Gratitude affirmations
Gratitude is easiest to practise in small pieces. These sentences point your attention at something good in today, the people around you or how far you've come.
24 affirmations: 8 thoughts, each in a gentle, steady and bold version. Updated
What are good gratitude affirmations?
Good gratitude affirmations are short and believable, for example "I'm grateful for today", "I notice the good things", and "I'm grateful for the people in my life". 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.
- There's something good in today
- I can notice one good thing
- Someone is glad I'm here
- I've come further than I think
- I have more than I notice
- I get another day
- Today I can feel a little calm
- I can thank myself for trying
- I'm grateful for today
- I notice the good things
- I'm grateful for the people in my life
- I'm proud of how far I've come
- I have enough
- I'm glad to be here today
- Every day I feel calm and grateful
- I thank myself for showing up
- I'm grateful for my life
- I find something good in every day
- I'm lucky to love the people I love
- I've come a long way, and I'm proud of it
- I have everything I need
- I'm glad to be alive
- I am calm and grateful
- I'm grateful for who I am
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
On a hard day, "I'm grateful for my life" can feel like a lie. "There's something good in today" asks less of you, and saying it often sends you looking for that one good thing.
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.