Self-worth affirmations
These are for the days when the voice in your head is harder on you than anyone else would be. Each thought comes in three wordings, from gentle to bold, so you can start with the one you actually believe.
24 affirmations: 8 thoughts, each in a gentle, steady and bold version. Updated
What are good self-worth affirmations?
Good self-worth affirmations 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'm learning not to need everyone's approval
- I can make a mistake and still be okay
- I'm allowed to go at my own pace
- I'm starting to believe I deserve good things
- I'm learning to like who I am
- I am enough as I am
- I speak to myself with kindness
- I take up space, and that's okay
- My worth doesn't depend on anyone's approval
- My mistakes don't decide my worth
- I'm right on time for my own life
- I deserve good things
- I like who I am
- I am enough, exactly as I am
- I'm on my own side
- I belong in every room I walk into
- I know what I'm worth
- I forgive myself and keep going
- I trust the timing of my life
- I deserve every good thing that comes to me
- I love 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
Self-worth is the area where a too-bold sentence can backfire. In a 2009 study, people with low self-esteem felt worse after repeating "I am a lovable person". If "I am enough" sounds false today, "I'm learning that I'm enough" still points the same way and doesn't start an argument in your head.
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.