If you’ve spent any amount of time learning about personal development, you’re likely to have heard about the power of personal affirmations. But what are they, how do they help, and how do create personal affirmations that are… well, personal? That’s what I’m going to cover in this article. By the end of it, you should have everything you need to create intentional and powerful personal affirmations that you can use to change your mindset… and your life.

What are personal affirmations?

I know there are more official definitions of personal affirmations, but the way I look at them is as tools to rewrite the stories that we tell ourselves and as a result) to actively write the story of our lives – both present and future.

To be more specific, personal affirmations are positive personal statements that we can repeat to ourselves to rewire our brains to both be more positive and to focus on what we want to achieve in life. They are a great beginning point for changing your life for the better… in any area that you feel needs improvement.

But how?

Why do personal affirmations work?

Do you know the saying “you are what you eat”? The reason it’s so popular is because it rings true. A lot of what happens to our body is due to what we put inside of it. When we feed it healthy food, our body tends to be healthier. When we feed it not-so-healthy food, our body tends to be not-so-healthy. Of course, diet alone isn’t the main factor, but it’s a big one.

The same holds true for our minds. What we put into our minds affects it… and our mind affects our life because it drives our behavior. So, when your mind is filled with negativity, it manifests itself as negativity in various aspects of our lives.

For example, let’s say you are overweight and also super busy building a business and raising a family. So, you have two thoughts you tell yourself often:

1. I’m fat/overweight and need to do something about it.
2. I’m too busy to do anything but work and take care of my family.

You know that you should prioritize your health, but you also know that you have a lot on your plate and don’t have a ton of free time. So, guess what is more likely to happen? You accept that you’re overweight AND that you’re too busy to do anything about it.

The way that personal affirmations work is that they rewrite your story into something more positive so that the way you view your situation shifts enough that you believe you can create a change in your life.

But, again, how do you do this?

How do you create your own personal affirmations?

Creating your own personal affirmations is actually pretty easy. What I do is I sit down and I think about every negative thought I have about myself as well as the areas of my life that I believe need improvement. I write EVERYTHING down. Then I go through and do two things. First, I take the negative stories I have about myself and I turn them into a positive. Then, I go through and createive positive stories about the other things in my life that could use some improvement.

Let’s take the examples above.

Instead of saying “I’m fat/overweight and need to do something about it.”, I would say “I have a body that is capable of miraculous. It was designed to move and change.” Or I could say “I can take action every single day to mold my body into its optimal form.”

Do you see how both options shift the focus away from just “I’m overweight” to an acknowledgment of how amazing your body is, what it’s capable of, and the fact that it’s capable of change?

Now, let’s move on to the second example.

Instead of saying “I’m too busy to do anything but work and take care of my family.”, I could say “I am not a prisoner to time. I can use time to my advantage to prioritize all of the things in my life that matter — including myself.” Or I could say “I have the right and ability to make time for the things that are important to me — including my health.”

These powerful shifts remind you that time is simply a construct and that you can use your time however you see fit.

The beautiful thing about personal affirmations, though, is that they are… well, personal. The statements I created may not work for you. They may not be the way you naturally speak (and so may not feel authentic to say). But you can write them to be exactly what YOU need them to be. For example, another way to approach the weight thoughts is to say “I can squeeze in just 15 minutes a day to exercise.” or “I can swap out one unhealthy thing for something healthier at every meal.” Perhaps that is easier because it’s shorter and more practical.

Whatever works for YOU is what works for you… and that’s the whole point of positive affirmations.

How do you use your personal affirmations?

When it comes to using personal affirmations, people have different ways to go about it. Some people memorize their personal affirmations and repeat them daily… sometimes in the mirror. Other people memorize them so that when they find themselves having a negative thought, they have a more positive one to counter it with. There are also times when you only use them when heading into or dealing with a situation that calls for it. However, what I like to do is to combine personal affirmations with an action plan — because I believe that mindset is only part of the battle. You have to take action as well!

So, I create a positive affirmation (or a group of them) and then I also create a plan for how I can implement that new, positive story into my life.

For example, let’s continue on with the positive affirmation, “I am not a prisoner to time. I can use time to my advantage to prioritize all of the things in my life that matter — including myself.”

I would repeat this affirmation every time I felt like I just don’t have the time to do what I need to do. But I would also have a plan for how I want and need to use my time. I might also use a second positive affirmation I could turn to when I felt myself slipping.

For example, I might use “I have the right to say ‘no’ to things that do not align with my goals” when I realize I COULD have more time for myself is I started saying ‘no’ to things that I don’t NEED or WANT to do.

Or I could say “I have the right to set and enforce healthy boundaries for myself, my loved ones, and my business.” if I find that part of my struggle with making time for myself is not setting (or enforcing) clear boundaries. Because, let’s be honest, a LOT of us struggle with that — especially women.

The key to personal affirmations is to believe in them and to use them regularly. Then combine your faith that they are true (or SHOULD be true) with the type of action that supports that belief. This combination of belief and action can move mountains… and help you create the kind of life, body, career, relationships, and Self that you genuinely love.

Some people also pair positive affirmations with EFT (also known as tapping), which can be powerful. But that’s a topic for another day. In the meantime, you can learn more about it here.

100+ positive affirmations to inspire you

Now, I know I said that personal affirmations are something personal. But I also know that sometimes you need a bit of inspiration to get you started when you’re trying out something new. So I’ve done some of the work for you! Below, you will find over positive affirmations in 10 common areas: self-love, family, daily life, attracting love, career/business. financial health, mental health, physical health, spiritual health, and social health. You are free to use them as-is or to tweak them into what you need them to be.

