Engaging in brief self-affirmation activities can help us make and sustain positive changes.

These activities involve writing about a value that's important to us.

Self-affirmation works by reducing a threat that's interfering with our ability to change.

What if I told you that a five-minute activity can not only help people make positive changes, but also maintain those changes more than two years later?

A group of researchers conducted two studies with female university students who were dissatisfied with their weight.1,2 The participants completed questionnaires about their eating, exercise, ideal weight, confidence in their ability to lose weight, and concerns about their body; their height and weight were measured, and their body mass index (BMI) was calculated. They were also randomly assigned to complete one of two brief, self-directed activities, both unrelated to body weight, appearance, or weight loss: a "self-affirmation" activity or a neutral ("control") activity. They were given no guidance or counseling on diet, exercise, or weight loss methods.

About two months later, the participants returned to repeat the assessments. In both studies, women who had self-affirmed—and particularly, those whose BMI was high initially—weighed less than they did at their first visit, while the control group (who had not self-affirmed) weighed more. In the second study, women with high BMIs who had self-affirmed also reported more exercise, and they were observed eating more healthful foods than those who had not self-affirmed.

After another two years, the researchers reached out to the women in both studies and assessed them again.3 They found that high-BMI women who had self-affirmed at their first visit had kept their weight the same, whereas those who had not self-affirmed were continuing to gain more weight.

It may be hard to appreciate........

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