Research conducted by Carnegie Mellon University shows that people who use self-affirmations can boost their problem-solving ability under stress. This is especially important for students taking high stakes tests.
Many students believe they aren’t good enough, and affirmations help to change those negative thoughts. They also help boost self-esteem, a key component to success. According to research from essay helper service, students with high self-esteem are likelier to work hard in school and achieve their goals.
Whether you’re worried about a big interview or facing an intimidating obstacle at work, positive self-talk can help you overcome those doubts. And the best part is, it’s easier than you think. In fact, neuroscience supports the idea of neuroplasticity — or your brain’s ability to change throughout the course of your life — meaning that repeating positive affirmations can shift subconscious thinking patterns over time.
The Cleveland Clinic recommends practicing affirmations that feel genuine to you daily. You can say them out loud or write them down on cards to read over when needed. The best times to do this are when you wake up and go to bed, or while doing something as mundane as brushing your teeth. Affirmations can even be used during a mindfulness meditation practice.
Practicing affirmations on a regular basis can reduce stress by helping the brain accept positive thoughts. Affirmations also encourage the person to focus on their goals and accomplishments, rather than on negative thoughts that lead to anxiety.
Negative thinking is linked to depression, low self-esteem and lowered motivation. Affirmations are a way to combat negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones, which in turn can lead to less stress and increased productivity.
According to experts, affirmations can be used throughout the day, though they work best when repeated regularly – at least three times per day. They can be said in private or out loud; the more you practice, the more natural they will become. It’s a great idea to try affirmations right before you start the day, or at bedtime to help calm your mind and ease into sleep.
Studies also show that affirmations can increase problem-solving under stress. This is likely due to the fact that they improve the construal level of commonplace daily adversity as threats, rather than simply lowering the threat sensitivity.
The positive nature of affirmations makes them an excellent way to increase confidence, which can also help students improve their moods and shift negative thinking patterns. Remember, affirmations are in the present tense and are meant to be repeated to yourself throughout the day.
They can be used as a mantra during meditation, added to your daily journaling practice, or even included in your morning routine. You can find a variety of sample affirmations online and in self-help books, or you can make up your own. It may be helpful to write them down on notecards or sticky notes to carry with you or add them to your mobile phone wallpaper and screensaver.
Some people may be skeptical of affirmations, but the truth is they do work. While it will probably take some time for a student to develop a healthy perspective on themselves, consistent affirmations can have a profound impact. In fact, a daily affirmation practice can help a child become more resilient to emotional stress and build strong relationships with friends and family members.
Affirmations are a way to help transform negative self-talk, and it can also improve your ability to problem-solve under stress. For instance, in one randomized controlled study, participants who repeated affirmations based on their personal values performed better under stress in a word association problem-solving task than those who did not repeat positive affirmations.
Yeager says the key to making affirmations effective is choosing ones that feel authentic to you. You can choose affirmations that relate to your goals, a positive attribute you see in yourself or simply a phrase that resonates with you. You may want to say these affirmations aloud to your reflection in the mirror or to a trusted friend or family member, or you might prefer to write them down on notecards or sticky notes and put them in places where you’ll see them regularly.
Remember that it takes time to practice positive affirmations and begin to see changes in your mindset. Trying a new affirmation daily and committing to it for the long term is a good idea.
Positive affirmations can help students become more aware of the power of their thoughts. Affirmations can serve as an internal mantra, helping students control the negative self-talk accompanying anxiety or stress. Affirmations can also be used in conjunction with therapy, especially cognitive behavioral or dialectical behavior therapy.
Bathgate says the key to a successful affirmation is making it feel true to the individual user. Affirmations should reflect personal goals, a strength that the student sees in themselves or a value they hold important in their life.
Finally, it is important to practice the affirmation on a daily basis, which can be done through repeating them out loud to oneself in the mirror or writing them down in a journal. Leaving affirmation sticky notes in random places—such as on bathroom mirrors/backs of doors, classrooms, lockers or backpacks—can be another way to reinforce the positive message.
Affirmations can help to boost confidence and decrease stress, but they are not a cure for mental health struggles. If a student is experiencing persistent feelings of self-doubt or low self-esteem, they may benefit from seeing a counselor for support.
