16 Positive Daily Affirmations for More Confidence and a Better Outlook
One line a day can shift your whole mindset.
Albina Gavrilovic/Getty Images
By now, it’s no secret that our thoughts affect our reality, and positive affirmations are a great way to push your mood (and day) in the right direction. Positive affirmations are uplifting phrases you can say either aloud or in your head, the tried and true strategy for overcoming negative self-talk and low confidence, and we have the expert-approved tips for how you can, too.
Benefits of Daily Positive Affirmations
While it’s easy to write off these propitious proclamations as silly, positive affirmations produce a lot of brain-happy benefits. “Scientifically, they’re extremely beneficial. I like to call them a weapon because they are specifically designed to combat negative thoughts,” says Sidni Raphael, certified life coach with a focus on deconstruction and rediscovery. “When you combat those negative thoughts with the positive affirmations, they help change thought patterns.” This can help lead to a bevy of benefits, including improved mood and outlook, boosted self-esteem, decreased stress, heightened motivation, and overall self-trust.
“[Positive affirmations] are used to combat those negative thought patterns, which often produce lack of confidence or low self-esteem,” Raphael says. When you’re constantly blocking out the negative self-talk and replacing it with something else, you give your confidence levels a chance to increase drastically, she says. “If we believe positive things about ourselves, we will know our worth,” says Natalie Bell, life coach and content creator. “When we know our worth, we have less tolerance for those who don't. We will choose to surround ourselves with people who uplift us. We will know what we bring to the table.”
Related: 10 Ways to Be Happy (or at Least Happier), According to Gretchen Ruben
How to Get Started
If you’re ready to experience a beneficial boost from positive affirmations, you’re in the right place. While it may seem strange to dote on yourself aloud at first, trust us, it’ll start to feel second nature with a little consistency and time.
“For people who don't do them at all, or even those who are skeptical, I recommend starting with one affirmation,” Raphael says. There’s no shortage of general affirmations online, Raphael recommends personalizing your affirmations for the best possible results. “Think about a recurring negative thought that you're dealing with, and craft your affirmation to combat it,” she says.
While whispering your affirmations to yourself on your daily commute will suffice, you can also make this ritual a bit more intimate. “I love to share the power of mirror work with my clients. This entails talking to yourself in the mirror,” Bell says. “It can be uncomfortable and triggering at first to really take a look at ourselves and say positive things because we haven't done it before, and we also might not believe what we're saying yet. It's important to push through the discomfort and get to a place of feeling accepted, loved, and supported by ourselves.”
If chatting yourself up first thing in the morning isn’t your thing, give journaling a try. “I think it's always great to add affirmations into whatever routine you have,” says Alexandra Weiss, certified life and stress management coach. “If you're someone who journals every morning, maybe you make it a habit to then write out your affirmations to set the tone for your day.”
Regardless of what method you choose, the secret is staying consistent. They don’t call them daily positive affirmations for nothing! “You have to say them consistently,” Raphael says. “I like to start people off by having them say them two times a day: once in the morning and again at night. Once that feels comfortable, you can start [saying them more frequently]."
Related: 60 Positive Quotes to Brighten Your Day
How to Make Them Yours
Now that you know how and why you should be implementing positive affirmations into your wellness routine, you may be wondering, “what am I supposed to say?” According to Weiss, “I am” and “I can” statements are not only the simplest affirmations, but also the most effective when tailored to your specific needs. “The use of [these] statements turns the affirmations into powerful motivators, reinforcing a positive self-identity,” Weiss says. “The affirmations are framed in the present tense, reinforcing the new belief and helping to filter in information associated with it. This heightened awareness may lead to more opportunities to validate the affirmation.”
Weiss recommends writing out all of your frustrations and insecurities (as scary as it may seem) and then reframing each of them using “I am” and “I can” affirmations to highlight your positive attributes and accomplishments. For example, if the frustration or insecurity is “I’ll never be good enough to get that promotion,” then the affirmation could look something like this: “I am smart, experienced, creative, solution-oriented, and I can advance in my career,” she says.
Daily Positive Affirmations From Life Coaches
From Sidni Raphael:
“I am a work in progress and I’m a masterpiece.”
“Yes, I am still growing and I’m perfect the way I am.”
“I am calm. I can be gentle. I am in control of my emotions.”
“I love and respect myself, regardless of who else loves and respects me.”
“I know what is best for me.”
“I can do hard things.”
From Natalie Bell:
“I trust myself to make decisions for myself that better my life, add to my joy, and are in sync with my best, most authentic self.”
“My existence matters, and because of me, there are people who smile brighter.”
“I have the power to create positive change in this world.”
“I trust my intuition to guide me, and I trust that my body, mind, and soul will let me know when situations, connections, or life events are not aligned with what is best for me."
“I am deserving of love and affection from a loyal partner who would never do anything to intentionally hurt me.”
From Vanessa McNeal, life coach and national speaker:
“I can't be more loved than I am right now. There is no earning, doing, or being that must be done for me to be loved.”
“I am good enough.”
“The worst is all behind me, and the best is yet to come.”
“I am rooted in wholeness and love.”
“I surrender to the flow of life.”
Related: Want to Be More Positive? Here Are 7 Things Optimistic People Do Differently
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