Affirmations for self-doubt
For when you second-guess every decision or feel like you're about to be found out. Start with the gentle wordings. They're written to be true even on a bad day.
60 affirmations: 20 thoughts, each in a gentle, steady and bold version. Updated
What are good affirmations for self-doubt?
Good affirmations for self-doubt are short and believable, for example "I am enough as I am", "I speak to myself with kindness", and "I take up space, and that's okay". 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'm learning that I'm enough
- I'm trying to be kinder to myself
- I'm allowed to take up space
- I can make a mistake and still be okay
- I'm starting to believe I deserve good things
- I'm learning to like who I am
- I'm learning not to need everyone's approval
- I'm learning to trust myself
- I can be nervous and still try
- I'm allowed to speak up
- It's safe for me to be seen
- I'm a little braver than yesterday
- I can thank myself for trying
- I have love to give
- I'm allowed to want more
- I'm getting better at what I do
- I'm allowed to be a beginner
- I'm allowed to be paid well
- It doesn't have to be perfect
- I've come further than I think
- I am enough as I am
- I speak to myself with kindness
- I take up space, and that's okay
- My mistakes don't decide my worth
- I deserve good things
- I like who I am
- My worth doesn't depend on anyone's approval
- I trust myself to figure it out
- I can be nervous and still do it
- What I have to say is worth hearing
- I let myself be seen
- I'm getting braver every day
- I thank myself for showing up
- I'm good at loving people
- I deserve a comfortable life
- I'm good at what I do
- I learn quickly
- My work is worth paying for
- I don't have to get it perfect
- I'm proud of how far I've come
- I am enough, exactly as I am
- I'm on my own side
- I belong in every room I walk into
- I forgive myself and keep going
- I deserve every good thing that comes to me
- I love who I am
- I know what I'm worth
- I trust myself completely
- I walk in like I belong there
- When I speak, people listen
- I'm proud to be seen as I am
- I am brave
- I'm grateful for who I am
- I love well, and I'm loved well
- I deserve a rich, full life
- I'm very good at what I do
- I can learn anything I set my mind to
- I'm paid well for what I do
- What I do is good enough, and so am I
- I've come a long way, and I'm proud of it
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
Self-doubt argues back. If you tell it "I trust myself completely", it lists every mistake you've made. "I'm learning to trust myself" gives it nothing to argue with, and repeated daily it starts to shift what feels true.
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.