Here’s How To Use Affirmations To Ease Anxiety

Pep Talk: Self-affirmations have a reputation for being a little too Pinterest-board for serious mental-health work. But the research is more compelling than the mirror talk cliché suggests.

How to Do It: Generic mantras like “I am amazing” don’t tend to do much. But try writing a short list of values that actually matter to you (like family, creativity, integrity, service, etc.), then spend two or three minutes reflecting on a recent moment when you lived one of them. Tying the reflection to a future intention seems to boost the effect. Aim for affirmations that are short, specific, honest, and tied to a genuine belief.

The Benefits: A 2015 fMRI study found that when participants reflected on their core values, their brain’s self-processing and reward circuits lit up. A larger meta-analysis grouping 67 studies and about 17,700 participants found that affirmations produce small (but noteworthy) boosts in self-perception and overall well-being. Effects on anxiety were more mixed though, with modest positive effects in some situations but minimal or even counterproductive effects when the cause of stress felt uncontrollable.