Today, we’re talking about how positive language can improve your mindset and mental health and fashion’s place in helping us get there. Kimberly Wilkerson of Token Clothing Company™ is today’s author.

Think for a moment how to fill this in: “I am ____.”

How would you fill in the blank? Remember, what follows “I am” follows you.

So, what word or phrase would you place behind the most creative and powerful three-letter statement we have in our human language?

Words Can Hurt Your Mindset and Mental Health

Do you remember the decades-old adage we used as kids when an unkind jibe was uttered toward us?

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

We tried to be brave with this comeback, yet the response masked the truth. Words do hurt us. And words do strengthen, heal, and transform us. In short, the effects of language are powerful, and words matter. Always. And it’s not just words spoken to us. It’s words spoken around us (consider TV shows/movies, news reports, podcast/radio conversations, etc.). It’s words, we think. It’s words we say. It’s words we write. 

And it’s words we wear.

 Thus, I’m gifting a luxurious set of Pajamas With Purpose™ to one of you, dear readers. Read on to find out how to enter the giveaway. ~ Please note, the contest is now closed.

Negative Language Effects

Consider this two-letter word: “No.”

As evidenced in “Words Will Change Your Brain” [Newberg A. & Waldman, M., 2012], if you were in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner measuring brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow while reading the word “no,” we would immediately see a substantial increase in amygdala activity and the release of stress-producing hormones and neurotransmitters which increase heart rate and blood pressure and interrupt the normal functioning of brain areas involved with logic, reason, language processing, and communication.

The word, “no” is an important word and may need to be used in specific situations. For example, in a fight-or-flight situation, we know our bodies are ramping up our ability to manage a threat, and the increased blood pressure and heart rate is a necessary response. 

The language effects here are profound. The word “no” is also a negative word that produces an immediate neurological response that impacts our entire physiology. Prolonged exposure to negative words is correlated with increased hostile behavior which is a risk factor for increased morbidity, mortality, depression, and divorce.

Positive Language Effects

But there are positive language effects, too. Consider these words: hope, optimism, joy, love, gratitude, compassion, truth, peace, humility, and forgiveness.

Using an fMRI scanner, we would see your amygdala and emotional centers in the brain calm down as you focused on these positive words. Even the word “yes” would show similar results.

Focusing on positive thoughts and words stimulate the motivation areas of your brain responsible for moving you into action. As you practice staying relaxed, and repetitively focus on positive words, anxiety and depression tend to decrease and the number of unconscious negative thoughts tend to decline.

As neuroscientist and physician Andrew Newberg concluded with his team’s own brain-scan research,

“. . . concentrating and focusing on positive thoughts, feelings, and outcomes can be more powerful than any drug in the world, especially when it comes to changing old habits, behaviors, and beliefs.”

(Newberg, 2012, p.35)

Mental Health, Self-Talk, and Positive Affirmations

When we consider the mental health implications of chronic health conditions, research points to the benefits of intentional, positive, self-affirming language practices.

For example:

• A 2021 study of groups of people experiencing psoriasis looked at the outcomes of a brief, self-affirmation intervention related to depression, anxiety, and well-being. Results indicated significantly more improvement in the course of well-being, depressive symptoms, and anxiety at two weeks post-intervention and at one-month follow-up.
• A 2023 study of individuals with chronic pain indicated self-affirmations are associated with better psychosocial health, including depression, anxiety, anger, and social isolation. 
• Research also suggests positive self-talk and affirmations can activate brain systems that restore self-confidence when threatened and improve education, health, and relationship outcomes that persist for months and years.

Positive Language Effects Water?

Before you read this next excerpt, keep in mind our bodies are approximately 60% water . . .

Japanese researcher Dr. Masaru Emoto, who extensively studied the impact of language on the properties of water around the planet, identified that water formations can possibly be changed physically as influenced by positive or negative words.

In his research, Dr. Emoto placed written, positive words and phrases (e.g., “thank you,” “love and gratitude,” “wisdom”) in multiple languages on water containers with the chosen words facing the water samples and then froze the water so ice crystals were formed which could be photographed and observed. He followed the same procedure using negative words and phrases (e.g., “You fool!” “You make me sick.” “I will kill you.”).

