Reprogram Negative Thinking with Positive Affirmations

Tuning into positive feelings is a science-supported way to improve your outlook and your actions. Unfortunately, studies show that our default thinking mode is not set on positive. In fact, researchers estimate that around 70% of our daily thoughts are inherently negative. Because our brains are constantly bombarded with self-criticism, pessimism, fear, worry, anxiety, and other negative thoughts, it is important to make a conscious effort to really tune into positive feelings. A simple way to do so is by practicing positive affirmations.

At Total Brain, we know that many people are familiar with the concept of affirmations, but they don’t necessarily know how to incorporate them into daily life in a useful way. We’re excited to share our updated Positive Affirmations tool that makes it easier than ever to intentionally focus on positive thinking and see the benefits of reprogramming negative thoughts. But first, let’s rewind and review what affirmations are and what they do.

What are affirmations?

Simply put, affirmations are statements that are repeated to influence the brain’s thoughts and attitudes. For example, a few popular affirmations in the Total Brain app are:

  • I am deserving of all good things in my life.
  • I am strong.
  • My thoughts are under my control.

The idea behind affirmations is that repeatedly saying, writing, or focusing on a particular statement affirms that it is true in the mind of the person practicing the affirmation. Multiple scientific studies have confirmed that affirmations work. Practicing positive affirmations can reprogram negative thinking and even help bring about healthier, more productive behaviors.

Total Brain’s Positive Affirmations tool helps users frame their thoughts and control stress, build resilience, resist negativity, and more. Here is a closer look at how it works:

  1. Users choose an affirmation within the Positive Affirmations tool inside the Total Brain app. Individuals can either input their own affirmation, use a premade affirmation, or edit one of the existing Total Brain affirmations. The premade affirmations are sorted into categories: Health Positivity, Relationships, Stress, Work, and Confidence. Users can browse through the categories and pick any affirmation they like. Best practice is to choose affirmations that are clear and simple, positive, use present tense language, and are personal and meaningful.
  2. After choosing an affirmation, users can add three examples from their daily life that serve as evidence that their affirmation is true. This new and unique feature primes users to see the truth in their affirmation. For example, if a user chooses the affirmation “I am deserving of all good things in my life,” he can enter three things from his own life that support the idea that he deserves the goodness that comes to him, such as:
  • I make time for my children every day 
  • I am in control of my eating habits 
  • I am kind to others.
  • I work hard to do good in my community.

The idea for building real-life examples into Positive Affirmations stemmed from an expert consultation with a psychologist who explained that people tend to struggle with affirmations when the affirmation conflicts with their current self-image. As a result, they have difficulty achieving a shift in mindset. In other words, the act of repeating a statement alone isn’t enough, there needs to be a belief in that statement. The addition of visible proof points alongside affirmations helps users realize their personal affirmations and makes the practice more effective.

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  1. Once users pick an affirmation and identify corresponding proof points, they can begin focusing on the positive statement. Since everyone practices affirmations differently, Total Brain’s tool offers several options for saving and revisiting affirmations.

Users have the flexibility to recite their affirmation a few times and move on to a different affirmation. Or, a user can save an affirmation and it will populate the next time Positive Affirmations is launched — allowing the user to focus on the same message again later. Users can also build a collection of their favorite affirmations by saving them in the “My Affirmations” section. This gives users easy access to affirmations that they want to continue to practice over and over on a long-term basis.

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When users are ready to move from one affirmation to the next, they see a congratulatory message. Total Brain is exploring ways to help users track their progress and provide additional motivation to help make practicing affirmations routine. This functionality will be added to the app soon.

Positive Affirmations is helping users build lasting practices that boost positive thinking. We encourage you to explore Positive Affirmations within Total Brain and begin creating your own routine. We are excited to hear what you think of the updates and how the new and improved tool impacts you. 

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