Caring for yourself goes beyond bubble baths and spa days, though those activities are certainly necessary components of self care.
After all, your wellbeing is most affected by what's happening on the inside, not the outside. If you struggle with negative thoughts or a lack of confidence, cultivating a sense of self-love is the first step towards healing.
Self-love is the ability to treat yourself with kindness, compassion and grace, while setting and respecting your own healthy boundaries, according to Eboni Harris, MA, LPC, LMFT and co-founder of Melanin & Mental Health.
“Self-love encompasses the capacity to make choices that serve our highest well-being,” Eliza Boquin, MA, LMFT and the other half of the partnership that founded Melanin & Mental Health tells TODAY.com. “It extends to nurturing our physical, mental and spiritual aspects.”
Struggling with self-love? That's where affirmations come in. Repeating short, uplifting statements to yourself can boost your self-esteem, inspire positive thinking and help you understand yourself better.
“Healthy affirmations highlight a truth that is being presently displayed by a person, a truth that has been displayed in the past, or a truth that — once grasped by the individual — can come to bear positively on their lives,” Geremy Keeton, LMFT and senior director of the counseling services department of Focus on the Family, tells TODAY.com.
Best of all, affirmations are easy, free, and effective. You can jot them down in a journal, write them on sticky notes and put them on your mirror, or store a list on your phone.
“Quick and meaningful affirmations provide an excellent tool in the self-love journey since they don’t require a ton of time, money, or effort,” Megan Logan, LCSW, PA and author of “Be Kind to Yourself” adds.
Here are 75 affirmations for self-love that will uplift you even during the toughest of times.
75 Positive Self-Love Affirmations
- I am worthy of love, joy and belonging.
- It’s OK to ask for what I need or want, even if I don’t get it.
- I am worthy of love and kindness even when I struggle or mess up.
- I am just as important as others.
- My self-worth is not defined by what others think of me.
- I am learning and growing all the time.
- Taking care of myself allows me to be the best version of myself.
- It’s OK to say “no.”
- If someone is upset with me, I can handle it.
- My mistakes, faults or shortcomings don’t have to define me or my future.
- I matter. The fact that I exist means that I have significance.
- Dignity and self-respect are mine to hold, simply because I am a human being.
- Hope is real and available to me.
- Mercy and grace are gifts I can both receive and give.
- I can make choices that lead me to be a victor, and not a victim.
- I can spread good in my sphere of influence.
- Just because I make a mistake doesn't mean I'm a failure.
- My best doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s best.
- It is OK to rest and take time for myself.
- The needs of others are just as important as mine.
- I can practice self-love without feeling guilty.
- I can allow myself to have my feelings, even the uncomfortable ones.
- It is OK to be a beginner.
- I do not need to have all the answers. I’m not Google.
- I get to decide what’s “good enough.”
- I can do hard things.
- I can harness calm even in stressful situations.
- My wholeness is worth the healing journey it takes.
- I can change course when I’m going the wrong way.
- It is okay to live in my current season of life with its unique limitations, liberties or loveliness.
- I cannot control everything and that is OK.
- My feelings are important because they are indicators of what matters to me and what has happened to me.
- My thoughts are still valuable even if others disagree with me.
- I am doing the best I can and that is enough for today.
- My worth does not have to be earned.
- I was born worthy.
- I can observe without absorbing other people’s emotions.
- I do not have to be sucked into the dysfunction of others.
- I welcome peace, love, joy and abundance today.
- I can be a good steward of my resources.
- Their rejection or lack of kindness has nothing to do with my worth.
- I forgive myself for the past and embrace the present with compassion.
- I am worthy of self-care.
- I honor my body and my mind.
- I am deserving of rest and relaxation.
- I release any negative self-talk and replace it with what is true, right and good.
- I am grateful for my body and all that it does for me.
- I am strong and resilient.
- I am worthy of peace and calmness.
- My story is still being written.
- I honor my body’s needs.
- Everything I need is within me.
- I am capable of incredible things.
- I believe in my potential.
- Every experience teaches me something important.
- I am allowed to take up space.
- I add value to the world.
- I spread and attract positivity.
- I cherish the qualities that make me unique.
- My body deserves care and respect.
- I am releasing the fears that hold me back.
- I am brave and resilient.
- Other people’s opinions have no bearing on my self-image.
- I trust that everything will work out as it is meant to.
- I am growing at my own pace.
- I am capable of overcoming any obstacle.
- I am full of gratitude every day.
- I choose to focus on the good.
- I can’t control my circumstances, but I can choose how I react to them.
- Good things are coming my way.
- My perseverance pays off.
- I am a good friend.
- I am appreciated by my loved ones.
- My inner beauty shines through.
- I am on my own path.
