Many times, people become overwhelmed by standards, opinions, and criticisms placed on them by family members, friends, coworkers, and society. This can become problematic when we begin to internalize all of this and, ultimately, begin to feel negatively about ourselves.

Positive affirmations are short, simple, yet powerful statements that we can repeat to ourselves to begin to change, or reprogram, our mindset from a negative one to a more positive one. These affirmations can help to significantly change a belief about one’s self and bring control and empowerment back into one’s life.

Below are some tips to help you better understand positive affirmations as well as a few examples of positive affirmations for you to try. Read through the tips to get a better grasp on why affirmations are important and how you can benefit from them, and then read through the examples of affirmations to see if any resonate with you.

1. Why affirmations? Think about affirmations as if they are exercises for your brain. It is not unusual for a person to go for a run and exercise every day to try to meet a physical goal. Similarly, you can use positive thinking in the form of positive affirmations to train your brain to think differently and reach a mental goal. You may not realize how often you think negatively about yourself or the situations you are experiencing. Training your brain to think more positively in your daily life can have many positive effects. Using positive affirmations daily can help to boost self-esteem, improve mood, and even get you more motivated to reach your goals.

2. How to use affirmations. To use an affirmation, first think about an area of your life that could benefit from a change in perspective. For example, you may want to change your thoughts about your body image, your relationship with your spouse, or your motivation to get the job you would like. Your affirmations, though positive, should be as realistic as possible. If you pick an affirmation that does not resonate with you, or seems completely unachievable, then you will not believe it. It is the belief in the affirmation that helps to boost your confidence and change your perspective.

Once you are comfortable with an affirmation, say it in the present tense (as if you already have it) and say it with feeling and power. You may repeat it multiple times a day. You can try waking up in the morning, looking in the mirror, and saying this affirmation out loud. You may also try silently repeating this affirmation in your head before bed or while meditating. You may find it helpful to repeat this affirmation when you feel down, angry, or worried in an attempt to calm your mind. You can even write your affirmation down on a note in your phone so that you remember to repeat it. However you choose to go about it, make sure your affirmation is believable for the best results.

3. Types of affirmations. As we discussed in the previous tip, affirmations can be created to help you conquer many different areas of your life. You can use calming, grounding affirmations to help you ease anxieties and tensions. You can use uplifting and motivating affirmations to help you to overcome daily life activities that you may have struggled doing. You can use self-esteem-related affirmations to help you to appreciate yourself and learn to better love yourself. You may want to try relationship affirmations to help you to take a better outlook on different relationships in your life. Examples of these different types of affirmations and more will be provided for you to consider in tips 4 through 10. Read through these affirmations, find at least one that works for you, and alter it to fit you your needs or situation, if necessary.

4. “I have control over my thoughts.” This is a grounding affirmation that may be useful for anxious, worrisome thoughts. Many people experience automatic thoughts such as, “I will never be good enough.” Reminding yourself that you have control over your thoughts can be beneficial. It is important to note that thoughts are like visitors in our mind. They will not stay forever unless you allow them to. Repeating an affirmation such as “I have control over my thoughts” can help you get rid of the visiting thoughts you no longer want.

5. “With every breath I take, I release my anxiety and my worries.” This is another example of a grounding affirmation that can help you to take control over your anxious thoughts. This affirmation may be useful when in a stressful environment or situation. It reminds you to breathe, which can help you and your mind to slow down, and it also reminds you to let go of your worries as best as you can. Although your worries may not completely vanish, you may find some relief in the moments when you repeat the affirmation to yourself, and you may find your thoughts to be more manageable.

6. “I can achieve anything I set my mind to.” This is a motivating affirmation which can help you to achieve your goals. It is a simple but profound reminder that with dedication, you can reach realistic goals. It may be useful to repeat this affirmation before a job interview, a meeting with your boss, or even before starting a new project that you have been waiting to do.

7. “I have the power to change my path.” This is another example of a motivating affirmation. This one is empowering and can help to remind you that you yourself have the power to make changes in your life. It may be easier said than done, but this affirmation can help to push you to change the things you don’t particularly like about any of your current situations, one step at a time.

8. “I forgive myself for my past mistakes and love who I have become.” The goal of this affirmation is you to work on your self-esteem. It is easy to get caught up in the past and judge yourself for the mistakes you may have made. Forgiveness is a big step; you can start working on it with an affirmation like this one. Loving the current version of yourself is a key to having good self-esteem. Begin to feel the love you have for yourself by repeating this positive affirmation.

9. “I will not compare myself with other people. I am a strong and beautiful individual on my own.” Again, this affirmation is rooted in self-esteem. Often, many individuals compare themselves to other people. This is very prominent on social media platforms. If this is something that adversely affects you, then this affirmation can help to remind you that you are a complete and whole individual without comparing yourself to someone else.

10.”I happily give and receive love each day. I open my heart to love and know that I deserve it. I am worthy of all of the beautiful things and people in my life.” Here are three different relationship-themed affirmations. All relationships are unique, whether they be friendships, coworker relations, or intimate partner relationships, so special affirmations may be needed for different areas of your life. These can be said together or separately to help you create a more positive outlook on the relationships that you have so that you may learn to love and appreciate these relationships on a deeper level.

Affirmations are positive statements that can help you to modify negative thoughts you may hold about yourself or situations that you are in. Try out using some of these affirmations, or create affirmations of your own, to improve the quality of your life.

Hay, L. L. (2004). You can heal your life. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House.

Peale, N. V. (2018). Have a great day: Daily affirmations for positive living. New York, NY: Open Road Integrated Media.