Contrary to popular belief, positive affirmations can effectively motivate you, but there’s a catch: they tend to work best if you already have high self-esteem.
Researchers in 2009 discovered that affirmations of positive sentences in the present tense are favorable to people with high self-esteem. On the contrary, most people with low self-esteem experienced a backfire from the affirmation. According to the researchers, people with low self-esteem who engaged in the present tense positive affirmations turned out, as a result, to have felt still worse than people who had been allowed to write down a positive declaration, including the possibility that it was not entirely representative.
So, if you struggle with low self-esteem, repeatedly telling yourself how amazing you are may not be helpful because you may not believe it. It’s essential to keep this in mind before diving into affirmations every morning.
Nevertheless, you are self-confident and independent and know your strengths. In that case, it is advisable to pick one of the positive self-affirmations from the list below that is easy to apply to your life to revitalize your motivating force.
Here’s a list of 80 positive self-affirmations, split into two, to choose from. Consider it a menu of options. When you wake up each morning, select a few and say them aloud or write them down. This practice can set a positive tone for your day and help you move more optimally.
- I am successful.
- I am confident.
- I am powerful.
- I am strong.
- I am improving every day.
- All I need is within me right now.
- I wake up motivated.
- I am an unstoppable force of nature.
- I am a living, breathing example of motivation.
- I live with abundance.
- I have a positive and inspiring impact on others.
- I inspire people through my work.
- I rise above negative thoughts.
- Today is a phenomenal day.
- I decrease negativity and increase positivity in my life.
- I am focused.
- I am led by my dreams, not pushed by my problems.
- I am grateful for everything in my life.
- I am independent and self-sufficient.
- I can be whatever I want to be.
- I am driven by my future, not defined by my past.
- I use obstacles to motivate me.
- Today will be productive.
- I am intelligent and focused.
- I am getting healthier every day.
- I am getting closer to my goals.
- Incredible transformations are happening in me and my life.
- I am constantly growing and evolving.
- I free myself from doubt and fear.
- I accept myself and create peace, power, and confidence.
- I forgive myself and others.
- I am healing and strengthening every day.
- I have made it through hard times before and emerged stronger.
- I make the most of every day.
- I remember my incredible power to achieve anything I desire.
- I walk away from negativity.
- I belong in this world.
- I am beautiful.
- I learn from my mistakes but don’t let them define me.
- My soul radiates positivity.
- I don’t compare myself to others.
- I make myself proud.
- I finish what matters and let go of what doesn’t.
- I feed my spirit, train my body, and focus my mind.
- My life has meaning and purpose.
- I am thankful for what I accomplish each day.
- A positive thought in the morning sets the tone for my day.
- I set and achieve goals with determination.
- Happiness is my choice.
- I choose to be happy today.
- I invite nourishing energy and wonderful people into my day.
- I have all the energy and confidence I need to make the most of today.
- My positive, beneficial energy makes me powerful.
- I radiate confidence, positiveness, and readiness toward everyone around me.
- I reject negativity. I let go of what no longer serves me.
- I am energetic, and I’m ready to face whatever the day holds.
- A powerful aura of energy and light surrounds me.
- I am open to receiving beneficial energy from the universe.
- I focus on thoughts that empower and uplift me. I release thoughts that drain me and bring me down.
- My thoughts are clear, open, and uplifting. They nourish my mind and soul.
- Each day, my life gets better in every way.
- I am grateful for the blessings I already have and the blessings that come to me throughout each day.
- The universe sends me the opportunities I need. I will embrace them and prioritize the ones that match my personal vision.
- I’m ready to fill my heart and mind with energy and live with satisfaction and peace.
- I am a magnet for good thoughts and energy. Everything I need flows through me.
- Today, I choose to love myself just as I am.
- I love who I am today. I love my mind, my body, and my soul.
- I am on the path to becoming my best self and living my best life. I will embrace every step along the way.
- I am worthy of good things. I have a right to comfort and prosperity.
- I let go of thoughts and beliefs that no longer serve me. Today, I am open to seeing myself in new ways.
- I am beautiful and unique and have a wonderful sense of humor. I am exceptional.
- I give myself time and opportunity to heal.
- I am the hero in my own story. I’m eager to turn to the next page.
- I am entitled to take up space. I move through the world freely and confidently.
- I am at peace with who I am. I won’t apologize for being me.
- I am balanced, independent, and strong.
- I am responsible for my own satisfaction and well-being.
- Today, I will show myself love and compassion.
- I don’t need anyone else’s approval—just my own.
- I freely give and receive love.
In a nutshell, self-affirmations are an adequate measure of self-motivation and self-improvement, but their effectiveness varies depending on an individual’s level of self-esteem. The notion is that by uttering positive comments to ourselves daily, we can improve our confidence and, consequently, our mood every day, but the study found that this only works for some.
The research from 2009 cited earlier revealed that positive present-tense affirmations improved the moods of individuals with high self-esteem, yet it decreased the moods of those with low self-esteem. This may imply that reiterating positive statements to yourself is not enough to mend your low self-esteem when you do not believe yourself that way. For individuals with low self-esteem, positive affirmations could be more advantageous to be used with strategies that work exactly on the causes. This could range from therapy to navel-gazing, bolstering self-assurance through achievements and personal development. Through working on their self-worth, people often observe that their affirmations begin to work more effectively.
Nevertheless, these statements can help those with high self-concepts keep a positive frame of mind and pathos to their self-assessment. Over time, doing positive affirmations frequently enables people to build a healthier self-image and heighten their desires to reach targets.
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On the one hand, positive affirmations are indeed productive tools, but on the other hand, they will not serve as a cure-all for low self-esteem and other mental problems. You should see a professional if you are affected by low self-esteem or, otherwise, if positive affirmations do not achieve the desired result. You can quickly boost the whole process of self-development by routinely adding affirmative expressions to your daily life. The selection of affirmations that are true for you and practice daily is your initial step towards changing your outlook in life and cultivating a new positive one.