33. Do positive affirmations actually work?

How aware of your internal dialogue are you?… Did you know we all have an automatic thought response to any given situation? You may be unaware of the internal dialogue that is occurring when you see a commercial or scroll through social media…

Becoming aware of these thoughts and replacing them with positive affirmations can truly change the way you think and feel about yourself. The thing about positive affirmations is they only work if you practice, practice, practice!

Think about any skill you have now that you used to not have. It was only learned and mastered by repetition. When we repeat things, we are literally building and strengthening new neurological pathways in our brains.

Imagine showing up to a forest densely packed with so many trees and foliage and attempting to clear a path through it. This would be daunting and challenging and require a whole lot of effort the first few days/ weeks, but after days and weeks of repeated attempts at clearing, the path that was once seemingly impossible is eventually walk-able and then actually easy and effort-free to walk!

The forest is your brain, the repetition of positive affirmations is you clearing a new path, and the walkable path is your new outlook!

You may feel silly at first but getting in the habit of repeating just one or two “I am___” phrases can greatly begin shifting your internal dialogue for the better.

— Emily Duncan, LCSW
Duncan Counseling, LLC
Therapy for bright young women in TN, KY, FL