Self-affirmations – brief exercises in which people reflect on their core values, identity and positive traits – can increase people's general well-being and make them happier in small but significant ways, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
"Even brief, low-cost self-affirmation exercises can yield significant psychological benefits in terms of enhancing personal and social well-being," said study author Minhong (Maggie) Wang, PhD, of The University of Hong Kong. "More importantly, these benefits are both immediate and long-lasting."
The research was published in the journal American Psychologist.
Previous research has suggested that self-affirmation exercises can have specific benefits, such as improving underrepresented students' academic performance and increasing people's motivation to quit smoking. The exercises work by reminding people of their inner strengths and acting as a buffer against external threats and worries. In the current study, Wang and her colleagues wanted to investigate whether self-affirmations also have more general positive effects on people's well-being, and if so, whether those effects are short-lived or long-lasting.
To answer those questions, they reviewed data from 129 studies of self-affirmations published in peer-reviewed journals, with a total of 17,748 participants. To be included in the analysis, each study had to involve a standalone self-affirmation exercise – the self-affirmation could not be part of a larger intervention – and include at least one outcome measure related to well-being. Outcome measures were grouped into four categories: general well-being (mood and life satisfaction); social well-being (sense of community and belonging); self-perception and sense of self-worth; and reduced barriers to well-being (negative symptoms like anxiety or negative mood).
Seventy-eight of the studies were conducted in the United States, 10 in Europe, six in Asia, and the rest in different or unspecified countries. Most of the studies (89) were conducted with college students, 13 included participants aged 12 to 18, and 27 included general adult participants aged 18 to 72.
Overall, the researchers found that self-affirmations had positive effects on people's general well-being, social well-being, and self-perception and sense of self-worth. The self-affirmations also reduced negative symptoms such as anxiety and negative mood. These effects did not dissipate immediately – they persisted over time, with an average follow-up time of nearly two weeks across the studies.
The effects held true for teens, college students and adults, and held true across countries. However, the effect of self-affirmations on self-perception was stronger for adults compared with adolescents, and the effect on general well-being was stronger for American participants compared with Asian and European participants.
"The findings advocate for integrating self-affirmation strategies into well-being programs, particularly in schools and universities," said Wang. "Educators and parents can use self-affirmation strategies to provide immediate psychological support to help students navigate challenges and build resilience in difficult situations. These strategies can foster individual and social well-being as well as strengthen social connections within communities."
Because much of the research on self-affirmations so far has been conducted with U.S. college students, future studies should aim to broaden the scope of research to include adolescents, more adults, and cross-cultural groups, Wang said.
Article: " The Impact of Self-Affirmation Interventions on Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis ," by Yunian Zhang, MSN, Boyin Chen, MSc, and Minhong Wang, PhD, The University of Hong Kong; and Xinyang Hu, MSc, Oxford University. American Psychologist, published online Oct. 27, 2025.
