Iris Cole interviews Dr. Oren Tana about depression and its treatment / Walla system
It may not be as easy as it sounds - but daily positive affirmations have been linked to improved mental health, and now it's scientific.
A UC Berkeley study of 135 college students asked one group to practice self-compassion daily by saying things to themselves for 20 seconds a day for a month.
Following this, interesting things happened.
"This practice involved placing your hand on your heart and stomach while thinking good thoughts," study author Eli Sussman, a psychology researcher at the University of California at Berkeley, told Fox News Digital.
"It's actually a practice of being a friend who takes care of yourself when you think about moments that cause difficulty."
The researchers found that practicing daily affirmations was associated with greater self-compassion, emotional well-being, and reduced stress among college students compared to a control group.
The more often they did the practice, the greater the benefit.
Those who did not train regularly - did not improve.
The findings were published in the journal Behavior Research and Therapy.
The series "Heartstopper"/Netflix
According to Sussman, the students were given the following instructions:
"You are welcome to allow your eyes to close. Bring to mind a mistake that happened recently, or a failure or something about yourself that has been bothering you recently, or made you feel unworthy, unloved, or insufficient and pay attention to what arises in your body When you bring it to mind. Sending kindness and warmth to yourself by bringing one hand to your stomach and the other to your chest with the energy of giving yourself a hug. Allow yourself to embrace what arises in your body. And you're welcome to ask yourself, 'How can I be a friend of Myself right now?'... and when you're ready you may open your eyes."
"Micro-practices are like tiny training sessions based on the most powerful parts of a well-being practice, like meditation," Sussman said.
"They are designed to be easy to access and do not require much time or effort to use."
"Studies indicate that when practiced daily to the point of habit formation, self-compassionate contact along with positive, self-affirming self-talk or reflection can improve self-compassion and reduce stress and other mental health challenges."
And it's blue and white
The device that changes everything you knew about refreshing and firming the facial skin
In collaboration with Premier
Not a substitute for in-depth treatment
Part of the appeal of these techniques is that they are easy to learn and apply, can be practiced in a very short period of time, and do not cost money.
The study was limited in that the researchers did not assign how often people exercised.
Also, the study only focused on students in the US. More research with different populations is needed to confirm the findings and determine if they apply to other groups, he noted.
"When practiced daily, this can be a quick self-care strategy to help you get well More to yourself, less stressed and more emotionally healthy," Sussman said. He recommended choosing some kind of action that makes the practice a regular habit, such as before bed, after drinking a cup of coffee in the morning or whenever people feel stressed.
The researchers emphasized, however, that "Micro-practice" should not be used as a substitute for mental health care for those who need it. "Just as brushing your teeth is not a substitute for a visit to the dentist, micro-practices should not be a substitute for more intensive mental health care or treatment," Sussman said.
More on the same topic:
breathing
psychology
depression
compassion
Love