Daily affirmations are statements you repeat every day that allow you to define your truth. According to Cambridge Dictionary, the word “affirm” means to “state something is true, or state your support for an idea.” Affirmations, then, are assertions of your truth and daily affirmations are declarations of your truth today, right now, in this moment!
That’s a pretty powerful notion. But if you’re already confused or worried this is too woo-woo for you, don’t worry! We’re going to help you break affirmations down, make sense of them and why they’re useful, and even give you some examples so you can start your daily affirmation practice.
You’re only a few words away from unlocking a liberating self care practice you can return to every single day. Take a deep breath, and let’s dive in!
What Are Daily Affirmations?
When we talk about daily affirmations, what we’re actually talking about is a therapeutic tool called self-affirmations. Affirmations are anything from reminders, statements, and declarations to aspirations and dreams that you can use to encourage yourself.
This is all a fancy way of saying that affirmations help you build yourself up, especially in the midst of challenging situations.
But affirmations aren’t just a way for you to hype yourself up when you’re down. In fact, you may be surprised to find out that there is a substantial amount of research surrounding self -affirmations. And this research helps highlight the importance of a daily affirmation practice.
According to a 2014 study, affirmations can decrease stress, improve well-being, and make people more open to behavioral change. The more you practice this tool, the easier it will be to call upon your affirmations in moments of need. And that’s what we all want, right? To have tools we can that make challenging moments a little easier.
Well, we’ve established what affirmations are and touched on some of their benefits. Let's do a deep dive on how affirmations can help you!
How Do Daily Affirmations Help You?
Studies support the idea that the words we choose matter. A good positive affirmation can help you combat stress and increase the neural pathways in your brain. That means that affirmations can literally make your brain bigger! And help you use more positive language about yourself too!
Research found that saying or writing affirmations down may foster a deeper sense of belonging in school for students, leading to improved grades. This happens because daily affirmations foster our sense of self-worth. And doesn’t only apply to children. Yes, even if you’re brain is fully developed, you can work to experience the benefits of this tool.
Let’s use “I am capable” as an example of an affirmation. Uttering this phrase once can, at times, feel like a herculean effort. But repeated use of this phrase helps you not only believe that you’re capable but see it on a daily basis.
Empowering Yourself Witth Affirmations
Consistently practicing affirmations illuminates different perspectives and brightens your outlook. By reinforcing these beliefs consistently, it highlights what words and ideas come from outside of yourself.
These benefits allow you to maintain a deeper connection to your own growth. And once this practice is integrated into your daily life, when stressors and stimuli begin to throw you off course, you have a stronger sense of self-worth. In our example, you don’t have to question whether you’re capable of overcoming your obstacle, you know you are capable!
Daily affirmations can help you change your brain structure, change your behavior, and give you a deeper sense of belonging. This isn’t some “new age trick,” this is a research-backed, highly effective practice for facilitating personal growth.
Self-affirmations make you less emotionally reactive and protect overall psychological well being. They promote your core values, keeping you connected to not only who you want to be but who you are. By repeating your values, you ground yourself. And this helps you stay the course during challenging times.
Starting Out
The first thing to do when using a self-affirmation practice is to decide what your affirmations are. Pick two or three that resonate with you. For starting out, try to stick with something that deeply affirms your current environment. It’s easy to be aspirational, but find something that you really believe today and start with that. Once you’ve got a foundation, work up to your aspirations.
Next, decide how you’ll practice. Will you say your daily affirmations out loud? Would you prefer to write them in a journal every morning? Or would you prefer to meditate on your affirmations every night before bed? Each method has its own benefit, so decide what is the best way for you to start. And get started!
25 Of Our Favorite Daily Affirmations
Here are some affirmations to choose from. They come from different places, so find what resonates for you and go from there!
- I am in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing. - Louise Hay
- I view myself through kind eyes.
- I take care of myself.
- You are loved just for being who you are, just for existing. - Ram Dass
- I give myself permission to feel deeply.
- I am kind to myself.
- I am proud of myself.
- Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen. - Brené Brown
- I give myself space to learn and grow.
- I know the things I know.
- The universe will support my dream.
- The perfect moment is this one. - Jon Kabat-Zinn
- I am grateful for this body, this mind, this soul.
- I allow myself to be who I am without judgment.
- Nothing can dim the light that shines within. - Maya Angelou
- I trust my intuition and inner guide.
- I have people who love and respect me.
- I am grateful for who I am.
- The secret of attraction is to love yourself. - Deepak Chopra
- I am at peace with who I am.
- My words are enough.
- Nothing is impossible. The word itself says, “I’m possible!” - Audrey Hepburn
- I make a difference in the world by simply existing.
- I accept all of me with love.
- Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace, and power in it.
Now It's Your Turn!
Daily affirmations are something you can do whenever, wherever. You can share them with the family or an accountability partner, or you can keep them to yourself. It is a way to build community, and also a way to foster personal growth.
So choose what affirmations resonate with you and start to build out your plan for starting. Choose the time and the place and the way you’ll practice. We recommend sating them to yourself in the bathroom mirror or in the shower while you enjoy one of our shower steamers.
Affirmations are a great practice to add to your existing self care routine! Whether your routine is built around the bathroom sink or the yoga mat, daily affirmations are a great self-worth-boosting addition to your routine.
We’re so happy for you to be taking this step in your wellness journey. And we’re honored that you’re sharing it with Nectar. This is the beginning of an empowering practice that will help you be the best version of yourself you can be!