Do Positive Affirmations Work? What the Research Actually Says

Positive affirmations are short, present-tense, first-person statements you say to yourself to steer your attention toward something that helps. Research does not show that repeating a phrase changes your life, but a related exercise, writing about the values that matter to you, has small, measurable effects on stress and defensiveness. The affirmations most likely to help are the ones you can believe today.

Published October 15, 2026

Positive affirmations at a glance

What they are: Short, present-tense, first-person statements about a way of being or acting you want to strengthen.
Where they come from: Émile Coué’s autosuggestion in the 1920s, then American self-help. In psychology, “self-affirmation” has meant something different since 1988: writing about your values.
What the evidence supports: Reflecting on what matters to you: small but reliable effects on stress, openness to health advice, and some behaviors.
What it does not support: The idea that a repeated phrase attracts what it describes, or that it can rebuild self-esteem on its own.
The key point: A statement that is far from what you believe about yourself rings hollow. A believable, specific one lands.
What they are not: A treatment. Affirmations can support you; they don’t cure anything.

What are positive affirmations?

A positive affirmation is a sentence you tell yourself, out loud, silently, or on paper, to bring a resource into focus: a skill, a value, a way of responding you want more of. Most are written in the present tense and the first person (“I can…”, “I know…”, “I’m learning to…”) and fit on one line, so they are easy to remember when you need them.

They overlap with a few other things. Positive thinking is a general attitude. A quote is someone else’s sentence, usually about the world. A mantra is a repeated formula, often in a meditative or religious setting. An affirmation is about you, here, now.

Take this one: “I don’t need the doubt to go quiet before I move.” It doesn’t pretend the doubt is gone. It names it, then points to what you can still do. That is the difference between an affirmation that has your back and one that asks you to fake it.

Where do affirmations come from?

People have always talked themselves through hard moments, but the modern practice has four easy-to-date sources.

Émile Coué (1857-1926). A French pharmacist in Nancy, Coué became famous in the early 1920s for “conscious autosuggestion” and its formula, which the 1922 American translation renders as “Every day, in every respect, I am getting better and better,” to be said twenty times every morning and night. Our Coué method guide has the full story.
New Thought. This American movement taught that thought shapes reality. William Walker Atkinson published a book on the “law of attraction” in 1906; Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich (1937) and the 2006 film and book The Secret carried the idea forward. See law of attraction affirmations.
Louise Hay (1926-2017). Her book You Can Heal Your Life (1984), which her publisher says sold more than 50 million copies, brought affirmations to a mass audience. She believed affirmations could cure illness. No study has shown that, and the claim drew sharp criticism.
Claude Steele (1988). The psychologist proposed self-affirmation theory: people work to protect an overall sense of themselves as good and capable, and when one part of that picture is threatened, recalling what matters elsewhere lowers the need to get defensive. That idea, not chanting “I’m amazing,” is what researchers have been testing ever since.

Do positive affirmations work? What the studies show

Here is the source of most of the confusion online: the word “affirmation” covers two different practices in the research. One has decent evidence. The other has very little. A third line of work, on self-talk, explains why wording matters.

1. Self-affirmation: writing about what matters to you

In most studies, people pick an important value from a list (family, humor, creativity, faith, friendship…) and write briefly about why it matters to them. In a 2014 review in the Annual Review of Psychology, Geoffrey Cohen and David Sherman concluded that well-timed affirmations have improved education, health, and relationship outcomes, with benefits that sometimes last for months.

Stress. In a 2005 experiment, 85 people did either a values-affirmation task or a control task before a lab stress test. Those who affirmed their values had a smaller cortisol response, cortisol being a stress hormone (Creswell et al., 2005).
Health behavior. A meta-analysis of 144 experimental tests found “small but reliable” effects: slightly more acceptance of health messages (d = 0.17), stronger intentions to change (d = 0.14), and more actual behavior change (d = 0.32). The authors note these effects are comparable to other health-behavior interventions (Epton et al., 2015).
The brain. In 61 sedentary adults scanned with fMRI, reflecting on core values increased activity in regions tied to self-related thinking and to valuation. That activity predicted less sedentary behavior after a separate physical activity program (Cascio et al., 2016). It is a small sample, so treat it as an interesting lead rather than proof.