The observed results of water exposed to negative words were malformed and misshapen crystals. The water exposed to positive words produced beautifully and intricately formed crystals.

While Dr. Emoto’s water crystal studies have faced scientific criticism, the idea of words shaping outcomes resonates deeply with many.

The awareness of the words we think and say to ourselves, as well as to others should be heightened. As we give energy and effort to intentional words each day, we will experience intentional results.

Can Fashion Actually Improve Your Mindset and Mental Health?

I believe it can.

As an expert in communication and language disorders (I’m a speech-language pathologist) and as an entrepreneur who wanted to advance mental wellness outcomes, I launched fashion company Token Clothing Company™ two years ago, intentionally focused on using fashion as a platform to share the science behind language. We create products that provide customers with a transformative experience in their mindset, resulting in increased self-love, self-appreciation, and self-confidence. 

As clothing is a basic need and a daily requirement of living in the United States and most areas of our world, I (and leaders in the fashion industry) have a unique opportunity in utilizing what might be considered a cursory task — getting dressed each day — to improve and benefit society in the area of mental health and well-being, creating a ripple effect among people of all ages, races, ethnicities, and cultures.

To learn more about our Pajamas With Purpose™, see here.

Intelligent Fashion™ Uses Words to Shape Mindset and Mental Health

Intelligent Fashion™ is apparel which applies neuroscience and positive psychology data to improve mindset and transform negative to positive outcomes for the wearer. Artists, creators, leaders, and contributors can incorporate the science-based strategy of Intelligent Fashion™ in a myriad of ways that allows freedom of expression in design to benefit and delight both creator and wearer while improving the mental health and wellness of both.

Research shows that some effective strategies to overcome self-criticism involve the practice of self-love, self-appreciation, self-acceptance, and self-forgiveness – and these need to be practiced daily. It only makes sense to merge these practices with a task that we already do every: wear clothes.

Using Positive Language to Improve Your Mental Health

You and I can each take one step toward increased mental wellness using positive language. Whether it’s wearing clothing apparel that transforms, speaking to ourselves in the mirror each morning and evening with kind and compassionate language, ending the violent and negative language in our environment, or journaling the positive moments we experienced in our day, we have the ability to shift our outcomes as we use positive language.

A Gift that Shows the Power of Language

I want to gift one lucky person a pair of Pajamas With Purpose™ — through Token Clothing Company™ — that includes powerful self-affirmations which rest against your skin (remember the inward facing words in Emoto’s water experiments). The pajama tops are reversible and can be read by the wearer (in the mirror) and the observer. This way, you can improve your mindset as well as influence the mindset of friends and family.

These PJs are also ultra-soft, luxurious, and beautifully fuse gorgeous fabric and timeless design with Intelligent Fashion™ to elevate your mindset and infuse you with power to dream. They are available in lavender or blue, in sizes XS-XL.

How to Win a Free Pair of Pajamas with Purpose™!

To be entered to win, simply do the following:

1. Leave a comment here with your thoughts on this post.
2. AND share this post on social media and tag @Natasha_Tracy_writer and @Token_Clothing_Co.
3. Make sure your email address is accurate so we can contact you if you win.

For extra entries, go to Instagram and follow the instructions there.

You will be able to select the color and size if you win.

This contest is open to those in the United States until November 30^th, 2024. The winner will be contacted on December 1^st, 2024. Please note the contest is now closed.

About Kimberly Wilkerson

After years of studying the power of communication as a speech-language pathologist, Kimberly Wilkerson launched Token Clothing Company™, a brand that elevates the everyday task of wearing clothing to create an experience that edifies mindset and inspires love by joining gorgeous fabric and timeless design with neuroscience and positive psychology data to transform negative to positive outcomes of the wearer.

Kimberly’s personal journey of elevating her mindset and overcoming limitations influenced the transition from clinician to fashion entrepreneur. She loves sharing how the power of language can impact every person.

Kimberly currently resides in Idaho and loves spending time with family and friends in the great outdoors, except in the dead of winter, at which time she escapes to the tropics for snorkeling and scuba diving.