self-affirmation
noun
self-af·fir·ma·tion
ˌself-ˌa-fər-ˈmā-shən 
plural self-affirmations
: the act of affirming one's own worthiness and value as an individual for beneficial effect (such as increasing one's confidence or raising self-esteem)
Patients were also asked to use self-affirmation to help them overcome obstacles to getting better by recalling moments in their lives they were proud of, such as a graduation.—
Lauren Paxman
Lauren Paxman
also
: a statement of self-affirmation
"When I look in the mirror and I see something that I don't like, I change that thought instantly into a self-affirmation where I say, '… You are beautiful. You're worthy of love and you're worthy of a happy and healthy life,'" she [Demi Lovato] told Dr. Phil … —Rachel McRady
Rachel McRady Examples of self-affirmation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Churches are sacred spaces in which to have open, honest conversations about self-realization and self-affirmation.
—W. Franklyn Richardson, STAT, 10 June 2024
Early research suggests that TikTok may be fueling that type of polarization, feeding each user their own personal self-affirmation chamber.
—Christian Paz, Vox, 5 June 2024
So part of my evolution in many ways is self-affirmation and self-love.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 25 Jan. 2024
The benefits of affirmation have been documented, with one study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences linking self-affirmation as the initiator that propels Black children forward and creates an environment that nurtures their potential.
—Whitney Roberts, Parents, 15 Dec. 2023
Coherence is the cognitive component of self-affirmation, which refers to being able to make sense of life events and find meaning in them.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
The scope of self-affirmation exercises extends beyond students.
—Time, 17 Aug. 2023
Incredibly blonde and impossibly ripped, Ken pulls himself together and finds some value in himself through words of self-affirmation.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2023
One study even found that students practicing self-affirmations through writing activities in the two weeks before a test had a lower stress response measured by stress-inducing hormones than those who did not perform the brief activities.
—L'oreal Thompson Payton, Fortune Well, 7 Apr. 2023
W. Franklyn Richardson, STAT, 10 June 2024
Early research suggests that TikTok may be fueling that type of polarization, feeding each user their own personal self-affirmation chamber.
—Christian Paz, Vox, 5 June 2024
So part of my evolution in many ways is self-affirmation and self-love.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 25 Jan. 2024
The benefits of affirmation have been documented, with one study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences linking self-affirmation as the initiator that propels Black children forward and creates an environment that nurtures their potential.
—Whitney Roberts, Parents, 15 Dec. 2023
Coherence is the cognitive component of self-affirmation, which refers to being able to make sense of life events and find meaning in them.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
The scope of self-affirmation exercises extends beyond students.
—Time, 17 Aug. 2023
Incredibly blonde and impossibly ripped, Ken pulls himself together and finds some value in himself through words of self-affirmation.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2023
One study even found that students practicing self-affirmations through writing activities in the two weeks before a test had a lower stress response measured by stress-inducing hormones than those who did not perform the brief activities.
—L'oreal Thompson Payton, Fortune Well, 7 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-affirmation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near self-affirmation
Cite this Entry
“Self-affirmation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-affirmation. Accessed 6 Jul. 2024.
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