Personal growth in the digital age
by Mhaya Polacco
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Illustration by James Merritt
A few times a year, I enter a self-care chaotic spiral. I refer to these times as my “what am I doing with my life” phases. It is during these chapters that I reassess all my self-care habits, procure $500 worth of candles, and buy a monthly yoga membership that I only use twice. Call it a self-induced wellness fixation or a burst of inspiration; either way, it usually fizzles out after a few weeks. Recently, however, I found a more sustainable fix to my self-care woes. For the past few months, I’ve been journaling and reciting daily affirmations guided by easy-to-follow YouTube videos. These intentional practices have created a notable difference in my life. My mornings now start with positivity and empowerment instead of doomscrolling through Instagram.
It took me embarrassingly long into adulthood to realize that reaching for my phone first thing in the morning is profoundly detrimental to my mental well-being. (I know, shocker — we’ve heard it time and time again, but seriously: if you haven’t given waking up without the phone a shot, consider it.)
Jay Rai, an empowerment psychologist specializing in the neuroscience of mental health, notes, “When you first wake up in the morning, your brain switches from delta waves, which occur in a deep sleep state, to theta waves, which occur during a sort of daydreamy state. The brain then moves to produce alpha waves when you are awake but are relaxed and not processing much information.”
The anxiety I get from scrolling through social media or immediately reading the news stays with me through every decision or thought I have during the day. Rai shares, “In skipping these states and checking your phone right after waking up, you are priming your brain for distraction. Seeing or reading something negative first thing in the morning can trigger your stress response and put you on edge for the rest of the day.” Starting your day with affirmations and journaling will allow you to begin on the right track.
What are affirmations?
James Merritt
As the Berkeley Well-Being Institute writes on their site, affirmations are “positive phrases or statements we repeat to ourselves.” This form of self-actualizing is a powerful tool for manifesting and goal-setting. A 2015 study published in Oxford Academic suggests “affirmations can decrease stress, increase well-being, improve academic performance, and make people more open to behavior change.” Additionally, affirmations have the power to influence the brain's reward systems. Lavendaire, a wellness creator, believes repeating "I am" statements helps to create space for improved mental framing.
In addition to Lavendaire, Leeor Alexandra is another wellness creator who posts affirmations, wellness challenges, and journal prompts. With the use of calming visuals and relaxing background music, Leeor and Lavendaire create virtual environments of tranquility and spaces for personal growth and development. By following along with these videos, I’ve been able to stick to these positive daily habits and, in turn, have created positive changes in my life.
Wellness creators are not the only ones who believe in the power of positive phrases. Brain specialist Dr. Daniel Amen shares his daily habits to optimize brain health on The Mel Robbins Podcast. He starts each morning by saying, “Today is going to be a great day.” At night, he asks himself, “What went well today?” To have a healthy mind, you have to have a healthy brain, and doing these daily affirmations can encourage your brain to begin and end the day in a positive state.
Neuroplasticity can be self-directed
James Merritt
We have the ability to condition and rewire our brains for the better. On Healthline, writer Stacey McLachlan, neuropsychologist Dr. Sanam Hafeez, and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Dr. Tom Kannon state, “Self-directed neuroplasticity is when you intentionally rewire your brain to create positive habits. People do this primarily through active reflection.” Neuroplasticity is the process that involves adaptive changes to the brain and allows for the nervous system to change its activity in response to internal and external stimuli. The authors go on to explain that, “Self-directed neuroplasticity is different from experience-dependent neuroplasticity, a passive process in which we reinforce habits by doing them unconsciously over and over again, whether they’re good or bad.”
Along with affirmations, journaling is another powerful tool for personal growth and development. Writing even one sentence a day might bring you some benefit, including sharpening your memory and motivating you to have a better day, according to James Clear, author and expert on building habits. If writing a stream of consciousness doesn’t work, look to the plethora of creators and wellness guides online to provide prompts that make journaling feel effortless.
Developing a habit of doing daily positive affirmations and journaling has allowed me to take time out of my day and dedicate it to bettering myself. Through creating a habit of positive thinking, I now feel more at peace and less anxious daily. My days start with ease — not with social-media scrolling. My confidence has sky-rocketed. With positive affirmations and a general willingness to go inward and do the work, I can create the type of day and future I want in a way I never could before. And if all my dreams and aspirations don’t come to fruition, at least I have my self-compression and the knowledge that, regardless of all else, I chose growth.