Do positive affirmations work?

[C1239]

Just wondering if anyone listens to positive affirmations regularly and if they have found them to have a positive effect or not really noticed a difference?

I don't use the 'I am confident' type of thing but I do turn things around in my head, considering what others feel rather than effects on ME - is that what you mean? In which case, a very big effect. It's not all about me! :-)

I think positive thinking can have an impact, seeing the good in a situation.

But some of the crap on sm makes me laugh - believing you will come into money makes it happen etc

'Affirmations' don't have some magical power in themselves, but your inner self talk does. So if you always talk yourself down, you expect negative things to happen, and they most likely do (or really, you don't notice when the good things happen). When you talk yourself up, you get confirmation bias on positive results and don't get down about the negative things.

So if you apply for a job you really want, in two parallel universes the result (whether you get it or not) will probably be the same, but if you don't get it, with negative self talk you think 'no wonder, I'm no good at anything' and it stops you applying for the next one, but with a postive outlook you think 'Oh well, onto the next'.

There is evidence that affirmations can 'reprogram' your brain for the positive. Because if you're very down on yourself you're constantly repeating negative affirmations to yourself basically.