The life of a teenager can be vibrant and exciting, full of challenges and firsts. These are the years when you begin to grapple with the real world and try to find your place in it.
As a teen, your inner worlds face lots of outside pressures.
You want to fit in but also struggle to find our own identity. Sometimes these struggles lead to negative thinking and self-doubt.
Becoming a confident, independent, and happy adult begins closer to home than you might think. The process starts by learning to reframe the negative self-talk to which you’ve become habituated.
Positive affirmations can help you find the confidence to emerge into adult life, prepared and excited to take on the world.
To help you with this process, we’ve created a list of positive affirmations for students to practice.
Affirmations Explained
Our growing pains give us a thick skin and an armor that’s tough to crack. We learn early on that people can hurt us, say mean things, or tear us down.
So we begin to say those things to ourselves before anyone else can. This defense mechanism can result in diminished self-confidence and a fear of authentically connecting to others.
While you can’t control how others see you, you can learn to retrain your brain away from that thinking. Positive affirmations, also known as mantras, allow us to speak true self-confidence into existence.
It may seem silly or uncomfortable at first. However, after some time, you begin to believe what you are saying. Your mind has something beautiful to hold on to.
Positive thinking for teenagers and adults alike helps to reinforce your strengths, build your self-esteem, and develop an ability to empower yourself.
How to Write Affirmations for Teens
Affirmations are usually brief statements, meant to be written or spoken aloud. They often begin with an “‘I am” statement, such as “I am capable and talented,” or “I am ready to take on a new adventure.”
Each statement should be written or spoken with intention, as you let the words flow through you and find a home in your heart. While the process seems simple, you may encounter a few challenges along the way.
Here are a few questions to help you get started:
What do I admire in others? Do you have a best friend, teacher, or parent who exhibits qualities that inspire you or you find appealing? Pick out a few of those traits that you see in yourself or wish to develop. Form these qualities into “I am” statements or something similar.
What is important to me? Take some time to think about what characteristics you value. What are your goals and aspirations, and how can you fit them into a short statement.
What negative feelings am I holding on to? To counteract negativity with positive affirmations, you may need to spend time locating what harsh or untrue sentiments you hold about yourself.
75 Positive Affirmations for Teens to Boost Self-Esteem
I like the person I am growing into.
I am talented and kind. Those strengths will take me far.
I have all the tools I need to succeed. I am excited to learn and grow.
I have meaningful and equal relationships with my friends and family.
My future is mine to choose. I get to decide what is best for me.
I am becoming a beautiful person. I choose to love myself unconditionally.
Fate has exceptional things in store for me. I just have to follow my own path.
I make the most of my time and spend it doing the things I love with and with people who affirm me.
No matter my age, I am worthy of respect. No matter what, I am worthy of kindness and love.
My heart is open to all of the wisdom the world has to offer.
I know what’s best for me. I am capable of making positive choices that lead me to what I want.
The world is ready to receive me, and I am prepared to accept what it has to offer.
I am happy where I am in my life right now.
I am open and honest with my feelings. I can clearly express to others when I feel hurt.
I am willing to accept help when offered. I am willing to ask for what I need.
Learning about myself is a fruitful adventure. I love who I am.
I know my values and why I hold them. I challenge myself to question my beliefs.
I am capable of changing my mind when presented with new information. There is no shame in learning better.
Nothing can stop me from achieving my dreams.
I am empowered to be the best version of myself.
I am a good and caring friend. I deserve friends that treat me with equal love and kindness.
I rise above gossip and talking rudely about others. I am empowered to shut down conversations I am uncomfortable with or that may hurt other people.
I am happy to be alive.
I am beautiful, smart, and talented.
In ten years, I will be exactly where I want to be.
Success is within my reach. I can achieve anything I set my mind to.
I will go on to have loving and equal romantic relationships. I will grow and learn from each one, even if they don’t work out.
Just because people are mean doesn’t mean they speak the truth. Their meanness doesn’t reflect on me.
I don’t have to please anyone other than myself.
I accept myself as I am. I don’t need to compare myself to other people.
I am a unique gift to the world.
My light cannot be extinguished.
I don’t need to follow along with what everyone else is doing. I get to do what is best for me.
I may not have all the answers, and I am okay with that.
I am open to receiving advice from people with more wisdom than me. I trust myself to listen to their advice and discern what is best for me.
I can have fun on my own terms. No one else should dictate what that looks like for me.
I do not have to reveal my whole self on social media.
The people I see on Instagram are not perfect. We are all flawed, and those flaws are beautiful.
I am capable of being responsible for myself.
My voice matters.
I am allowed to say no.
The love I have for myself is unconditional.
It’s okay to admit when I am wrong and to ask for forgiveness.
Just because I haven’t reached my destination doesn’t mean that I am lost. I am on an adventure to discover myself.
I won’t let obstacles stop me from going after what I want.
I did the best that I could at the moment.
Things will get better. There is happiness in store for me.
I am excited to take in new experiences and gain knowledge.
I am enough.
I am worthy.
It’s okay to be proud of myself and my accomplishments.
My heart is open and my ears are open to my heart.
I don’t have to be the best or perfect to be accepted by other people.
I accept myself, flaws and all. I forgive myself for past mistakes.
I allow myself to fully feel my emotions. I don’t have to shut down.
My body is beautiful the way that it is.
I am strong. My body does so much for me, and I love it for that.
I make choices that honor my body.
My mistakes don’t define me.
I belong where I am.
It’s okay that I have different interests than my friends.
I don’t have to spend all of my time with one person or a group of friends. I don’t owe all of my time to anyone.
“Normal” isn’t real. I am unique and that is beautiful.
I look forward to being challenged, as that is how I grow.
I am at peace with who I am.
I breathe in positivity and exhale negative thinking.
My arms are open, ready to accept any opportunities to come my way.
I release my worries. My mind is calm.
Language is powerful. I choose the words I say carefully.
I channel my anger into healthy outlets. My anger can be useful.
New ideas flow through me. My creativity is ablaze.
My self-confidence inspires others.
My beauty is unique. No one else is like me.
My friends are my biggest supporters. I am a champion of my friends.
How can a teenager stay positive? Young adults face a lot of stress and need to develop healthy coping mechanisms to deal with negative emotions.
These affirmations use the power of the brain to influence emotional responses and self-esteem.
Positive words for a teenage girl or boy can have a huge impact on their confidence. Here are a few ways to use these affirmations:
Start an affirmation journal. Write down your affirmation and reflect on it before school in the morning and at night before bed.
Repeat them in the mirror each morning. Speak the affirmation out loud with intention while looking at yourself. Accept that the words you speak are already valid for you.
Write them on sticky notes and leave them around the house, in your locker, or on your notebooks. These notes will remind you to keep the affirmations at the forefront of your thoughts and to say them throughout the day.
There are so many ways to include affirmations into your daily routine. Try one of these or come up with a few of your own!
The key is to practice them regularly, so you develop new and more positive thoughts and beliefs.
