25 Self-Love Affirmations to Remind You of Your Worth

Key Takeaways

• Self-love affirmations can improve your brain’s thought patterns by replacing negative self-talk with positive beliefs.

• Practicing affirmations can boost self-esteem, increase self-compassion, and help build resilience.

• There are many ways to use affirmations, such as saying them out loud, writing them down, or setting reminders.

We tell our partners, friends, and family members how much we love them, but sometimes we forget to tell ourselves. 

That’s where self-love affirmations come in. Self-love affirmations are encouraging, caring, and uplifting phrases that are directed toward ourselves. Whether we’ve been feeling low or less confident about ourselves lately, they can help us build ourselves up and quell any negative self-talk in our heads.

“Everything starts with self-love, which really is just about treating ourselves with kindness and respect,” says Ricardo Santiago, LMHC, CCAT, MS, MBA, QS, Clinical Director at Diamond Behavioral Health.

25 Self-Love Affirmations

Self-love affirmations are short and simple positive statements about yourself. You can choose to come up with your own affirmations, or you can use some of these options:

1. I love myself.
2. I respect myself.
3. I will be kind to myself.
4. I am beautiful, inside and out.
5. My body is perfect just the way it is.
6. I accept my flaws and imperfections.
7. I trust my decisions.
8. I am strong and brave.
9. I am kind and generous.
10. I am smart and talented.
11. I am good.
12. I matter.
13. I am enough.
14. I am loved.
15. I belong here.
16. I deserve to be happy.
17. I am worthy of love and kindness.
18. I’m proud of everything I’ve accomplished.
19. I am on my way to becoming the best version of myself.
20. I’m not perfect but I am improving every day.
21. I can do anything I put my mind to.
22. I can handle whatever challenges come my way.
23. I choose joy and happiness.
24. I have so much to give this world.
25. The universe has good things in store for me.

Go ahead and give these a try. Once you get the hang of it, you can start to write your own affirmations that suit your needs.

Affirmations are powerful because they’re like a daily dose of positivity for your mind.

—
RICARDO SANTIAGO, LMHC

How Self-Love Affirmations Work

Research shows us that self-love affirmations can actually reprogram the brain and help us maintain our confidence, even during tough times.

The brain taps into its remarkable ability to rewire itself, known as neuroplasticity, says Ashley Peña, LCSW, Executive Director at Mission Connection.

“Picture this: You make a mistake, and your initial thought is, ‘I always make mistakes; I’m incapable and worthless. That’s why nobody loves me,’” says Peña. “Now, imagine pausing, recognizing these negative thoughts, and replacing them with affirmations like, ‘I am human, I am doing my best right now.”

By focusing on affirmations that highlight our worth, strengths, and potential, we shift our perspective from self-criticism to self-acceptance.

When we keep repeating positive statements about ourselves or our goals, it rewires our thought patterns and replaces the negative self-talk with uplifting beliefs.

—
RICARDO SANTIAGO, LMHC

Benefits of Self-Love Affirmations

These are some of the benefits of self-love affirmations: 

• Self-compassion: Research shows us that self-love affirmations increase self-compassion. They encourage us to treat ourselves with more kindness and understanding, helping us build healthier relationships with ourselves.
• Self-esteem: By challenging negative self-talk, we cultivate a more positive view of ourselves and raise our self-esteem.
• Positive thinking: Self-love affirmations help us replace negative, pessimistic beliefs with more positive and compassionate thoughts. As we substitute negative thoughts with affirmations, we gradually cultivate newer, healthier thoughts, behaviors, and habits, says Peña.
• Motivation: Self-love pumps us with confidence and motivates us to achieve our goals, says Santiago. “Affirmations are the first and easiest step toward manifestation because the more you think it and believe it, the more you will work toward it, and the more likely it is to happen for you.”
• Resilience: Affirmations contribute to building emotional resilience. Santiago explains that when we love ourselves, we boost our mental health and give ourselves the ability to bounce back from tough times.
• Emotional well-being: Self-love affirmations promote feelings of happiness, gratitude, and inner peace.

Research shows that self-love affirmations contribute to better health and relationships, with the effects lasting for months or even years.

How to Use Affirmations

There are many different ways to use affirmations; you can choose whichever way suits you best:

• Say them out loud: Stand in front of the mirror and say your affirmations out loud, setting a positive tone for the day ahead.
• Write them on sticky notes: Place sticky notes with self-love affirmations on your mirror, computer, or workspace. These visual aids can serve as happy reminders that you’re awesome.
• Set reminders: Set affirmations as reminders on your phone or computer. When the notifications pop up, take a moment to read them to yourself and smile.
• Use them as workout inspiration: Incorporate affirmations into your workout routine. Cheer yourself on during walks, runs, or gym sessions to help you keep going.
• Keep a gratitude journal: Write down positive self-love affirmations in a gratitude journal, alongside a list of things you are thankful for.
• Incorporate them into your meditation routine: Incorporate affirmations into your meditation routine. Imagine that you’re inhaling positivity and exhaling self-doubt.
• Make an affirmation jar: Write a bunch of self-love affirmations on chits of paper and stuff them in a jar. When you need a pick-me-up, randomly pick one and reflect on its positive message.
• Find affirmation allies: Share affirmations with your friends or family members. Create a positive support network where you exchange encouraging words with each other.

When Self-Love Affirmations Aren’t Enough

While self-love affirmations can be a powerful tool for cultivating a positive mindset, there may be instances when they’re not enough. These are some coping strategies that may be helpful:

• Seek professional help: A mental healthcare provider can listen to your concerns without judgment and help you navigate the issues you’re dealing with.
• Build a support network: Connect with friends, family members, or support groups that share positive values and cheer each other on.
• Limit negative influences: Identify and minimize exposure to negative influences, whether they are people, media, or environments that contribute to self-doubt. Surround yourself with encouraging, positive voices and uplifting content.

Parting Words

It’s important to feel loved, respected, and cared for by yourself. Incorporating self-love affirmations into your daily routine can help you be kinder and more compassionate to yourself. As a bonus, it can also help improve your confidence, health, relationships, and emotional well-being.

There’s really no downside to this practice, so go for it!

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Cascio CN, O’Donnell MB, Tinney FJ, Lieberman MD, Taylor SE, Strecher VJ, Falk EB. Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2016 Apr;11(4):621-9. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsv136

2. Lindsay EK, Creswell JD. Helping the self help others: Self-affirmation increases self-compassion and pro-social behaviors. Front Psychol. 2014 May 12;5:421. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00421

3. Düring C, Jessop DC. The moderating impact of self-esteem on self-affirmation effects. Br J Health Psychol. 2015 May;20(2):274-89. doi:10.1111/bjhp.12097

4. Cohen GL, Sherman DK. The psychology of change: Self-affirmation and social psychological intervention. Annu Rev Psychol. 2014;65:333-71. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115137

By Sanjana Gupta

Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

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