Affirmations — statements or phrases steeped in our personal beliefs — can help us remain steady when negative experiences threaten our sense of self. Host Cristina Quinn digs into what kinds of affirmations are most effective and the science of how they work.
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Hey, welcome to try this from the Washington Post.
Try this is a series of audio courses to help you take on common challenges and learn something new without having to make a big time commitment.
Hi, I'm Christina Quinn.
I'm a journalist at the Post and I'll be learning with you because I too love a solid, affirming reminder that I'm smart and I'm strong.
Affirm the affirms if you're new to try this, here's how this will work.
Each try this course has anywhere from two to five classes, which is just a fancy way of saying two to five episodes.
In this course, we'll have two classes diving into the world of affirmations.
First, we'll figure out exactly how these phrases or beliefs can work and even lower stress.
And in a in the next class, we'll dig into how you can tell whether affirmations are working and more tips for success.
Okay, class is in session.
Let's try this.
An affirmation is a statement of positive self reflection that highlights a valued aspect of who we are, or in most cases, who we perceive ourselves to be.
And thats Natalie Datillo Ryan, a clinical psychologist outside of Boston.
She does a lot of affirmation work with her clients and teaches psychology at Harvard Medical School.
So I wanted her to teach me and you what it means to use a self affirmation that can actually be helpful.
They could sound declarative, like, I am capable, I am loving, I am deserving of joy.
They could also be aspirational in the sense that I want to be the type of person who feels capable, or I want to be the type of person who receives love well.