Positive Affirmation Self-Talk, Impacts on Well-Being, When and How to Start Doing it
Main Article Content
This study aims to analyze the role of positive affirmations in enhancing psychological resilience, well-being, and self-integrity. Affirmations are positive phrases used to strengthen adaptive thinking and reduce negative psychological impacts. This research is based on the theory that affirmations can increase life satisfaction by reinforcing autonomy, self-acceptance, personal development, and life purpose. The research method involves a literature review of previous studies and observations of affirmation usage patterns in various contexts. The results indicate that affirmations significantly influence cognitive and behavioral adaptation processes, enhance positive neural activity, and encourage constructive responses to psychological stress. The effectiveness of affirmations is further enhanced through techniques such as writing, verbal repetition, and visualization in a relaxed environment. The study concludes that affirmations are an effective strategy for reshaping thought patterns, fostering creativity, and strengthening problem-solving skills. The implications of this research highlight that consistent use of affirmations can contribute to emotional regulation and overall happiness. Thus, affirmations can serve as a powerful tool in supporting individual well-being and personal development.
Cascio, C. N., O’Donnell, M. B., Tinney, F. J., Lieberman, M. D., Taylor, S. E., Strecher, V. J., & Falk, E. B. (2016a). Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11(4), 621–629.
Cascio, C. N., O’Donnell, M. B., Tinney, F. J., Lieberman, M. D., Taylor, S. E., Strecher, V. J., & Falk, E. B. (2016b). Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11(4), 621–629.
el Widad, Z., & Idawati, K. (2023). Afirmasi Positif Dalam Meningkatkan Self Efficacy Di MA al-Qur’an La Raiba Hanifida Bandung Diwek Jombang. Urwatul Wutsqo: Jurnal Studi Kependidikan Dan Keislaman, 12(1), 93–111.
Epton, T., Harris, P. R., Kane, R., van Koningsbruggen, G. M., & Sheeran, P. (2015). The impact of self-affirmation on health-behavior change: a meta-analysis. Health Psychology, 34(3), 187.
Escobar-Soler, C., Berrios, R., Peñaloza-Díaz, G., Melis-Rivera, C., Caqueo-Urízar, A., Ponce-Correa, F., & Flores, J. (2023). Effectiveness of Self-Affirmation Interventions in Educational Settings: A Meta-Analysis. Healthcare, 12(1), 3.
Hoffman, A. J., & Schacter, H. L. (2024). The promise of an identity-based self-affirmation intervention in protecting against self-esteem declines at the high school transition. Developmental Psychology.
Koburtay, T., Syed, J., & Salhi, N. Al. (2022). Theorizing the notion of well?being in Islam: An update of Ryff’s theory of eudaimonic psychological well?being. Journal of Community Psychology, 50(5), 2475–2490.
Long, H. A., Branney, P., French, D. P., & Brooks, J. M. (2025). Optimising data sharing whilst protecting participant privacy: a data note describing processed data from a qualitative study of healthcare professionals’ experiences of caring for women with false positive screening test results. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 13(1), 2449400.
Malain, E. D. (2020). Self-Affirmation: The Importance of Self-Concept Structure. Washington State University.
Manning, R. (2019). Supporting Psychological Well-Being in Emerging Adults with Mental Illness: Effect of a Self-Affirmation Intervention on Resilience, Empowerment, and Self-Stigma.
Palmer, P. J. (2024). Let your life speak: Listening for the voice of vocation. John Wiley & Sons.
Scales III, A. (2024). Sacred Practices of Affirmation, Meditation and Worship. Albert Scales.
Sherman, D. K., Lokhande, M., Müller, T., & Cohen, G. L. (2020a). Self-affirmation interventions. Handbook of Wise Interventions: How Social-Psychological Insights Can Help Solve Problems, 63–99.
Sherman, D. K., Lokhande, M., Müller, T., & Cohen, G. L. (2020b). Self-affirmation interventions. Handbook of Wise Interventions: How Social-Psychological Insights Can Help Solve Problems, 63–99.
Southwick, S. M., & Charney, D. S. (2018). Resilience: The science of mastering life’s greatest challenges. Cambridge University Press.
Stephan, E., & Sedikides, C. (2024). Mental time travel as self-affirmation. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 28(2), 181–208.
Strachan, S. M., Myre, M., Berry, T. R., Ceccarelli, L. A., Semenchuk, B. N., & Miller, C. (2020). Self-affirmation and physical activity messages. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 47, 101613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.101613
Tiwari, G. K., Shukla, A., Macorya, A. K., Singh, A., & Choudhary, A. (2024). The independent and interdependent self-affirmations in action: Understanding their dynamics in India during the early phase of the COVID-19 lockdown. Journal of Psychological Perspective, 6(1), 21–38.
Van Ast, V. A., Spicer, J., Smith, E. E., Schmer-Galunder, S., Liberzon, I., Abelson, J. L., & Wager, T. D. (2016). Brain mechanisms of social threat effects on working memory. Cerebral Cortex, 26(2), 544–556.
Webster, R. (2021). The Secret to Attracting Luck: 50 Ways to Manifest Abundance & Good Fortune. Llewellyn Worldwide.