Self-love is more than a buzzword that’s thrown around everywhere—it’s a crucial aspect of positive mental health.
It’s not just about feeling good about yourself for a moment but about cultivating a deep love and respect for yourself.
While there are X ways to work on self-love all over the internet, affirmations for self-love are a great way to get there.
When spoken with conviction, these phrases can boost our self-esteem, inspire positivity, and make us feel good.
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Why is self-love so important?
Robert Morely said, “To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness,” and we couldn’t agree more!
Self-love goes beyond slipping into a luxurious spa, spending tons of money shopping til your heart’s content, or eating your favorite cake. Without self-love, you’re building your foundation on shaky ground. It can limit your potential, relationships, and overall happiness. But, with a solid foundation of self-love, you can build a sturdy, beautiful structure you can count on.
When you love yourself, you:
- Set the standard for how others should treat you, based on kindness and respect.
- Are less likely to settle for unfulfilling relationships and seek out those that bring you value, guided by a strong sense of self and positivity.
- Stop trying to fit into molds or please others so you can express yourself authentically.
- Appreciate blessings big and small in life.
- Become self-assured, resilient, and confident.
How can affirmations help you develop self-love?
Affirmations can help you shift your inner dialogue from criticism to compassion.
When you repeat these words of affirmation about yourself, you gradually challenge the negative beliefs that undermine your self-esteem and inspire a shift towards positivity and self-acceptance. This process of replacing harsh self-talk with positive affirmations has been shown to activate reward centers in the brain, similar to receiving positive feedback from others (as seen in a study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience).
Over time, as you say them out loud every single day, affirmations can rewire your thought patterns, promote a kinder perspective on yourself in many areas of your life, reduce stress, and foster greater self-acceptance – all you need for a strong foundation for self-love.
Self-love affirmations to start your day
- I choose to love myself
- I can conquer anything
- Each day I love myself more and more
- I am good enough
- I embrace my body, mind and soul
- I am deserving of feeling loved
- I am blessed to see another day
- I am beautiful, inside and out
- All I need is within me
- Every day I love myself more and more
- I radiate love and positivity from within
- I love being my most authentic self
- I have the best relationship with myself
- I start my day with ease and flow
- I welcome love into my life
- I am in love with who I am
- I am proud of myself for all that I have accomplished
- I am now creating a life that I love
- Loving myself is the best way I can love and serve others
- I am patient with myself
- I am kind to my body, mind and soul
- It’s okay to put my needs first
- I deal with life’s challenges with compassion
- I have everything I need within me to be happy
- I choose thoughts and beliefs that empower me
- I am surrounded by love and support
- I am abundant in all areas of my life
- I am open to receiving love from all directions
- I am deeply committed to myself
- I deserve to take up space
- I am grateful for the gift of a brand-new day
- My body is a temple
- I am so full of love today
- I choose to focus on what makes me happy
- I am bursting with creativity
- I embrace the flow of my own heart
- I choose love over fear in every aspect of life
- I am letting go of self-doubt
- I am creating a life I love
- I am more than my flaws
- I choose to feel good about myself
- My mistakes me more human
- There’s no need for me to earn anyone’s love
- The world provides a safe haven for me to reside in and grow.
- I am freely able to nurture myself and the people around me
- I approve of myself
- I am loved and accepted just as I am just as I love and accept others for who they are
While going through the day…
- I am worthy of my own love
- I take good care of myself
- I am proud of myself
- I deserve all that is good
- I am allowed to have my own boundaries
- My self-worth grows every time I show love to myself
- I am always feeling better
- I radiate self-love everywhere I go
- I am grateful for what my body does to me
- I am my own validation
- I love and embrace all of me
- My mind is filled with loving thoughts
- I love my own company
- I have so much to love about myself
- I am valued
- I think positive thoughts for myself
- My life is so fulfilling
- I truly, truly love me
- I release the need for approval from others
- I appreciate the love and support I receive from myself
- I am the adult my younger self wanted.
- I am in love with who I am becoming
- I say no when I want to
- I am so deeply cherished
- I am my best friend
- I am proud of myself
- Everyone falls in love with me because I love myself
- I treat myself with kindness
- I believe in myself
- I am gentle with myself during difficult times
- I choose love over fear
- I embrace my flaws
- I always honor my needs
- I am nurturing towards myself
- I listen to my body’s needs
- I treat myself well
- I choose to focus on the things I love about myself
- I am important
- I choose myself over anyone else.
- I am a bundle of joy
- Being myself is my right
- I am doing my best and that’s enough
- I deserve positive experiences
- I love being so self-obsessed
- I deserve a break and some time off
- Embrace my emotions and let them flow without judgment
- I choose to speak to myself with compassion
Self-love affirmations to end the day on a positive note…
- I forgive myself for all my mistakes
- I am worthy of self-care
- I am lovable
- My inner world is full of love
- The universe always brings me good things
- I am more than enough
- I am worthy of rest
- I am grateful for the person I am
- I give myself permission to sleep restfully
- I am safe and secure within myself
- I honor my feelings and emotions
- I am grateful how I did today
- My soul is at ease
- Sleep helps me fall in love with myself more
- I am calm and centered, always.
