Today will be a great day. You know it. You feel it in your bones. And how do you know? Because you set positive affirmations to make today epic.
What are Positive Affirmations
Positive affirmations are sayings you tell yourself to focus your brain and shift your mindset. They are positive statements designed to motivate, inspire, and guide you through your day.
Think of positive affirmations as a “fake it ‘till you make it” system. You’re saying something you want to be true, and eventually, it will be true.
Affirmations vs. Intentions
Setting affirmations is similar to setting intentions, but the nuanced wording makes a big difference.
An affirmation is an ultimate truth, whereas an intention is something to strive for. Intentions start with the keywords “I will,” whereas an affirmation begins with “I am.”
Of course, neither must start with those words, but the idea is that an affirmation is a statement of truth, whereas an intention is a focused ambition to do something.
Does Setting Affirmations Work?
Naysers will roll their eyes and scoff when we mention our affirmations. They’ll tell you there is no way making statements to yourself will impact your life.
They’re wrong.
Affirming statements help you shift your mindset, which is essential to living the life you want.
Even researchers agree. A clinical instructor in the psychiatry department at Stanford confirmed in 2021 that individuals can shift their mindset. An affirmation practice helps do that, and can ultimately improve your health and overall wellness.
How To Use Positive Affirmations to Improve Your Life
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Positive affirmations are statements of truth you tell your brain. They work as messages from your conscious mind to your subconscious.
A growing body of research shows our subconscious minds control the vast majority of our day-to-day operations. A researcher at the Harvard School of Business believes that up to 95% of our thinking takes place subconsciously.
These studies highlight the critical roles our subconscious plays in our daily lives – but the good news is we can change the way our subconscious thinks.
That’s what positive affirmations do. When you set one, you’re attempting to convince your subconscious mind to believe what your conscious mind wants it to believe.
Be warned – it’s not a quick or easy process. Your subconscious mind has been picking up patterns, images, words, and ideas from the time you were born and using all those to shape your worldview.
Some of us must work through years of conditioning to shift our subconscious belief systems. But setting positive affirmations is a great place to start.
How To Set Positive Affirmations
The morning is the best time to set your positive affirmations. They give you a mental energy boost and focus your subconscious mind so you’re ready for the day ahead.
Choose 2-3 affirmations and dedicate five minutes of your morning routine to setting them. Close your eyes and whisper each affirmation to yourself. Feel it deep in your soul. Know it’s true.
You may also want to record your affirmations in your journal. Writing them down helps them seep into your subconscious and allows you to go back and review them whenever you need a pick-me-up.
Visual learners may opt for a vision board. Create a board for each affirmation, and draw, paste, or create imagery on your board that speaks to the declaration. Set aside time each week to review and add to your vision board.
You may have one or two fundamental affirmations. These affirmations guide your overall life. Write these vital affirmations on Post-it notes and attach them to your mirror or refrigerator so you see them regularly.
Your subconscious will notice them every time you look in the mirror, and the message will slowly seep in.
Wording Matters With Affirmations
The wording of an affirmation is crucial. You must stick to positive words. Don’t use negatives like “can’t,” “don’t,” or “won’t.” Your subconscious doesn’t always understand the nuance of negative statements.
For example, let’s pretend you’re using the law of attraction to hit every green light on the way home from work. Don’t say, “I won’t hit a red light,” because that puts red light energy into the universe. Say, “The road ahead is clear” or “My path consists of all green lights” because that puts green light energy into the universe.
The same is true for affirmations. Don’t say, “I avoid unhealthy foods.” Say, “I only eat healthy foods.”
Keeping everything positive will ensure that your subconscious mind gets the right message.
101 Positive Affirmations To Use for a Happy Life
People use positive affirmations for a variety of reasons. Although you can use any type of affirmation, some focus on specific goals, while others enhance your overall wellness.
We’ve broken down our positive affirmation examples into broad categories to help you find the best ones for your life.
Wellness Affirmations
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Wellness affirmations focus on your overall health and wellness. These statements speak to both your physical and mental well-being.
- I have a healthy mind and body
- My body is full of energy
- My spirit remains strong
- I appreciate all the cells in my body
- My body is beautiful how it is
- I get healthier with each passing day
- I pay attention to what my body needs for health and wellness
- I feel the stress melt away with each breath I take
- My sleep brings peace and healing
- I nourish my body and mind with the nutrients they both need
- I feel comfortable in my own body
- I embrace my shape
- I’m sexy and desirable
- People delight in my company
- My life is meaningful, and my presence adds value
- I’m powerful
- I feel refreshed
- I’m ready for whatever the day brings
- My mind is at peace
- I’m healthy and beautiful
- My body is capable
- I can overcome any challenge
Gratitude Affirmations
Setting gratitude affirmations helps you remember to be thankful for the positive things you have in your life. Showing gratitude for the good things you have helps draw more good to you.
