If you’re used to feeling negative about yourself, you’re probably also used to talking negatively to yourself.
Your self-talk has a significant impact on your self-esteem.
That’s why it’s essential to repeat self-worth affirmations daily.
Affirmations are positive statements that reinforce your goals, so affirmations for self-esteem will help create more positive feelings about yourself.
As you start, it doesn’t matter whether you believe them right away.
When you get used to talking about yourself in a positive way, your confidence and self-worth will improve.
But how does that work exactly?
How Affirmations Build Self-Esteem
Self-esteem affirmations can transform the way you think about yourself, and research backs it up.
According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine online publication, “self-affirmations have benefits across threatening situations; affirmations can decrease stress, increase well-being, improve academic performance and make people more open to behavior change.”
Affirmations can activate parts of the brain related to self-processing, positive valuation, and motivation.
Here are a few ways these affirmations can make your life better:
Whether you’ve struggled with self-esteem in the past, or you simply want to find little ways to make yourself happier, positive affirmations should be part of your daily routine.
Can Affirmations Boost Confidence?
Simply the fact that you practice affirmations gives your confidence a boost because you are doing something proactive.
When we take action, we feel more in control of our lives and better about our abilities. But that reason alone isn’t why affirmations for self-worth give you that extra shot of confidence.
As you form a positive self-talk habit, you begin to feel better about yourself. And when you feel better about yourself, you’re empowered to take on the world.
In moments when you doubt yourself or your abilities, practice a few of these affirmations for a quick shot of self-assurance.
95 Positive Affirmations for Self-Esteem
Start and end every day with a selection from this list of positive affirmations for self-esteem.
The more these words echo in your mind throughout the day, the more your courage, compassion, and self-knowledge will grow. And the better able you’ll be to help others grow, too.
1. I am stronger than I know.
2. I have control over everything I need.
3. Progress isn’t linear. Every step I take toward growth matters.
4. I can find the positive things in any situation.
5. I am proud of myself for making it this far.
6. I can handle whatever the day has in store.
7. Today will inevitably be a good day.
8. I cannot always control the outcome, but I can control my reaction to it.
9. I am not a slave to my emotions. But I don’t discount them, either.
10. It’s okay for me to feel what I am feeling now, and I can find ways to soothe myself.
11. I am good at helping others.
12. I don’t have to live for the future. My actions impact my future, but they are not only for the future. My actions are for who I am now.
13. It is not my responsibility to change the world, but I can make it a little better than before.
14. I love my body, and I love being inside of it.
15. I have the ability to dream as big and as far as I want.
16. My past decisions do not reflect who I am. My current decisions do.
17. I deserve a treat, just because.
18. I know how to take care of myself.
19. It’s okay to take personal time. My worth is not measured by my productivity.
20. I don’t have to be good at something to enjoy it.
I can start the day over whenever I want. I just have to take a deep breath, think about what I want, and start again.
21. I am responsible, capable, and motivated to leave the world better than I found it.
22. My worth does not depend on the way others perceive me.
23. I am worthy of love and happiness. I let go of those who don’t see that.
24. I am unique. I am happy to be alive and to be myself.
25. I get to experience the day and live to the fullest.
47. I know who I am. I can abandon the thoughts that don’t serve me.
48. Negativity will not help me grow. I choose to see the good in myself and others.
49. I can let go of fear, doubt, and guilt. At this moment, I am free of these things.
50. I feel my doubts melting away. I am opening my eyes to possibility.
51. I have the power to control my thoughts. I choose thoughts that propel me forward.
52. I don’t need to overthink this. I can let go of things that are out of my control.
53. I have a strong will, and I can make today better. And I will.
54. Life is beautiful, and I am grateful to be living another day.
55. I am making progress every day, whether I see it or not.
56. I am capable of being at peace with myself, and I deserve self-love.
57. My self-worth doesn’t depend on how others see me.
58. I am capable of expressing my needs, and I am worthy of having those needs met.
59. I radiate love, compassion, and healing energy.
60. I am not a slave to my negative thoughts.
61. I can choose to make today better by improving my thinking.
62. I am motivated to embrace change. I only grow when I step outside my comfort zone.
63. I am confident in my skills, my abilities, and my readiness to learn.
64. I am in charge of my happiness and of how I respond to the world.
65. My failures do not define me; they simply help me grow.
66. Different phases of my life are valid, but they do not dictate my identity as a person.
My priorities and passions will change as I grow, but my worth remains consistent.
