Affirmations are a powerful way to maintain a positive and peaceful state of mind. I have included 71 of my favorite positive affirmations in this blog post that put me in a state of flow, abundance, and creativity.
What Exactly Are Self Affirmations?
A Self Affirmation is a positive, motivational statement that helps our minds with positive thinking. It is akin to going to a motivational event where the speaker builds you up, and you leave feeling great about yourself.
When you feel great about yourself, you feel motivated and do not get bogged down by the negative thoughts that may be stopping you from taking action in a positive direction. As a result, you can think big and get more done.
“Repeating an affirmation several times a day keeps you focused on your goal, strengthens your motivation, and programs your subconscious by sending an order to your crew to do whatever it takes to make that goal happen.”
– Jack Canfield
As a Biomedical Engineer who has studied and replicated biological neural networks, I find positive affirmations very interesting. I find it fascinating how positive words have the ability to rewire our brains and change the way we think, no matter our age.
The difference with a self-affirmation is that this is a statement that you say to yourself. As you say these statements to yourself more and more, you will find that your subconscious starts accepting these words as reality. As a result, you start feeling different about those areas in your life that you were not happy with.
The Science Behind Positive Affirmations
Neuroplasticity
Positive affirmations are more than just wishful thinking. Neuroscience reveals that they operate via the principle of neuroplasticity. The human brain is powerful because we have the ability to create new neural networks and recognize new patterns based on what we learn every day.
Published works
A study published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience used fMRI to understand the effects of positive self-affirmations on human brains. They found that positive affirmations activate certain reward centers in our brains. According to the research lead, Christopher Cascio, “these circuits can do things like dampen pain and help us maintain balance in the face of threats.”
How To Use Self-Affirmations
Use them in the Alpha or Theta state
Self-affirmations work very well when our brain is in the Alpha or Theta state – this is usually right upon waking up or going to bed. It enables the positive affirmations to bypass our conscious minds so that our subconscious can accept these suggestions much more easily.
This is important because if your conscious mind is fully awake, it *can* find these positive affirmations somewhat ridiculous, which have a reverse effect.
Say it out loud
Positive affirmations have been reported to be more effective when said out loud. I have tried this approach and have found that my energy changes quickly, and I get into the action mode faster.
Pro tip: Say your Self-affirmation in front of the mirror
Mirror work has not been empirically tested, but many public speakers such as Louise Hay, Jack Canfield, and psychology books have conveyed the effectiveness of saying positive affirmations out loud in front of the mirror every day. Mirror work is said to increase self-acceptance and quiet down the inner critic that slows us down from pursuing our goals.
I used to struggle with poor self-esteem and was a terrible public speaker. I took a Mindvalley Speak & Inspire Class with Lisa Nichols. Mirror work was one of my topmost takeaways from that class. I initially felt very uncomfortable, but as I got used to doing it, I found that it increased my self-confidence. I did my first live stream within a week and attributed a huge part of it to mirror work.
Repetition is key
The more your repeat your positive affirmations, the better they will work. Aim at saying each positive affirmation at least 20 times repeatedly. Say them before your start your day until your subconscious accepts them and you truly start believing them.
List of Positive Affirmations To Start Your Day
Positive Affirmations for Money & Security
Money affirmations are very energizing because they take you from a place of lack to a place of unlimited possibilities. These positive affirmations will help your subconscious to think that you are already financially abundant.
This helps you to take bigger and bolder actions. Not only that, but when we truly believe that we are abundant, our energy changes, and we do not feel desperate and try to prove ourselves or push sales. We internally start feeling worthy and enough. Others notice this positive energy and feel magnetized to us.
Since we are on the subject of money, we have the tendency to sell ourselves short. We often get comfortable with the amount we are making and do not think that we have what it takes to make more than that. A self-affirmation can help you focus on and increase those “energetic” boundaries. As you start doing this, you will also start getting ideas for new ways to increase your wealth.
- I deserve the massive amounts of money I am about to receive. I deserve it all and my time is now.
- I am aligning to new levels of abundance. I make no less than ____ dollars every month.
- Luck is always on my side. My life is full of luxury and abundance. I love that I can afford the finer things in life.
- It is ok to take up space, be seen, and be heard. I am worthy. I am enough just as I am.