The limits matter. In classrooms, a meta-analysis of 58 studies found a modest effect for students facing a stereotype about their group (g = 0.15) and essentially none for other students (g = 0.01), with results varying widely between studies (Wu, Spreckelsen, and Cohen, 2021). And a 2020 reanalysis of a well-known study, in which a 15-minute exercise seemed to shrink the gender gap in science, found no improvement for women at all (Serra-Garcia, Hansen, and Gneezy, 2020). Bottom line: the effect is real, modest, and depends a lot on context.

2. Repeating positive statements: the “I’m a lovable person” study

The most cited study on everyday affirmations comes from Joanne Wood and colleagues at the University of Waterloo, published in Psychological Science in 2009. A survey first showed that many students use positive self-statements and think they help. Then, in an experiment, 68 students wrote down their thoughts for four minutes while half of them repeated “I’m a lovable person” every 15 seconds, cued by a bell.

People with low self-esteem felt worse after repeating the statement. People with high self-esteem felt a little better, but not much. In another experiment, focusing only on the ways the statement was true backfired for people with low self-esteem, while thinking about how it was both true and not true helped them more. The authors’ summary: these statements may help some people but backfire for the very people who “need” them most.

That is not the end of the story. In 2020, two studies with about 225 and 237 participants tried to replicate the finding and found no difference at all between groups, good or bad, whatever people’s self-esteem (Flynn and Bordieri, 2020). So the honest reading is this: repeating a broad, flattering statement probably does little you can measure, and there is no evidence it helps people who doubt themselves. If a phrase makes you uncomfortable, the problem is the phrase, not you.

3. Self-talk: how you talk to yourself matters

Research on self-talk adds a useful angle. Across seven studies with 585 participants, people who talked to themselves using their own name or “you” instead of “I” before a stressful social task (making a first impression, giving a speech) gained distance from the situation: they showed less distress and performed better according to observers (Kross et al., 2014). In sports, a meta-analysis of 32 studies found a moderate effect of self-talk on performance, strongest for fine motor skills and new tasks, where technical cues (“elbow up”, “watch the ball”) beat pep talk (Hatzigeorgiadis et al., 2011).

What the main studies found
Study	What participants did	What was found	Keep in mind
Creswell et al., 2005 (85 people)	Wrote about an important value before a stress test	Smaller cortisol response	One session, in a lab
Epton et al., 2015 (144 tests)	Self-affirmed before reading health information	Slightly more acceptance, intention, and behavior change	Small effects
Cascio et al., 2016 (61 people)	Reflected on core values in an fMRI scanner	More activity in self-related and valuation regions	Small sample
Wu et al., 2021 (58 studies)	Wrote about values in class	Modest effect for students facing a stereotype, none for others	Highly variable
Wood et al., 2009 (68 students)	Repeated “I’m a lovable person”	Felt worse if self-esteem was low	Not replicated in 2020
Flynn and Bordieri, 2020 (about 460 people)	Same kind of repetition	No difference between groups	Short task, university sample
Kross et al., 2014 (585 people)	Used “you” or their own name in self-talk	Less distress before a social stressor	Lab situations

Why believable affirmations beat over-the-top ones

These findings point the same way. What helps in studies is recalling things that are true about you (your values, what you can do), talking to yourself with a bit of distance, and giving yourself concrete cues. What helps little is declaring a state you don’t feel. Wood and colleagues offered a simple explanation: a statement far outside what you’re willing to believe about yourself gets rejected, can even strengthen the opposite belief, and mostly reminds you of the gap between who you think you are and who you want to be.

Compare two lines for a packed day. “I am completely calm” asks you to deny what you feel. “Three slow breaths, and the rest of my list can wait” gives you something you can do right now. The second is not less positive. It is more usable.