When setting grateful affirmations, begin each with the words “I’m grateful for…”, “I’m thankful for…” or a similar phrase.
- My sharp wit
- My healthy body
- My sound judgment
- My loving family
- The things in my life that bring me comfort
- The things in my life that bring me joy
- My comfortable standard of living
- Having my dream job
- A great sense of humor
- The happiness I feel each morning
- A morning routine that keeps me energized
- The ability to meditate
- A great job with fantastic pay
- Work-life balance
- All the blessings in my life
- The supportive friend group I’ve cultivated
- Free time to pursue my interests
- My confident nature
- My partner
These are just examples. You can set grateful affirmations for anything you’re either thankful for or desperately want and would be eternally appreciative upon receiving it.
You can also set affirmations about being grateful, like the following:
- I accept gratitude in my life
- I appreciate the good things I have
- My life is full of treasure
- I value all the opportunities life provides
Grace Affirmations
Most of us are too hard on ourselves. Affirmations that allow you to give yourself grace help you give up the quest for perfection and allow you to love yourself as you are.
- I am enough
- I am worthy
- My worth depends on me alone
- I release the pressure I put myself under
- I’m allowed to rest today
- I choose to love myself unconditionally
- My emotions are valid
- I’m allowed to be human
- I deserve happiness
- I support myself
- I believe in myself
- I lavish myself with kindness
- I’m proud of what I’ve achieved
Goal-Oriented Affirmations
Many of us have a specific goal we want to accomplish each day, week, or month. We can get specific with our affirmations to help us get into the right mindset to achieve our goals.
Remember, though, affirmations and goals aren’t the same thing.
For example, if you’re a writer, your goal may be to write 1000 words today. Your affirmation this morning will be something like, “Writing is important to me,” because that statement of truth allows you to focus on your goal.
Here are some examples of goal-oriented affirmations you could set. Remember, these are specific and may not align with your personal goals, but they give you an idea of how to set affirmations for your particular desires.
- My books help people with their lives
- I’ve found my online community
- My business is thriving
- I’m worthy of the promotion
- My company appreciates my hard work
- My ever-growing community values me
- I’m good at what I do
- I’m an amazing (chef, writer, artist, communicator, etc.)
- I’ve created a perfect balance in my life
- My garden provides bounties for my family
- My home is clean and organized
- I nourish my body with healthy foods
- I accept the challenges I’ve given myself
- I’m willing to do the work it takes to achieve my goals
- I’m capable
- I accept new information into my life
- I grow more talented with every passing day
- My unique skills are highly desirable
- I achieve whatever I set my mind to
- I’m open to receiving new opportunities
- I’m productive
- My work impresses others
Manifestation Affirmations
The law of attraction tells us that the universe will give us what we desire most. Manifestation affirmations help us put our deepest desires out into the universe.
The cool thing about manifestation affirmations is that they don’t necessarily need to be true now. They’re things you want to be true, so you tell your subconscious mind they are true, which makes your subconscious mind believe they are true, which, in effect, makes you work harder to achieve them.
Here are some examples of manifestation affirmations to set:
- My cup overflows
- I have all the wealth I need
- My life is filled with abundance
- My bank account grows larger with every passing day
- Wealth flows to me
- Happiness flows to me
- Love flows to me
- I’m a magnet for good things
- All my dreams are within my reach
- I’m present in each moment
- I’m capable of achieving whatever I desire
- I surround myself with loving friends who support my goals
- I am open to receiving love
- I am open to receiving life’s bounties
- My life is filled with love
- I accept love into my life
- My heart bursts with love
- I’m filled with positive energy
- I trust my partner
- My relationship fills me with joy
- I feel comfortable communicating my needs with my partner
- I have enough money to live my life how I want
- The world is my oyster
- I’m worthy of love
- I love and accept myself
- I cherish my partner
- I’m a magnet for positive energy
- Joy fills my home
Give Positive Affirmations a Try
It may sound hokey, but it works. It’s not new-age mumbo-jumbo; it’s psychology.
When you constantly tell your brain something, it will begin to believe it. When your brain believes in an affirmation, your actions will start to align with it. And when your actions align with what you want in life, you have better chances of achieving it.
What have you got to lose? It doesn’t cost anything to set positive affirmations each day. In the worst-case scenario, you lost five minutes of your life, which probably would have gone to social media anyway.
So give it a try. You may be surprised at how well positive affirmations work to shift your mindset and help you achieve the things you want out of life.