- I am attracting all the resources and opportunities to manifest my goals.
- My bank accounts are full of money, safety, and security. I am always protected.
- Money comes to me in the easiest and unexpected ways. I am open to unlimited possibilities.
- I am earning massive amounts of money through multiple sources of income consistently. I am a giant money magnet.
- Money is flowing to me in avalanches. I am a magnet for unlimited abundance. The more I give, the more I receive.
- I am the source of my own abundance. All that I need is within me.
Positive Affirmations for Joy & Creativity
I cannot tell you the number of times I have stared at a blinking cursor and a blank page and feel so stuck. If you are anything like me, chances are you have been there too. Creativity affirmations help with the process of creation. The process of creating and being in a state of flow has feminine energy to it that requires you to go within. As you go within and truly tap into YOU, things will start flowing. That is why it is also known as the flow state.
There are no such things as “I am not creative.” Think back to your childhood and how easy it was for you to create stories and art out of nothing. Creativity is about rediscovering that inner child and creating from a place of joy and awe rather than comparison. These positive affirmations will awaken your inner creativity, help you become inspired, and get unstuck.
- My energy is clearing. My blocks have dissolved. My creativity is flowing. I am in flow.
- My life is rich with possibilities and unlimited inspirations.
- Nobody is me, and that is my superpower. I create from a place of inclusivity and my individual
expression, and it is always well received. - I follow the path of wisdom and life in harmony with every thing around me. I open myself to the universal energy and intelligence.
- I draw inspiration from nature, beauty, colors, and every thing that surrounds me.
- I am energized by my passion. I am always full of new ideas.
- I am excited about life. I embrace its spontaneity.
- I am excited for the beautiful day that lies ahead of me.
- Every thing I want and need flows freely to me.
- When I inspire myself, I inspire those around me.
Positive Affirmations for Motivation and Productivity
These are my best kind of affirmations. I love these affirmations for starting my day. I used to be the queen of procrastination (it still happens on some days), but positive affirmations such as these have a way of lifting my energy and getting me into the action mode.
Not only that, motivational positive affirmations that help with discipline also help with boundaries and inner power. It helps you with self-worth, confidence, and embracing your awesomeness.
- Access to my energy and my work is a privilege.
- I am a warrior and a goddess. I lead with my heart. I hustle to meet my goals. I go within to replenish.
- I feel my inner power rise within me like a fire ready to be unleashed upon this world.
- I am energized by my vision. Success follows me wherever I go.
- I am building my empire, and it feels SO amazing.
- I refuse to play small. I take bigger, bolder actions every single day.
- I am laser-focused on what I truly want for my life.
- I do whatever it takes to get the task on hand done
. - I pursue the important things in life with blazing enthusiasm. I know when to take action. I know when to retreat.
- I can do anything I desire and become the best at it if I put my mind to it.
Positive Affirmations for Self Love
Many of us tend to put ourselves last. A big part of this is because we think our “role” in life defines who we are. This is not something I agree with. You could be a wife, a mother, a daughter, or a friend, but you are a unique person, an eternal soul, before any of that.
When we do not love ourselves and constantly criticize ourselves, we crush our inner selves for everyone else. Our outer world is a reflection of who we are on the inside. What message are we sending to the universe about what we want to attract in our life when we treat ourselves so poorly?
Like many, my tendency for giving my 100 percent to my societal roles over myself came from being a perfectionist. I was perfect in all things – also perfect at criticizing myself. I have found that becoming intentional about self-love has increased my sense of feeling enough. Not to mention, it is just an energy drain when we do things for validation rather than ourselves. There is a different kind of power there.
Ask yourself if you would talk in that manner to someone else every time you find yourself becoming overly critical of yourself.
Here are a few positive affirmations for self-love to get you started. If you need more, I highly recommend Louise Hay Affirmation Deck.
- I am wildly in love with who I am and the person that I am becoming.
- God loves me. Life loves me. I am the luckiest person there is. I wake up to unexpected miracles every single day.
- Being vulnerable is a measure of my strength, not weakness. I radiate unconditional love and forgiveness.
- I prioritize myself over everything else.
- I make time for my hobbies, rest, and relaxation.