Positive Affirmations for Self-Love

1. I know, accept, and am true to myself.
2. My body is capable of amazing things.
3. This body created life and is capable of miracles.
4. I am alive and loved.
5. I am capable of greatness.
6. I have achieved great things during my time on this planet.
7. I have so much potential to achieve great things during my time on this planet.
8. I was created for a divine purpose.
9. Abundance flows through me.
10. I am worthy of love and respect.

Positive Affirmations for Family

1. I am a good mom/dad.
2. My children are happy, healthy, and loved.
3. My family loves each other unconditionally.
4. I am grateful for my family and they are grateful for me.
5. I am doing everything I can to provide my family with all of their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
6. I am grateful for having a supportive family.
7. I take advantage of every opportunity to slow down and be present with my family.
8. Everything I do, I do to build a great life for my family.
9. I am creating a beautiful future for my family.
10. I find peace and joy in being with my family.
11. I encourage each member of my family’s strengths.
12. I encourage my family to step into their divine purpose.
13. Each member of my family is full of potential and divine purpose.
14. I am teaching my children what they need to know to be happy humans.
15. My family feels supported and loved by me and by each other.

Positive Affirmations for Daily Life

1. I learn from my mistakes.
2. I never give up on my goals.
3. I wake up every day excited to experience what the world has to offer.
4. I accept others for who they are and believe people are mostly good.
5. I commit to learning new things that can help me achieve my goals.
6. I always aim to be the best that I can be.
7. I crave new experiences that will fill my life with joy.
8. I seek opportunities to be kind and caring.
9. My life is full of magic and opportunities.
10. My environment and the people in my life are aligned with my goals.
11. I see the beauty in my surroundings.
12. My thoughts and feelings nourish my mind.
13. I desire only things that are healthy and aligned with my goals.
14. I can achieve anything I put my mind and energy to.
15. I treat people with kindness and respect and they mirror it back to me.

Positive Affirmations for Love

1. I radiate love out into the world and others reflect love back to me.
2. I am lovable and worthy of love.
3. I am beautiful, inside and out.
4. Life is full of love and I attract it everywhere I go.
5. Someone created for me with divine purpose and we will find each other in divine timing.
6. I speak love into others and they speak love back into me.
7. My life is filled with love and opportunities for love.
8. I deserve true love.
9. My soulmate loves every fiber of my being with every fiber of his/her/their being.
10. Every day brings me closer to true love (if you’re single). OR Every day is a day to relish true love (if you’re in a relationship).

Positive Affirmations for Career/Business

1. Every step I take gets me closer to my goals
2. I have a career/business that helps to support my life goals
3. My career/business fully supports me and my family
4. I have my dream career/business
5. My career/business brings me financial abundance
6. I feel excited every morning when I wake up because I get to do work I love
7. My employer/clients value the work I do
8. I’m doing important work in this world
9. I attract new clients every day
10. I attract exciting projects every day

Positive Affirmations for Financial Health

1. Money is a valuable resource and I use it wisely.
2. Money is a tool that supports my life goals and I use it accordingly.
3. Every dollar I spend will come back to me threefold.
4. The money I need is out there waiting to be claimed.
5. Money flows freely to me.
6. I am connected to the universal supply of money.
7. I am financially abundant.
8. All of my choices and actions bring me closer to my financial goals.
9. I am open to new, exciting financial opportunities.
10. Making money is easy when I live in my power and purpose.

Positive Affirmations for Mental Health

1. I value my mental health as much as my physical health
2. My feelings and emotions are valid.
3. My feelings and emotions do not control me.
4. I am more than my diagnosis.
5. Reaching out for and accepting support is a show of strength.
6. I am worthy of happiness.
7. My diagnosis will not define my life.
8. I can handle anything that comes my way.
9. I release all of my worries.
10. My life is a gift.
11. It is okay for me not to feel okay.
12. I fill my mind with positive thoughts.
13. I have a divine purpose and there is a reason for me to be here.
14. Every day is a new day.
15. My thoughts can change and so can I.

Positive Affirmations for Physical Health

1. I eat well and eat food for fuel as well as for enjoyment.
2. I make time each day to move my body.
3. I get a restful sleep each night and nap when I need to reset.
4. I am committed to making sure my body has what it needs to support my goals.
5. I am grateful to have a body that works.
6. I embrace the body that I am in right now.
7. Each time I inhale, my body is filled with healing energy.
8. I crave healthy, nutritious foods that will fuel my body.
9. I look forward to moving and strengthening my body each day.
10. I love the way fruits and vegetables make my body feel.

Positive Affirmations for Spiritual Health

1. The universe is conspiring for my good.
2. I am ready to live in my divine purpose.
3. Everything I seek in life is now seeking me.
4. I am a sacred and divine bring.
5. I am connected to the limitless abundance of the universe.
6. I am fully aligned with my higher purpose.
7. I allow the universe to work through me.
8. My spirit is at peace.
9. Everything happens in its own divine timing and I am enjoying the wait.
10. I am a beautiful soul.

Positive Affirmations for Social Health

1. I look forward to meeting new people.
2. I attract healthy relationships.
3. I seek out opportunities to do things I enjoy with people I enjoy.
4. Everyone is doing the best they can, including me.
5. I am free to speak my truth – especially with people I care about.
6. I love myself enough to set and enforce healthy boundaries.
7. I am rich in friendship and love.
8. I am free to leave relationships and situations that aren’t healthy for me.
9. I am able to be my true, authentic self with everyone I meet.
10. I can respectfully communicate my feelings.

I hope that this article has helped you learn more about how to create your own positive affirmations. My goal is to help you feel happier and more joyful in every area of your life. I’d love to see what you come up with! Let me know in the comments below!