Every affirmation in Selfia is written this way: acknowledge what is there, then open a door you can actually push today. A few examples from the app:

I’m not holding up the whole day. Just the next hour.
A compliment isn’t false just because I don’t believe it yet.
Motivation sometimes shows up after the first move, not before.
I can start the task before the doubt has settled down.

A quick test: say your affirmation and listen for the little voice that answers. If it says “that’s not true,” the statement is too far. If it says “okay, that much I can do,” you’ve found it.

What about “I am” affirmations?

“I am” statements are the most popular format online (“I am confident”, “I am enough”, “I am worthy”). They are also the riskiest, because they declare a finished state. The phrase in the Waterloo study, “I’m a lovable person,” was exactly this kind of sentence. You don’t have to drop “I am”; just pair it with something you can stand behind. “I am learning to speak up in meetings” is still an “I am” affirmation, and it describes a process rather than a verdict. “I can,” “I’m allowed to,” and “I’m learning to” do the same job.

How to use positive affirmations: a 6-step method

This method leans on what the evidence supports best: start from true things, stay specific, connect the statement to your values, and tie it to an action.

Pick one specific situation. Not “be more confident” in general, but “Monday’s meeting” or “the moment I get into bed.” A statement aimed at a situation comes back to you when you need it.
Write down what you already tell yourself. Put the harsh sentence on paper as it sounds in your head: “I’m going to stumble over my words again.” Don’t argue with it yet. Just look at it.
Write the most encouraging true version. Look for something accurate that helps: “My voice shakes a little, and the sentence still comes out whole.” If the little voice objects, dial it down a notch.
Connect it to what matters to you. Ask which value the statement serves: being useful to your team, learning, looking after the people you love. This is the heart of the self-affirmation exercise researchers study, and you can also practice it on its own, in writing, every now and then.
Attach it to a fixed moment. After your first coffee, when you close your laptop, when you turn off the light. In a study of 96 volunteers, making a daily action automatic took anywhere from 18 to 254 days, and missing one opportunity did not derail the habit (Lally et al., 2010).
Add a small if-then plan. “If I feel the nerves rising, then I’ll say my phrase and ask my first question.” Plans like this, called implementation intentions, had a medium-to-large effect on reaching goals in a landmark meta-analysis (Gollwitzer and Sheeran, 2006).

For more on wording, our guide on how to write affirmations has a fill-in template and 20 before-and-after examples. If you’re looking for a time slot, a morning routine or a gratitude journal works well.

Examples of believable positive affirmations

All of these come from Selfia. Each topic has its own page with many more.

For self-confidence

Nerves can come along with me: I’m walking in anyway.
If people notice I’m still learning, that doesn’t disqualify me.
My voice shakes a little, and the sentence still comes out whole.

More: affirmations for self-confidence.

For anxiety and stress

I can tell this looping thought: not now, tomorrow.
Three slow breaths, and the rest of my list can wait.
My worry is useful for planning and useless for prophecy.

More: affirmations for anxiety. When your body is running fast, slow breathing can also help you settle: try guided coherent breathing.

Morning affirmations

This Monday morning, I don’t need to feel like it to get up.
The day can start without me knowing yet what it will hold.
This morning I talk to myself as I would to a friend who slept badly: gently.

More: morning affirmations.

Evening affirmations for sleep

Evening thoughts are noisy guests, not judges.
I don’t have to carry tomorrow’s tiredness now.
The “what ifs” of the night are stories, not forecasts.

More: affirmations for sleep.

For self-love

My worth doesn’t depend on what I got done today.
I can let that compliment stand without correcting it right away.
I can comfort myself over a mistake instead of punishing myself for it.

More: self-love affirmations.

For money and success

My bank balance says nothing about what I am worth.
After a bad month, I redo my budget instead of giving up on it.
I allow myself a mediocre first version so I can make a better one from it.

More: money affirmations and affirmations for success. For something you can take in at a glance, see short affirmations.