- I stand tall in my power – I support and protect myself.
- I attract the most well-intentioned people and things into my life.
- I have every thing I need right here, and I am so grateful for it.
- I honor my boundaries.
- I live in a state of gratitude and appreciation.
Positive Affirmations for Authencity
Authenticity is a buzzword these days. Be authentic. Be vulnerable. Be yourself.
But what does it mean to be yourself? Do you show up as 100% yourself at work or in your business? Or do you show up as the person that you think others want? Are you a different version of yourself with different people?
One of my mentors, Natalie Brite, once said, “We all want to be seen and heard for who we are. But many times, we sacrifice who we truly are in order to be seen and heard. This is how we lose our authenticity.”
One misnomer about authenticity is that it is OK to say whatever is on your mind, even if it hurts people. I used to trigger people all the time because I thought I was expressing my “authentic” thoughts? I have now learned that there is a huge difference – authenticity and expression should come from a place of compassion to see people heal, rather than a rant meant to sate our ego. Authenticity is seldom effective without compassion.
Here are some powerful positive affirmations for authenticity
- I am very clear about who I am and what my values are
- I own who I am and refuse to apologize for it.
- When I am authentic, I become magnetic.
- I speak my truth with intention and kindness.
- I am secure about myself. I do not trade authenticity for approval.
- It is not my job to please everyone. I have grown out of my need to feel validated.
- I have the courage to speak my truth. I choose to accept the discomfort of confrontation.
- I have the courage to say No.
- I refuse to compromise myself.
- I dare to be my true self every single day.
Positive Affirmations for Inner Wisdom and Intuition
I used to think my intuition was broken. Everyone said practice silence – I did, and nothing came through. Thankfully, now I have developed myself to the point where my intuition is spot on.
Every single person has intuition but listening to your intuition is a choice. There is always that quiet voice in the back of your head telling you not to do something or to go with it. Go back to your past and think about all the times where you knew something was off and you did not act upon it. Try to pay attention to those instances and how they felt in your mind and body. You will figure out how your intuition has been communicating to you and how you may have become a pro at silencing it due to societal norms. Hindsight is 20/20.
Here are some positive affirmations to activate your inner wisdom and intuition.
- I believe in magic and infinite possibilities.
- I take inspired action in alignment with my inner guidance every day.
- I believe in the Power of my Intuition. I trust my gut when something feels off.
- I carve out time to connect to my divine feminine wisdom every single day.
- I fully trust myself and my decisions. I am always guided.
- My intuition is what differentiates me from others.
- I rely on a healthy combination of intuition and intellect for decision-making.
- When I rely on my intuition, I come from a place of love and authenticity.
- Every thing I need is within me.
- I can practice silence and tune into the wisdom of my being easily and effortlessly.
Positive Affirmations for Faith in the Universe
I remember having vision boards that I spent weeks creating. I remember saying all these abundance affirmations out loud. The reality was that there was no way it could work until I had faith in the process. So I decided to take a course on money manifestation and promised myself that I would believe with all my heart that the process worked and the universe was going to deliver jus for the duration of those 6 weeks.
A part of the course was around affirmations, and a bigger part was around the money mindset (If you are interested in the course, read more here). Once I started operating with complete faith, I successfully received close to $30,000 4 weeks into that course. Money mindset was a huge factor in it, but equally important was my faith in the process.
Having faith was a game-changer. No vision boards, no techniques, no journal prompts did for me what faith could.
Here are some self-affirmations that will strengthen your faith in the universe.
- Life is a game – a game that is rigged in my favor.
- I create my own reality. I refuse to stay in the victim mode.
- Everything that has happened, is happening, or will happen, is for a reason and for my highest good.
- I am open to the guidance of the Universe.
- The Universe always has my back.
- I achieve my desires faster when I flow with life and without resistance.
- I do not back away from my desires. My desires have been placed in me for a reason.
- I accept that everyone is on their unique path.
- I attract only good things in my life. Anything that is not meant for me is removed.
- Everything works out when I relax, lead from my heart, and stay in my flow.
Affirmation Tools You can Use for Efficiency
I love using Pinterest boards to find affirmations about happiness, joy, and other areas of life when I need them on the go. Their format is very visual and is sometimes attached to cute small business products too.
