The power of positive affirmations (and how they can rewire your brain)

Guest Writer | December 10, 2025

I used to roll my eyes at positive affirmations.

As a nurse, I believed in evidence, not sticky notes on the bathroom mirror. When you’re running on adrenaline in an emergency ward, there’s not a lot of time for mantras. You just do what needs to be done.

But after I hit burnout, I realised that the loudest voice shaping my life was the one inside my own head. And that voice wasn’t kind. It was critical, exhausted, and constantly telling me that I wasn’t enough.

That’s when I started learning about Ayurvedic psychology, and the science behind how thoughts create chemical changes in the body. I began to understand that affirmations aren’t about pretending everything’s fine; they’re about gently retraining your brain to believe something different. Every time you repeat an affirmation, you’re carving a new neural pathway, shifting the mind from survival to safety, from fear to trust.

At first, it felt awkward. Standing in front of the mirror saying, “I am safe,” or “I am enough” felt silly. But over time, those words started to feel true. I noticed myself reacting differently, setting boundaries, and choosing rest over perfection. My nervous system began to calm. My hormones stabilised. My energy returned.

Here’s how you can start to incorporate positive affirmations into your life — and the impact it can have.

The science meets the soul

Neuroscience shows that our brains are constantly rewiring through neuroplasticity, meaning your thoughts can literally reshape your brain structure over time. Each repeated phrase, each conscious thought, is like walking a new trail through the forest of your mind. The more often you take that path, the clearer it becomes until it is the natural way forward.

In Ayurveda, this is mirrored in the concept of samskaras — the mental and emotional imprints we carry from repeated thoughts, habits, and experiences. Some samskaras are uplifting, others limit us. Positive affirmations are a tool to rewrite those imprints — not by force, but through gentle repetition and self-compassion.

Where modern neuroscience speaks of synaptic pathways, Ayurveda speaks of energy flow and consciousness. Both agree: what you think, you become.

Repetition is ritual

The key to affirmations is consistency. Think of them like brushing your teeth — a daily act that keeps your mental hygiene in check.
Choose two or three affirmations that speak to where you’re at. Write them down. Say them out loud. Whisper them when you wake up and before you sleep.

The more sensory the practice, the deeper it embeds. Say it. Feel it. Visualise it.

If you say, “I am safe,” bring to mind a moment where you actually felt safe — curled up on the couch, walking on the beach, holding your child’s hand. The nervous system doesn’t distinguish between imagined and real safety; it responds to what you focus on.

Over time, your baseline stress begins to drop. You’ll notice that what once triggered you doesn’t hit as hard. You might even start believing — really believing — that you are enough, just as you are.

The feminine way of rewiring

Women, in particular, are often taught to give before they receive, to do before they rest, and to please before they pause. Affirmations help rewire that deeply ingrained programming.

Try these simple but powerful statements:

I honour my energy
Rest is productive
I am worthy of ease
My body knows what she needs.

These aren’t fluffy phrases; they’re boundary-setting tools disguised as poetry. Each one interrupts the unconscious patterns that keep women living from depletion instead of devotion.

Affirmations aren’t a quick fix

There’s a common misconception that affirmations are about faking it till you make it. They’re not. They’re about feeling it until it’s familiar.

Real change happens when the affirmation begins to feel embodied — when it’s not just words, but a truth that your nervous system recognises.

Some days, you’ll believe it. Other days, you won’t. That’s okay. The practice isn’t about perfection; it’s about persistence.

Start small, speak gently

If “I love myself” feels too far away, start with “I’m learning to love myself.” If “I am confident” feels like a stretch, try “I’m open to seeing myself differently”. Meet yourself where you are.

Your subconscious mind is more receptive to gentle, believable statements than grand declarations it can’t relate to. Over time, you can scale up your affirmations as your inner dialogue softens and strengthens.

A practice for you

Here’s a simple daily ritual to begin:

Morning: Place your hand on your heart and say your chosen affirmation three times.
Throughout the day: Repeat it every time you catch yourself in negative self-talk.
Evening: Write one thing that reaffirmed your worth or growth that day.

It takes less than five minutes but creates long-term change.

The real affirmation

If I could offer just one affirmation to every woman reading this, it would be this:

“I am already enough — I am simply remembering”.

Because sometimes, affirmation isn’t about becoming more — it’s about remembering who you were before the world told you otherwise.

Learn more in the book Ayurveda and the alchemy of her by Dr Harmony Robinson-Stagg.