If you’ve tried positive affirmations to boost your mood, but failed to stick to the habit, we’re here to share the science of why using them in the morning might be worth the hype
Mornings used to be tricky for me. I felt the weight of the duvet, and longed to stay under it. The first thoughts that almost always popped into my head were around the long list of to-dos that awaited me, and I felt instantly overwhelmed.
But rather than dwelling on the ‘can’ts’ and ‘won’ts’, I wondered if there was a way I could challenge those thoughts. Could I rewire those familiar pathways to paint the day ahead in a new light – that I could, and that I will?
Most of us have heard of the practice of self-affirmations. Some might immediately write them off as fluff, while others recite them for a time before giving up. But could harnessing the power of the morning be key to the commitment and success of our affirmations?
What are affirmations and how do they work?
Dr Sophie Mort, registered clinical psychologist and author of (Un)Stuck: 5 Steps to Break Bad Habits and Get Out of Your Own Way, describes affirmations as: “Short, purposeful statements we repeat to reinforce a desired belief, behaviour, or way of relating to ourselves and the world around us.”
Research in self-affirmation theory, such as a 2015 paper in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, shows that affirming personally meaningful values or beliefs can reduce stress responses, buffer against threats to self-esteem, and support adaptive coping strategies. Importantly, they provide a counter to the negative self-talk that most of us engage in on a regular basis.
Neuroscientist Dr Ramon Velazquez explains: “Although affirmations can sometimes feel a bit performative, what’s happening neurologically is pretty fascinating. When we repeat phrases, we’re engaging the brain’s working memory systems, particularly in the prefrontal cortex.
“This part of the brain, along with the anterior cingulate and parts of the basal ganglia, helps coordinate attention and behavioural regulation. So, if someone is repeating a self-affirming statement, what they are doing is redirecting attention to a specific narrative and reinforcing it.”
When repeated over time, this starts to shift our default thought pattern to a new way of thinking.
First thing’s first
One way to increase your chances of making affirmations stick is to leverage the specific factors at play in the morning. But what exactly is it that makes early affirmations so effective?
Firstly, mornings tend to have more of a set routine than other parts of the day. For your average person, there’s a general flow that takes them from their bed to the front door, which creates an opportunity for ‘habit stacking’ – a concept that relies on the brain’s tendency to combine actions and respond to external cues. E.g. you might use the kettle boiling for your morning coffee as a ‘cue’ for your new affirmation practice.
Energetic boost
With habits, motivation is key. Mornings are a particular sweet spot if we consider how our cognitive energy declines as the day goes on – which is particularly relevant when developing an affirmation practice. If we’re experiencing cognitive fatigue, it’ll be harder to engage in proactive tasks that are perhaps seen as more negotiable, and require an increased level of awareness.
Early morning brain chemistry
While, intuitively, there is something seemingly potent about the early morning hours – Dr Mort compares it to “a freshly opened notebook without any of the clutter” – there is research which indicates that our brain might literally be ‘clearest’ at this time, as one study (published in 2013 in Science) showed that sleep helps to restore the brain by flushing out neurotoxins that accumulate during the day.
It seems we’re also perhaps more primed for positivity first thing. A time-of-day analysis of mental health and wellbeing from nearly one million observations showed that we do actually feel our best in the morning – the ideal backdrop for engaging in any kind of positive self-talk.
This, in part, is likely to be attributable to the influx of chemicals we experience as we wake up.
“During that first 30–45 minutes after waking” explains Dr Velazquez, “when cortisol is at its peak, the brain is in a unique state of heightened arousal and readiness. It plays a crucial role in mobilising energy, and sharpening alertness. If you use that window to anchor a positive cognitive pattern, such as self-affirmations, it may land more effectively.”
He adds: “There’s also this interplay with dopamine and catecholamine sensitivity that seems more favourable in the morning, which is important because it directly influences motivation and attention.”
By tactfully engaging in positive self-talk while dopamine is higher, there is also the knock-on effect of experiencing the biological reward for thinking those thoughts – this then strengthens the new neural pathways associated with the affirmation, making it more automatic.
Waves of positivity
Another biological factor to take advantage of during the early morning is brain waves. In the morning, your brain naturally transitions from theta waves (dreamy state) to alpha waves (calm, relaxed wakefulness).
Both of these states – particularly theta – can support how well we absorb affirmations. The theta state has been shown to be effective for hypnosis, and a 2024 paper, published in the journal Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, notes that increased theta power during cognitive tasks is associated with better performance.
Practical steps
“When crafted and timed well, affirmations can engage the brain’s learning systems, and genuinely shift our internal narratives,” says Dr Mort. In order to make the most of the morning window, there are a few things that might help...
Create cues
James Clear, famed for his work on habit formation, talks about the importance of a habit loop – which includes cues such as time, location, and preceding event. Deciding where an affirmation practice might fit into your morning routine, and adhering to it using cues, can make all the difference when it comes to making it stick.
Schedule reminders
Relying on memory when developing new habits is not always, understandably, the most reliable approach. That’s why visual stimuli – such as a journal by your bed to jot down your affirmations, written notes on your wall, or a daily reminder on your phone – might prove particularly helpful.
Relate to the day ahead
“Affirmations should be emotionally honest,” says Dr Mort. If there’s a particular friction you experience in the morning – whether that might be anxiety or low mood, for example – using the affirmations as an opportunity to challenge those specific worries for the day ahead can act as a subtle, but direct, response to what you are struggling with.
Now, rather than a sluggish start after hitting snooze too many times, I begin the day with positive affirmations – and, in turn, positive intent. Perhaps, building this habit into the start of your day could be the dawning of a new era of enlightenment and empowerment for you, too.
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