Common mistakes with affirmations

Aiming too high. “I am wealthy.” “I fear nothing.” If you don’t believe it, the sentence mostly reminds you of the gap. Start from what is true today.
Affirming outcomes you don’t control. “They will offer me the job” depends on other people. “I’m preparing three concrete examples for the interview” depends on you.
Letting the phrase replace the action. Gabriele Oettingen’s research shows that daydreaming about the outcome without thinking about obstacles can lower effort. An affirmation is there to get you to the next step, not to excuse you from it.
Pushing through when it hurts. If a statement makes your throat tighten, change it. A humbler version will do more for you.
Stacking too many. One to three statements you know by heart beat a list of twenty you skim without thinking.
Banning every negative word. You’ll often read that affirmations must never contain “not.” We found no solid study showing that. “I don’t have to do it all tonight” is often truer, and more calming, than “I am productive.”
Using them to deny a real problem. Affirmations can keep you company through a hard stretch. They don’t replace a doctor or a therapist.

How long do affirmations take to work?

No study gives a number of days for affirmations themselves. In self-affirmation experiments, some effects show up the same day (the stress response in the 2005 study); others last for months when the exercise lands at a turning point, such as the start of a school year.

For the habit of saying your statement, the best data come from Phillippa Lally’s study: depending on the person, it took between 18 and 254 days for a daily action to become automatic, 66 days on average. Lally herself stresses that the figure is not a rule. A reasonable approach: keep the same statement for two to four weeks, then ask whether it helps you take the next step. If it does, keep it. If not, rewrite it.

Positive affirmations: frequently asked questions

Do positive affirmations actually work?

It depends on what you mean by affirmations. Writing about your core values has small but measurable effects on stress and on some health behaviors. Repeating a broad, flattering statement has little proven effect and may sit badly with people who doubt themselves. Believable, specific statements tied to an action are the ones most likely to help.

How many times a day should I say affirmations?

No study sets a number. Coué recommended twenty times every morning and every night; self-affirmation studies often use a single written exercise. In practice, one to three statements, once or twice a day at a set time, is plenty. One sentence said with attention beats twenty recited on autopilot.

Is it better to say affirmations in the morning or at night?

No study compares the two. In the morning, an affirmation can set the tone for the day (see morning affirmations). At night, it can help you set down what’s left (see affirmations for sleep). The best time is the one you won’t skip, so tie your statement to something you already do.

Should I write my affirmations down?

Writing is the best-studied format: the self-affirmation exercises used in research are almost always written. Writing also forces you to pick precise words and check that you can believe them. After that, you can say the statement without reading it. Our guide on how to write affirmations walks you through it.

Do I need to say them out loud?

We found no solid study comparing saying affirmations aloud with reading them silently. Coué insisted on moving your lips, loud enough to hear yourself. Do what feels natural: under your breath, in your head, or on paper. What matters is that the sentence rings true to you.

Can positive affirmations backfire?

A 2009 study found that people with low self-esteem felt worse after repeating “I’m a lovable person.” Two replication attempts in 2020 found no effect either way. The signal to trust is your own: if a statement makes you feel worse, swap it for a humbler, truer version.

Should affirmations use “I” or “you”?

Both work. “I” is the classic format. Talking to yourself as “you” or by name can help you step back under stress, according to a series of seven studies published in 2014. Try both and keep whichever sounds most natural.

Can affirmations replace therapy?

No. Affirmations are an everyday tool, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, strong anxiety, or low mood that won’t lift, talk to a doctor or a licensed therapist. In the US, you can call or text 988 at any time.

Believable affirmations, every day

Selfia, the app behind this site, is built on one idea: a useful affirmation is one you can believe today. It brings together more than 17,000 affirmations in English and French, organized by theme. You choose your themes and your pace, save your favorites, and set your reminders. You can also write your own affirmation and keep it private on your phone. The app is free on Android.

Selfia is not a medical device and does not replace a doctor or a therapist. If you are going through a very hard time, in the US call or text 988; in the UK, call Samaritans at 116 123; elsewhere, find a helpline at findahelpline.com. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.