Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Are Daily Affirmations?25 Positive Daily AffirmationsHow Do Daily Affirmations Work?BenefitsHow to Use Mental Health AffirmationsWhen You Need More Support
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Are Daily Affirmations?
25 Positive Daily Affirmations
How Do Daily Affirmations Work?
Benefits
How to Use Mental Health Affirmations
When You Need More Support
Close
Daily affirmations are short statements that can help boost your esteem. You might use these statements to give yourself a little extra boost of confidence when facing a challenge or feeling down on yourself.
You may have noticed that yourself-esteemis low and that you’ve been doing a lot of negative self-talk lately. Or you might be going through a crisis right now, and you’re looking for a way to move through it with a little more strength and optimism. Perhaps you are looking to reach a particular goal for yourself and want some positive reminders along the way about your inner strength and tenacity.
Whatever the case, you are looking for some positive daily affirmations to recite for your mental health. Well, we’ve got you covered. Let’s take a look at the benefits of positive mental health affirmations, the best way to add them into your daily life, along with 25 inspiring affirmations to get you started.
Why It’s Important to Have High Self-Esteem
Daily affirmations are short, written statements that are meant to give your self-esteem a positive boost. You can write them down or repeat them to yourself when you need them.
People often use mental health affirmations during times in life when they’re dealing with difficult circumstances or when they are experiencing morenegative self-talkthan usual.
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Positive self-affirmationsare usually short, simple statements that you come up with on your own based on your own needs and emotions. But self-affirmations have a more universal application, too. It’s okay to use more generalized, pre-written affirmations if you feel that they apply well to you.
Here are some positive mental health affirmations to get you started:
Self Efficacy and Why Believing in Yourself Matters
Positive mental health affirmations provide reminders about yourself-worth, the special talents you have to offer to the world, your ability to handle difficult situations, and anything else it may be helpful to be reminded of.
As we move through life, it can be difficult to remember thepositive aspects of ourselves, so having daily reminders of these can be a powerful mental health tool. This is especially true if you have been going through a period ofnegative thinkingand negative self-talk.
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Benefits of Positive Mental Health Affirmations
Adding positive self-affirmations to your daily routine can help you feel good, but research has also found that these statements can have a number of mental health benefits as well.
For example, positive mental health affirmations have been found to reduce stress, increase feelings of wellness, and help people adoptbehavioral changesthat can improve mental health.
Foster Better Mental Well-Being
A 2014 study published inthe Annual Review of Psychologyfound that when people face circumstances that decrease feelings of self-worth and make it more difficult to grow and adapt, positive self-affirmations can help. Moreover, these affirmations can improve health and strengthen relationships. According to the study, self-affirmations can have positive benefits that last for many months or even years.
Better Health Behaviors
Self-affirmation has several health benefits. For example, studies have found that self-affirmation can help people adopt healthier lifestyles and behaviors.Self-affirmation may also help people become more physically active and adopt healthier attitudes about engaging in physical activities.
Affirmations can be a source of strength if facing a health challenge. One promising study found that self-affirmation practice helped cancer survivors adopt more optimistic attitudes and has the potential to improve their health.
Reduced Stress
When you experiencechronic stress, it can be difficult to make clear-headed decisions and solve problems. A 2013 study published inPLOS ONEfound that practicing self-affirmation can improve problem-solving skills among chronically stressed individuals.
Stronger Parenting Abilities
Finally, self-affirmation exercises may benefit parents. A 2020 study that appeared inFrontiers in Psychologyfound that positive self-affirmation increased parents’ self-confidence and interest in seeking supportive parenting resources. This was especially helpful to parents who frequently fear judgment from others regarding their parenting abilities.
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There are no hard-and-fast rules for how to use positive mental healthaffirmationsor how they are meant to work. Most people end up writing down their affirmations, usually in some type of journal.
Studies have shown thatjournalingis a wonderful way to reduce distress, anxiety, and feelings of depression and increase feelings of positive well-being.
Writing your affirmations in a journal isn’t the only option, though. Here are other ideas:
100 Words of Encouragement for Any Situation
Affirmations can be a great self-help strategy, but they can replace treatment for mental health conditions. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, you might need more support.
If you are experiencing constantnegative self-talk, symptoms of depression or anxiety, or are finding it difficult to function in your day-to-day life, you should connect with a mental health professional. Your mental health is worth caring for, and you deserve to feel well.
Takeaways
If you are looking for a little pick-me-up that can give you an added boost of confidence, positive daily affirmations can be a great tool. You might try picking a few statements that resonate with you and write them in a journal or add them to a sticky note in a visible place. But remember, these affirmations can’t take the place of therapy or medication if you have a mental health condition likeanxietyordepression. If you have symptoms that are causing distress or interfering with your ability to function, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.
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8 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Hill Z, Spiegel M, Gennetian LA.Pride-based self-affirmations and parenting programs.Frontiers in Psychology. 2020;11:910. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00910
Cohen GL, Sherman DK.The psychology of change: Self-affirmation and social psychological intervention.Annual Review of Psychology. 2014;65:333–371. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115137
Epton T, Harris PR, Kane R, et al.The impact of self-affirmation on health-behavior change: a meta-analysis. Health Psychology. 2015 Mar;34(3):187-96. doi:10.1037/hea0000116
Cooke R, Trebaczyk H, Harris PR, et al.Self-affirmation promotes physical activity.Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 2014;36(2):217-23. doi:10.1123/jsep.2013-0041
Taber JM, Klein WMP, Ferrer RA, et al.Optimism and Spontaneous Self-affirmation are Associated with Lower Likelihood of Cognitive Impairment and Greater Positive Affect among Cancer Survivors. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 2015;50(2). doi:10.1007/s12160-015-9745-9
Creswell JD, Dutcher JM, Klein WMP, et al.Self-affirmation improves problem-solving under stress.PLOS One. 2013;8(5):e62593. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062593
Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, et al.Online Positive Affect Journaling in the Improvement of Mental Distress and Well-Being in General Medical Patients With Elevated Anxiety Symptoms: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Mental Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290
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