• The act or an instance of affirming; state of being affirmed.
• The assertion that something exists or is true.
• Something that is affirmed; a statement or proposition that is declared to be true.

Still thinking how do you actually do affirmations?

Ok, so the type of affirmations we're talking about are POSTIVE AFFIRMATIONS - Positive affirmations are statements that can help boost your mood and brighten your outlook on the world, when you say them to yourself regularly or repeatedly write them down in a journal. 

For most of us our diaries have never been so full. We're trying to fit so much into one day, just to name a few; work, exercise, social time, cleaning chores, admin bits, keeping plants alive, looking after our fur babies or human babies the list goes on... It is extremely important to form better mental health habits like daily affirmations with a busy/stressful lifestyle. Those who swear by the power of uplifting language find that it increases their self-esteem and improves their mindset. 

An easy but effective example of positive affirmations to start with are 'I am Affirmations'. It's as simple as telling yourself or writing down a few 'I am _____' followed by a positive quality you have [[[[[[ EVERY DAY ]]]]]]. Just like the following..

It's important to note we put 'EVERYDAY' in capitals above. Affirmations are a repeated method and should be said daily! You'll reap the benefits of the daily repetition of telling yourself of all the amazing things you are! 

A little bit of the science-y stuff... (The reason why everyone is doing affirmations) 

The impressive stuff.. So, what's even more incredible about affirmations is there's real evidence/studies showing it can positivity affect our mental health and well-being.

One studies shows how 'self-affirmation alters the brain’s response to health messages and subsequent behavior change' which may help boost your overall health. The same study looked at the relationships observed between affirmation condition and changes in sedentary behavior (e.g., attitudes toward physical activity; self-standards as someone who can increase physical activity). All previously observed relationships between affirmation, neural activity, and behavior change remained significant when controlling for our attitude and self-standard measures. 

Another study showed a good and positive affirmation can help with reducing stress. Results showed that self-affirmation improved problem-solving performance in underperforming chronically stressed individuals.

When threatened, self-affirmations can restore self-competence by allowing individuals to reflect on sources of self-worth, such as core values. The same study showed there is evidence of affirmations increasing the neural pathways in your brain. 

If you like to write, or simply prefer to put your affirmations down on paper, than say them out loud - go that step further and start to journal - (PAJ) Positive Affect Journaling, an emotion-focused self-regulation intervention, has been associated with positive outcomes among medical populations and can improve several factors associated with psychological well-being.

If the new week coming up is already looking busy and stressful here are our 3 reminders:

• Start every day with affirmations
• The words we choose truly matter
• Meditate / workout

For more health topics check out our blog!

IMPORTANT NOTICE* Advice is for information only and should not replace medical care. Affirmations are no substitute for professional help such as therapy when you're experiencing anxiety or depression. Please speak with your GP if you are suffering from anxiety or depression.

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