Affirmation Decks
I absolutely love the idea of affirmation decks. The affirmation deck I currently have does not inspire me, but the two decks that I have my eyes on are.
Power Thoughts by Louise Hay
Louise Hay is the author of the book, Mirror Work: 21 Days to Heal Your Life. I have no doubt that anything from her includes affirmations and mantras full of inspiration and positivity
The Universe has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein
I have listened to The Universe Has Your Back audiobook so many times, and it always manages to into the realm of happiness, inspiration, and peace. Gabrielle Bernstein is a New York Times Bestselling author and a master at distilling complex concepts into easy to understand language.
Affirmation App
I have found that incorporate self Affirmations into my routine requires scheduling and easy access. In my experience, a good positive affirmation should have the ability to invoke strong, positive thinking and feelings. The whole point of it is to leave feeling your mind feeling energized.
I love listening to affirmations when I wash my face and brush in the morning. I use Think up because it lets you record the affirmations in your own voice. I have heard experts say that it is better to listen to affirmations in your voice – they theorize that it is easier for your subconscious to accept the suggestions that way.
Note on Mirror
This is the one I heard from the celebrity hypnotherapist, Marissa Peer. Marissa Peer talks about putting your affirmation o the mirror with lipstick or by sticking a note on it. According to Marissa, I am not enough is one of the most common beliefs, and simply writing that affirmation on the mirror can make a huge difference. I had not tried this technique but will come back and update it when I did. If you have tried it, let me know how it went for you?
Affirmation Mantra Meditations
I love listening to mantra meditations in the morning. They are recorded mantras/affirmation meditations by a meditation teacher with great music in the background. I find that meditating on it or listening to it first thing in the background sets a good tone for the rest of the day
Here are a few of my favorites:
I am a Warrior – Extreme Self Confidence Affirmations
Morning Mantra Meditation by Gabrielle Bernstein
Abraham Hicks Affirmations track
Subliminals and Brainwave Entrainment
Subliminals
Subliminal tracks are affirmations recorded at a frequency that we cannot hear. Because we cannot hear it, it bypasses pass conscious mind making it easier for the subconscious to accept it. Subliminals are typically recorded affirmations in a silent or music background.
Binaural Beats
You can also find more powerful subliminal recorded with different brainwave frequencies known as binaural beats. Binaural beats such as Alpha waves naturally bring our brainwaves to a more relaxed or focused state making it easier for our subconscious to take in these messages.
Isochronic Tones
According to the clinical hypnotherapist, Maria McMahon: Isochronic tones are different than binaural beats because they are created manually by manipulating the frequency, rather than having your brain do it. The tone you hear is stable, uninterrupted as opposed to the pulsing tone.
Maria goes on to say that the biggest advantage of using Isochronic Tones over Binaural beats is that you do not need headphones. This means you can have them playing quietly in the background while getting other things done.
A note of caution
Please do not use binaural or isochronic tracks if you are pregnant or have a history of epilepsy or seizures. When in doubt, please contact a healthcare professional prior to the use of brainwave technology.
Wristbands
I have found that affirmations work well when you stick to one and keep repeating it until you start believing it to be true. This is where wristbands come in. If you are focusing on a single affirmation, buy a wristband with the affirmation on it. It will help you remember to say it out loud 3x every time you touch it.
Conclusion
Affirmations are powerful but like everything else, it requires repetition and consistency. It also takes an awareness of identifying when your resistance is coming up. When you sense the resistance, neutralize the charge and clear that negative belief before you reframe it with a positive belief. There are many powerful belief clearing techniques such as EFT, self-hypnosis, journaling, etc. to help with this.
Whether you use this list or create your own affirmations, make sure they are effective for you. When I first got started with affirmations, I used cookie-cutter statements such as I am a billionaire. The problem with this affirmation was that it did not energize me. Instead, I felt resistance come up that there was no way I could make that kind of money. Sometimes I even felt dissociated from that goal – as if my mind was compartmentalizing it because it was all too much.
One of the best ways to gauge if you are using good affirmations is by noticing how you feel when you are done saying them out loud a few times. You should tangibly feel better about yourself or find yourself taking action. If you do not feel this way, then you are not working with the right affirmation.
