Hi!! I'm Olamide and I have been collecting affirmations for two years now. I keep them in a special notebook with stickers on the cover. My mum says I have so many I should share them. So here they are!! I've organised them in the way that makes sense to me — by the feeling you have when you need them most.
When You Feel Scared
Sometimes you're scared of something and that's okay. These help me when I feel that way:
- "I am brave even when I don't feel brave."
- "Being scared means something matters to me. That's good."
- "I have done hard things before and I can do them again."
- "Being scared and doing it anyway is what courage actually is."
I say these before tests. I said "I am brave even when I don't feel brave" literally twenty times before my school play last year. It worked!!
When You Look in the Mirror
These are the ones I say while I'm brushing my teeth:
- "I am beautiful exactly the way I am."
- "My skin is a gorgeous colour and I love it."
- "My hair is incredible and I am proud of it."
- "There is no one else in the world who looks exactly like me. That's amazing."
- "I don't need to look like anyone else."
The mirror ones are my absolute FAVOURITES. They felt embarrassing at first. But now I love them.
Before a Big Day
Before a test, a performance, a new school, anything big:
- "I am ready for this."
- "I have everything I need already inside me."
- "It's okay if I'm not perfect. I just have to try my best."
- "I am smart. I have prepared. I can do this."
- "Today is going to be a great day."
When Someone Is Unkind
This one is SO important. When someone says something mean or leaves you out:
- "Other people's opinions are not the truth about me."
- "I am worthy of kindness and that's not what just happened."
- "I choose how I feel about myself. Not them."
- "I am loved by people who matter."
- "I don't need everyone to like me. I like me."
These take practice. Sometimes the mean thing still stings. But saying these helps it sting a little less.
When You're Just Having a Normal Day
You don't have to be having a hard day to say affirmations! Here are ones for regular good moments:
- "I am grateful to be me."
- "My life is full of good things."
- "I am surrounded by people who love me."
- "Today I am going to be kind and that matters."
- "I am enough. Right now. Just as I am."
My biggest tip is to pick just ONE and say it for a whole week. Every morning. Look yourself in the eyes in the mirror if you can — it makes it way more powerful. After a week, see how you feel. I bet you'll feel different. I always do.
You are worthy. You are wonderful. Don't forget it!!