67. I love my personality. As I learn and grow, I love it even more.
68. I care about my mental health, and I am willing to put it before productivity.
69. I deserve a good life filled with supportive relationships.
70. I am successful. I define what success means for me.
71. I am enough.
72. I am not afraid of failure. I’m only afraid of not learning from it.
73. I know how to pick myself up and keep going. I am strong and resilient.
74. I am brave enough to handle the challenges ahead.
75. I can live in the moment and enjoy everything it has to offer.
76. I do not have to be anything, but I can choose to be who I want.
77. I appreciate myself for everything I have learned and for every good thing I’ve done.
78. I appreciate my mistakes and failures and what I’ve learned from them.
79. I know how to put my mind at ease. No one can disquiet me if I don’t let them.
80. I deserve attention and praise. But I don’t need it in order to thrive.
81. I am worthy of kindness, and I always pay it forward.
82. I wake up in the morning feeling motivated for the day.
83. I am unstoppable.
84. I am living with abundance, acting with grace, and becoming the person I want to be.
85. I am not worried by the obstacles in my way. I am pushed forward by my dreams.
86. Stress can push me in the right direction and fuel my passion.
87. I choose to forgive myself. I let go of my regrets.
88. I possess unthinkable power.
89. I am grateful to myself for doing the best I can.
90. Everything I do has meaning. I have the power to impact the world around me.
91. I do not need to compare myself to others. I am growing each and every day, and I am satisfied with myself in the present moment.
92. I am going to make myself proud.
93. I am amazed by my own abilities.
94. Nothing can stand in my way when I start the day with a positive thought.
95. I am more free today than I have ever been, and no one can take that away from me.
How to Use Positive Affirmations for Self-Esteem
The key to these statements improving the way you feel about yourself is consistent practice. You can repeat them once and assume you’ll be a new person.
Here are some tips on making these affirmations work for you:
Speak them out loud and with feeling.
Rather than repeating the affirmations in your head, speak them out loud, so you hear your own voice affirming what you want to believe. Speak them with the enthusiastic feeling that they are true or will be true soon.
Look at yourself in the mirror as you speak.
To add power and conviction to your words, look at yourself in the mirror as you repeat the affirmations. Look at yourself as though you are assuring yourself that the words are true — as a parent or authority figure might kindly speak to you.
Write them down in a journal.
Handwriting has a way of cementing ideas in our brains and slows down our thoughts so we can better process them. Try writing the affirmation, then speaking it aloud.
Change the wording if it feels better.
Some affirmations may feel far-fetched or unrealistic to you now. If your self-esteem has tanked, saying, “I am an amazing person who feels happy to be alive,” may seem unattainable. So change the wording to something more realistic but still positive, like, “I don’t feel my best today, but every day I love myself more and more.”
Record yourself speaking affirmations.
Record yourself saying several of these affirmations, and loop the recording so you can listen to them as you fall asleep. Your unconscious is powerful and will absorb the positive messages, so you awaken with a positive mindset.
Keep reminders visible.
You want to repeat your affirmations (or at least see them) many times a day. Set a reminder on your phone to practice them. Put sticky notes with affirmations written on them around your house. Print and keep this list of affirmations on your desk, next to your bed, and in your car. Surround yourself with positive words.
Measure your progress and adjust.
Keep a notebook where you write down your weekly self-esteem and confidence levels. You can use a number system or jot down how you feel about yourself and how confident you feel each week. Make adjustments in the affirmations you use based on your findings.
Now that you’ve looked through this list of self-esteem affirmations, which ones are the most helpful to you right now?
Maybe you feel a change in your attitude already. Or maybe you don’t feel very different yet. Either way, repeating a few of these every day will greatly improve your esteem and self-esteem.
