Say these words of affirmation anytime you need a mental lift.
When you speak what you want to manifest in your life, you encourage a mental shift in your energy. Positive affirmation can lead to positive change, which is why an affirmation practice is so powerful.
The following daily affirmations, recommended by mindfulness and meditation experts, serve as reminders of your self-worth and strength, helping you get through your day with more confidence and positivity. See which mantras resonate best with you and then incorporate them into your life.
1. “I am the co-creator of my life.”
When to say it: First thing in the morning
Morning affirmations are a great way to kick off the day and set a positive tone. “The words you speak or write after ‘I am’ are what you'll call into your life,” says manifestation coach and mindfulness teacher Angela Marie Christian, whom DailyOM spoke with for this story. “By boldly stating the responsibility you have in co-creating your life, you'll feel empowered and grounded.”
She suggests saying these words while standing, imagining roots from the bottom of your feet growing downward and connecting you to the earth.
Interested in learning more? Check out Positive Affirmations to Start Your Day
2. “I am doing the best I can, one step at a time.”
When to say it: If you’re feeling overwhelmed
In moments of overload, either when you’re worried about unchecked items on your to-do list or feeling emotionally flooded, try these words of affirmation to quell nervous energy and inspire confidence. “When you repeat this affirmation to yourself, it’ll help you stay grounded and focus on the very next step, not the next 10 steps,” Christian says.
3. “I am happy, healthy, loved and abundant.”
When to say it: Before falling asleep
Saying affirmations of self-love at night helps the words really impact your brain. According to Christian, whatever you think about right before you fall asleep will get cemented into your subconscious for up to four hours. “By thinking this type of affirmation before bed, you’ll begin to truly feel happy, healthy, loved and abundant,” she explains.
4. “I am grateful for my life as it is right now.”
When to say it: First thing in the morning or before bedtime
Starting or ending the day with a moment of gratitude is like speaking a love language to yourself. Meditation coach and journalist Biju Sukumaran, who runs the website The Science of Self-Help, explains to DailyOM that speaking words of affirmation during these times of the day is effective because of the “identity porousness that occurs when [you’re] tired.” Essentially, your brain is more flexible and susceptible to suggestion when you’re just waking up as well as when you’re winding down for sleep, making any positive affirmations all the more impactful.
5. “Could I learn from this?”
When to say it: When you’re feeling anxious
Sukumaran suggests asking yourself this mood-shifting question whenever you’re experiencing anxiety or facing a challenge. This question helps you focus on the possibilities in front of you and your own sense of resilience, rather than feeling stuck.
6. “I am so very proud of myself.”
When to say it: Before bedtime
These words can help you drift off to sleep with a sense of acceptance and power, says educator and intuitive holistic healer Sheel Bhuta, encouraging you to integrate self-love and heal any sense of inferiority.
Bhuta, who spoke with DailyOM for this story, suggests saying this positive affirmation while tapping lightly on your heart, explaining that “the heart center is your power center and regulates each and every other particle of your essence.”
7. “I forgive myself and others. Everyone was doing the best they could, as was I. Everything I did was fate in action. I get wiser with each passing day.”
When to say it: Before bedtime
Say this longer affirmation before going to sleep if you’ve had a particularly tough day. Bhuta suggests tapping on the center of your throat while you speak the words. “We often hold onto guilt and resentment, which plagues our journey forward,” she says. “Tapping on your throat chakra helps you lead with compassion for yourself and others while awakening your ability to communicate more effectively and live more harmoniously with yourself and others.”
8. “I am ready and prepared to fulfill my soul mission for today and shine forward with every step I take.”
When to say it: While getting ready for your day
According to Bhuta, speaking this self-love affirmation while tapping on your upper abdomen with both hands can help you activate your solar plexus, which encourages you to generate confidence. “Your solar plexus is your regenerative powerhouse,” she says. “Stating this affirmation empowers you and activates you, ensuring that your energy is open and ready for any opportunity.”
9. “I am abundant because I am one with the universe. All of my desires are fulfilled because I ask powerfully.”
When to say it: First thing in the morning or before bedtime
When you say this affirmation, also try to feel it as you speak the words, love coach Lucy Shahjahan, author of Don’t Sh*t in My Vortex: How to Create Massive Shifts in Your Life and Attract Your Soulmate Relationship, tells DailyOM. The key to making a self-love affirmation like this one even more powerful is being fully connected to — and passionate with — your words. “Where I have had my big success [with affirmations] is when I embody them and feel them deeply at a cellular level,” she says.
10. “I am a divine, sovereign, radiant soul and I am ready to receive on all levels right now.”
When to say it: First thing in the morning or before bedtime
This is another affirmation to really feel in your heart space, Shahjahan says. Feeling worthy to receive life’s opportunities is a big part of fostering self-love and confidence. When you really believe that you are enough just as you are, you are more able to accept and appreciate what life brings your way.
