Focusing on your positive traits and core values through regular self-affirmation may boost your well-being and happiness, new research shows.
Researchers looked at data from 129 studies of self-affirmations involving nearly 18,000 people. Many of the studies included brief exercises that called on participants to reflect on positive attributes about themselves.
The researchers found that these self-affirmations “consistently promote small but significant improvements in various aspects of well-being,” such as self-perception and general and social well-being. They also discovered that the exercises reduced “psychological barriers” to well-being – including depression, anxiety and paranoia – over time.
“Even brief, low-cost self-affirmation exercises can yield significant psychological benefits in terms of enhancing personal and social well-being,” said study co-author Minhong Wang of the University of Hong Kong’s Knowledge Management and E-Learning Lab. “More importantly, these benefits are both immediate and long-lasting.”
Richard Hawk, a safety professional and motivational speaker, offers tips for practicing self-affirmation:
- Keep them short and simple (“I am kind” or “Rise above it,” for example).
- Tailor them to your personality and situation.
- Place reminders in your work or living space.
- Contemplate why you’ve chosen them.
The study was published in the journal American Psychologist.
