would be to explain why affirmations work. Affirmations work when you use them to change how you see yourself and how you react to your situation.

By making and believing your affirmation, you are providing yourself with the tools to recognize the things in yourself that you want to change and to act in the manner you desire to act. Affirmations strengthen your resolve. In fact, this is the most powerful thing about affirmations.

Affirmations can change you to the person you want to be, they can change who you to who you are at the core, and they can change the you that is projected to others. Habits are formed through consistent actions. By constantly and consistently affirming the things you wish to change, you are subconsciously forming a habit.

Affirmations can be something as simple as reminding yourself constantly that you will not use bad language around your children or something as monuments as "I will learn to say no" which for many is a hard thing to do. And yes, when repeated often and with great conviction, affirmations do work.

For more information on affirmations, check out our three-part series:

Affirmations to Improve your Life: Part I
Affirmations to Improve your Life: Part II
Affirmations to Improve your Life: Part III