What affirmations really give - psychologist's analysis

Positive affirmations - phrases like "I am worthy" or "I choose happiness" - have become common content on social networks and self-development apps. However, scientific evidence shows: affirmations can be useful only in certain situations, and sometimes - even give the opposite effect. About this writes a psychologist in the material The Conversation.

As explained in the article, the idea is based on the theory of self-affirmation (self-affirmation), proposed by psychologist Claude Steele in the late 1980s. The idea is that it's important for people to feel 'good enough' and valued, and stressful events - mistakes, failures, breakups - can undermine this feeling and increase self-criticism, anxiety and depression.

What does the evidence base say? The author cites a 2025 review that pooled results from 67 studies: participants either wrote down affirmations or repeated them aloud. The conclusion is that there is an impact on self-image and feeling connected to others, but it is small. In separate studies, affirmations have been linked to support for self-esteem in social media users and improved well-being in students.

That said, there is an important caveat: "hard positivity" is not suitable for everyone. In a famous 2009 paper, researchers found that repeating a phrase like "I'm a favourite person" improved mood in people with high self-esteem, but could make people with low self-esteem feel worse. Later, some attempts to replicate the effect produced mixed results - so the question of "who exactly it helps" remains open.

A separate risk is toxic positivity, when unpleasant emotions begin to "forbid" themselves and others: say, you just need to think good. According to the author, this attitude can increase feelings of guilt and shame if "it doesn't work out to be positive" and reduce the likelihood of seeking help. Another risk is the habit of "dampening" the problem with slogans where a real assessment of the situation is needed (e.g., in an insecure relationship).

Instead of endlessly repeating "light" phrases, the psychologist suggests more reliable approaches: self-compassion (saying to yourself "it's hard for me, and it's normal", as you would support a friend) and distance from emotions - for example, referring to yourself in the third person, which helps to "merge" less with the experience and live them more calmly.

Conclusion: affirmations are not a universal tool. If they work, they work best when they sound realistic, do not cancel complex feelings, and are complemented by more flexible self-support skills.