- I did my best today
- I am ready to recharge
- I am the architect of my own happiness
- I let go of beliefs that don’t serve me
- The love I give myself sets a standard for the love I receive
- I am unconditionally loved
- I am at peace with myself and everything around me
- I love all of me
- I have so much to give this world
- I am a magnet for love and positive experiences
- I deserve to belong here
- I am my biggest cheerleader
- Loving myself is my top priority
- I have no regrets in life
- I am proud of the progress I’ve made
- I love and accept myself unconditionally
- I am grateful for the day and looking forward to a restful night
- I am worthy of love and care
- I am grateful for all the blessings in my life
- I am proud of myself for all that I’ve accomplished today
- I trust in my ability to create a beautiful future
- I am at peace with where I am in life
- I am grateful for the love and kindness I received today
- I choose to be kind to myself in all circumstances
- I am proud of how I took care of myself today
- I release any negative thoughts or feelings from the day
- I am thankful for the experiences that have shaped who I am
- I prioritize relaxation
- I feel peace within myself
- I have a lovely support system
- I trust myself to make the best decisions for me
- I am ending my day knowing I gave it my all
How to practice these self-love affirmations
To begin, choose 2-3 daily affirmations that resonate with your deepest desires and feel authentic to you. Perhaps instead of a generic “I am worthy of love,” you might choose “I am worthy of deep, fulfilling love in all aspects of my life.”
After crafting your self-love affirmations, here’s how to put them into action.
1. Morning ritual
Start each day with a self-loving affirmation and a positive mindset, affirming your worth and uniqueness with a feeling of compassion for yourself. Set phone reminders, or put up sticky notes with your affirmations in visible locations.
2. Mirror Work
Stand in front of the mirror and look into your own eyes as you speak the affirmation aloud. As you say your affirmations, imagine yourself truly embodying those positive qualities – it amps up their emotional impact.
3. Journaling
Create a different, dedicated journal to record your thoughts, and fill it with your affirmation of self-love. Aside from strengthening the positive messages in your affirmations, the thoughts and feelings that surface during the process also contribute to a deeper level of self-awareness.
4. Mindfulness
A mindful moment involves being fully present and concentrating on self-affirmations that promote acceptance and self-compassion. Use an affirmation as a focus point as you gently breathe in and out. If your mind wanders, gently return to the affirming phrase.
5. Record your affirmations in your own voice and listen to them often.
Remember: Affirmations are a tool, not a magic bullet. They work best when combined with other self-care practices like mindfulness and setting realistic goals. But by giving yourself a daily dose of self-compassion through affirmations, you can rewrite your inner narrative, boost your self-worth and cultivate a more loving relationship with yourself.
What to do when you’re struggling with self-love
Building self-love can sometimes feel like trying to climb a mountain and there will be bumps along the way. But, that doesn’t mean it’s hard to achieve.
- Tackle your inner critic. We all have that voice that whispers (or sometimes shouts) doubts and negativity. The trick is to start identifying it. Instead of believing, challenge it with a kinder, truer statement. Like, if it says, “I’m a failure,” you fight back with, “Hey, I’m still learning and growing every day!”. Begin with small, believable affirmations like “I am worthy of love” and build from there.
- Focus on you. Social media feeds a constant comparison loop. Those online lives are often highlights, not the whole story. Focus on your own journey and celebrate every win! Did you finally master that yoga pose? Did you ace that presentation? Congratulations! Those are victories worth acknowledging.
- Practice gratitude. Feeling grateful makes you less likely to feel negative emotions or judge yourself. Take time each day to appreciate the good things in your life, big or small.
- Setbacks happen. We all mess up sometimes. But here’s the thing: you’re not your mistakes, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up for making them. Instead, be kind to yourself, like you would be to a friend going through a tough time, by using affirmations to help through the struggle. Forgive yourself, learn from it, and pick yourself back up.
- Surround yourself with positive people. Ditch the negative vampires and find friends who cheer you on.
- Do things that make you feel good. Take a relaxing bath, read a good book, or dance like nobody’s watching (because chances are, they’re not!).
- Get help if you need it. If you’re struggling on your own, a therapist or counselor can be a great resource.
Bottom line
Self-love is a continuous journey. One day at a time. One affirmation at a time.
While affirmations for self-love may seem like simple words, they can have a huge impact. They offer a practical way to start rewriting the messages you give yourself.
When you incorporate self-love affirmations into your daily routine, you gradually shift your inner dialogue from one of self-doubt to one of self-compassion and belief. This transformation may be unnoticeable at first, but over time, it can lead to a more resilient, confident, and loving relationship with yourself.
This is why it’s important to pick affirmations that resonate, speak them with conviction, and embrace the journey of cultivating a deep, unwavering love for yourself.
