With as many times as I’ve told myself I’m going to work on my self-confidence at the beginning of the new year, I can finally say that 2021 is the first year I’ve actually put this plan into action, and I give credit to one thing: my daily affirmations. After my therapist recommended starting affirmations for the hundredth time, I finally listened, and I can’t thank her enough.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the idea of affirmations, they can honestly be whatever you want them to be. In most cases, they’re short statements, often in the form of “I am,” “I have” or “I attract.” Personally, my affirmations focus on self-confidence, my goals, and my health and well-being. The overall purpose of affirmations is to speak into existence what you want to believe. As crazy (and quite possibly ridiculous) as this sounds, the goal is that repeating these positive phrases will help change and reframe your thoughts, giving you a more positive mindset overall.
Now, implementing affirmations into your daily life can seem daunting at first, but after a while it becomes second nature. This is when they start to make important changes. Arguably the greatest thing about affirmations is that there are no rules — you can do whatever your heart desires (that’s the whole point)! Whether you choose to start affirmations when you wake up or do them when you’re getting ready for bed, keep it consistent — this can only help you in the long run. Affirmations can also give you a sense of routine, which never hurts when it comes to college life, especially in times like these.
For me, having all online classes, my affirmations sometimes help me get up and build a routine in the morning. I brush my teeth, wash my face, take my vitamins, and then proceed to look in the mirror and tell myself I’m beautiful. Even though this may make me sound like a semi-crazy person, as someone who has struggled with self-esteem their whole life, the craziest part is how well affirmations work. To get you started, I’ve compiled a list of a few of my own affirmations, as well as some general ones that, I’m not going to lie, TikTok gave to me.
1. I am beautiful.
2. I am enough.
3. I am worthy of love.
4. I am worthy of success.
5. I deserve to be loved.
6. I deserve to love myself.
