Self-affirmations – positive statements you say to yourself to reinforce self-worth and values. They’re usually short, specific, and some find it useful against negative self-talk or to feel more resilient when faced with challenges. Examples may include: “I am worthy of taking time out to do the things I love,” or “I am finding a way to achieve my goal.”

Self-statements – generalised statements you make about yourself about your thoughts, feelings, or behaviours. They can be positive or negative, and can be used to help identify and change negative patterns in thinking or behaviour. An example might be: “I’m always in pain so I don’t want to exercise because I’m scared I’ll damage something,” or “I try and move away from my desk regularly, to move my body.”

While both can be useful tools, they serve different purposes. Understanding your self-statements can help you focus on what you may want to change or improve. Self-affirmations can then be used to build positive self-talk and reinforce your self-worth. 

Self-affirmations are a popular tool in the world of personal development and mental health. They involve repeating positive statements out loud or in your thoughts, with the goal of increasing self-confidence, improving mood, and reducing stress and anxiety. It’s understandable to feel cynical about self-affirmations, especially if you’ve tried them before and didn’t experience the life-changing results you were hoping for. While self-affirmations can be effective in promoting positive thinking and boosting self-esteem it’s also true that they’re unlikely to be enough on their own to overcome deeper issues or challenges that you may be facing. At those times it’s important to seek professional help if you’re struggling with mental health issues or facing significant life stressors.

The theory behind self-affirmations is that our thoughts and beliefs have a powerful impact on our emotions and behaviour. By consciously choosing to focus on positive, uplifting messages, we can shift our mindset and improve our overall well-being. Therefore, the self-affirmations that you decide to use should be personalised to your specific needs and goals. Simply repeating generic affirmations may not be anywhere near as effective, so crafting affirmations that reflect you personally and the qualities you want to cultivate in yourself are vital.

The question remains: do self-affirmations really work? The answer is, it depends. Studies have shown that self-affirmations can be effective in certain situations. For example, one study found that participants who practised self-affirmations before a stressful event (I.e. public speaking engagement) experienced less anxiety and performed better than those who did not. Similarly, research has shown that self-affirmations can be helpful for individuals with low self-esteem or those who have experienced trauma*1. By repeating positive messages to oneself, individuals can challenge negative self-talk and build a stronger sense of self-worth.*2

Obviously, self-affirmations are not a one-size-fits-all solution. They may not be effective for everyone, and they may even backfire in some cases. For example, if someone struggles with anxiety or depression, repeating positive messages to themselves may feel fake or unhelpful. Again, it’s important to note that self-affirmations are not a substitute for therapy or other forms of professional help. If you are struggling with mental health issues, it’s important to seek support from a qualified healthcare professional (for instance those registered on the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy – www.bacp.co.uk).

Here are some steps to help you effectively use self-affirmations:

• Identify areas of your life that you would like to improve: self-esteem, confidence, your work, relationships, physical appearance, or any other area where you are struggling.
• Write down your affirmations to help you feel more confident and capable in those areas. For example, if you’re struggling with work, you could write something like “I am capable and competent in my job.”
• Write them in the present tense and use positive language. This will help you feel as though your affirmations are already true. For example, instead of saying “I will be successful,” say “I am successful.”
• Repeat them daily whether you say them out loud, write them down, or listen to a recording of yourself saying them out load. The more you repeat your affirmations, the more they will become ingrained in your mind and the more effective they will be.
• It’s important to believe in the truth of your affirmations. If you don’t believe what you’re saying, your affirmations won’t be as effective. Remember to stay positive and keep a growth mindset.

Having a more positive mindset during recovery can help to reprogram your subconscious mind with positive thoughts and beliefs. Here are some powerful affirmations you may find useful:

1. I am worthy and deserving of love, happiness, and success.
2. I am confident, capable, and strong.
3. I am grateful for all the good things in my life.
4. I am healthy, happy, and full of energy.
5. I am worthy of achieving my goals and dreams.
6. I release all negative thoughts and emotions.
7. I am at peace with myself and the world around me.
8. I choose to focus on the positive.
9. I am constantly growing and improving.

Choosing effective self-statements is an important step in building positive self-talk and improving your overall mindset. Here are some tips to help you choose effective self-statements:

• Identify negative self-talk: Start by identifying the negative self-talk that you engage in. This could be negative thoughts that you have about yourself or negative statements that you say to yourself.
• Challenge negative self-talk: Once you have identified your negative self-talk, challenge it. Ask yourself if the negative statement is true, and if there is evidence to support it. Often, negative self-talk is based on inaccurate or distorted thinking, so challenging it can help you see things in a more balanced and positive way.
• Reframe negative self-talk: After challenging your negative self-talk, reframe it into a positive self-statement. For example, if you tend to say to yourself, “I can’t do this,” reframe it as “I can do this if I try my best and ask for help when needed.”
• Make self-statements specific and actionable: Self-statements should be specific and actionable, meaning that they should be focused on a specific behaviour or action that you can take. For example, “I am capable of learning new skills” is a more actionable statement than “I am a good person.”
• Use present tense: When creating self-statements, use the present tense to reinforce the idea that you are capable of change in the present moment. For example, “I am confident and capable” is more powerful than “I will become confident and capable.”
• Practice regularly: Finally, practice using your self-statements regularly. The more you use them, the more they will become a natural part of your thinking process, and the more effective they will be in helping you to build a positive mindset.

Remember, the key to making either affirmations or statements work is to repeat them consistently and with conviction throughout the day. The more you use them, the more powerful they become. While mindset can be changed relatively quickly, to help the change be maintained it’s like any muscle and will need work and practice.

Our mental and physical health are closely connected. The way we think and feel can influence how we experience pain, respond to stress and manage health challenges.

When we’re dealing with an injury or persistent pain, it’s understandable to feel frustrated, worried or less confident in what our bodies can do. Those feelings may influence how much we move, how we approach activities and how confident we feel about recovery. Pain is complex and influenced by a combination of biological, psychological and social factors. Positive thinking alone won’t repair damaged tissue or guarantee a faster recovery, but developing a more balanced and compassionate mindset can be helpful. Rather than allowing our thoughts to focus only on what you can’t do, are you able to start recognising the progress you’re making, the activities you can still enjoy and the steps you’re taking towards your goals.

Physiotherapy can help you understand your symptoms, develop strategies to manage them and gradually rebuild your strength, movement and confidence. Alongside this, self-compassion and realistic encouragement may help you navigate the ups and downs of recovery.

You don’t have to feel positive every day to make progress. Recovery isn’t always straightforward, and having difficult days doesn’t mean failure. What matters is finding an approach that supports you, your health and the things you want to get back to doing.

Trying to focus more on the positive aspects of what we can do, can help us to feel more proactive in recovery. We may make healthier lifestyle choices, following medical advice, do our physio or whatever else we were advised. Getting support from healthcare professionals, family, and friends can be such an important factor in our recovery. If you are experiencing health issues, it’s important to seek medical advice and follow the recommended treatment plan.

When it comes to self-affirmations and/or statements, you may like to try a few different lines and how it feels over a few days or weeks. It doesn’t take a huge investment of time and could make all the difference if practised regularly each morning or at various points during the day. They may be useful when used alongside other strategies like therapy and exercise.

*Cascio. C, Brook O’Donnell. M, Tinney. F, Lieberman. M, Taylor. S, Strecher. S,. (2016). Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci.. 11(4), p.621–629

*Catherine Moore. (2019). Positive Daily Affirmations: Is There Science Behind It?. [Online]. https://positivepsychology.com. Available at: https://positivepsychology.com/daily-affirmations/ [Accessed 12 March 2023].