Affirmations for pressure to succeed
For deadlines, high expectations and the feeling that anything less than perfect is failure. Several of these give you permission to be nervous and do it anyway.
24 affirmations: 8 thoughts, each in a gentle, steady and bold version. Updated
What are good affirmations for pressure to succeed?
Good affirmations for pressure to succeed are short and believable, for example "I can do hard things", "I can be nervous and still do it", and "What I have to say is worth hearing". Say two or three of them out loud, five to ten times each, once a day. If a bold wording feels false, start with the gentle version.
Which version should you say?
Start here if kind words about yourself feel hard to believe.
Plain statements for when the gentle ones already feel true.
For when you believe it and want to say it like you mean it.
- I've done hard things before
- I can be nervous and still try
- I'm allowed to speak up
- I'm getting better at what I do
- I'm allowed to be paid well
- It doesn't have to be perfect
- What I did today counts
- I can take one slow breath
- I can do hard things
- I can be nervous and still do it
- What I have to say is worth hearing
- I'm good at what I do
- My work is worth paying for
- I don't have to get it perfect
- I did enough today
- I breathe slowly and I feel calmer
- I can handle whatever comes
- I walk in like I belong there
- When I speak, people listen
- I'm very good at what I do
- I'm paid well for what I do
- What I do is good enough, and so am I
- I'm proud of the work I do
- I am calm
Say one out loud now
The free affirmation counter listens in your browser and counts each time you say it.
Why these are worded this way
Perfectionism sets a bar nobody clears. "It doesn't have to be perfect" and "I can be nervous and still try" lower the bar to one you can step over today.
How to practise them
- Choose two or three from the list above. Fewer is better than many said half-heartedly.
- Say each one out loud, slowly, five to ten times. Hearing your own voice is part of it.
- Do it at the same time each day, like after brushing your teeth or on your walk to work.
- When a sentence starts to feel natural, switch to its stronger version.
Read more: How Many Times Should You Repeat Affirmations a Day?, Do Affirmations Work? An Honest Look at the Research
Questions
How do I use these affirmations?
Pick two or three that feel true, or nearly true. Say each one out loud five to ten times, slowly, once a day. Morning works well because it sets the tone, but any regular time is fine. Start with the gentle wording if the bold one feels like a lie.
Why are there three versions of each affirmation?
A statement you don't believe can make you feel worse, especially when your self-esteem is low. The gentle version is believable on a hard day, the steady one is a plain statement, and the bold one is for when you're ready. Move up when the current one feels natural.
Is it better to say affirmations out loud?
Saying words out loud helps you remember them better than reading them silently, an effect psychologists call the production effect. It also keeps your attention on the words instead of drifting.
How long until affirmations work?
There's no fixed number of days. Habit research found that a daily behaviour took a median of 66 days to feel automatic. Most people notice the words feel more natural after a few weeks of daily practice.
Let your phone keep count
Mantrify is an iPhone app that reads each affirmation to you, listens while you say it and counts every repetition, so you can practise with your eyes closed. Coming soon.