I’ve written extensively about how to use affirmations, from how to write them to putting them into practice, but it’s always important to take time to think not only about the how, but also the why.
If you’ve landed on this article, the chances are you already have some interest in the concept of affirmations and their power to change your life for the better. However, you might still be on the fence. After all, some of the best affirmations require time, effort, and patience.
If you’re worried about the commitment, don’t be! You can work up to more advanced techniques – your first affirmation only requires a few seconds to write and express, and you can find a quick guide in my article on starting daily affirmations.
The best part is that once you’ve succeeded with one affirmation, the rest come naturally. You’ll have personal proof that they work, and your confidence will grow immediately.
And if that’s not enough to convince you to give it a try, here are 16 more reasons why you should start using daily affirmations as part of your routine!
In This Article
1. They Help to Increase Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem
There are thousands of blog posts and books on self-confidence, and that’s because it’s such a vital component of success. After all, if you can’t believe in yourself, how can you expect anyone else to?
If you decide to use morning affirmations, you can set yourself up for success each day in advance. They can serve as reminders of how good you are at what you do, or they can be the reassuring statements that make give you conviction in whatever it is you plan to do on the day.
Just remember that what you say carries weight. Even if you’re talking to yourself, you mean what you say, even if that requires you to live up to your own expectations.
2. They Motivate You to Take Action Towards Your Goals
Once you’re in a routine with affirmations, they become a positive habit. By extension, you’ll start to think ahead. No longer will you have those empty days that you just cannot wait to end.
This can be particularly problematic if you’re self-employed or work from home – trust me, I’ve been there! When you don’t have to do anything, you might find yourself not doing anything at all. However, with affirmations, you can commit to getting things done.
Don’t worry about them being trivial or pointless. Remember, if you do one small task a day, that’s 365 small tasks completed in a year. The results are often far more significant than what you might have achieved with a couple of bigger things!
3. Positive Affirmations Encourage Positive Thinking and a More Optimistic Outlook
Affirmations are inherently positive. If you’re unsure of the proper technique, take a look at my article on how to write an affirmation. It’s written from the perspective of using affirmations for manifestation, but you don’t need to worry about manifesting right now.
Instead, focus on the components of a great affirmation, and look at how you have to be positive. Sure, affirmations can be negative, but their power levels are such that they won’t make any kind of significant difference in your life.
There’s a certain degree of positivity to affirmations purely through the fact that you state ‘I am,’ or something similar. Repeat it often enough and you’ll start to believe it!
4. They Help to Lessen Stress and Anxiety Levels
Daily affirmations can also help your routine through the fact that they allow you to enjoy a brief moment of clarity at some point during the day.
Life passes by quickly, whether you’re doing something worthwhile or merely wasting time scrolling through social media. Everyone’s busy in their own way, but that results in too few people taking time out to reflect or plan.
You can treat the time you devote to daily affirmations as an opportunity to leave stress and businesses behind for a short time. Meanwhile, the affirmations will help you to regain focus on what really matters.
5. A Daily Affirmation Can Aid in Improving Focus and Concentration
The hardest part of any day in my experience is the first. It feels like productivity breeds productivity. As a writer, that can mean writing the first few words.
A friend of mine, and occasional contributor here on the site, faced the same challenge. In response, he started the 500 Word Challenge. That might seem like a lot if you’re not a fan of writing, but for someone like him, it’s no more than a warmup.
It could be an article for one of his websites, or a passage for a book. It might be client work, or if he’s suffering the dreaded writer’s block, it might be complete gibberish! The point is that he makes the time and focuses to get over the hump.
You don’t have to write 500 words every day without fail (although you could). Daily affirmations can have the same role. Affirm that you’re delighted to have achieved so much today before you’ve even started, and you’ll have a head start on getting things done on the day.
6. They Can Increase Overall Happiness and Well-Being
Hopefully, you’re happy to stick with affirmations after the first one. I’ll make no bones about it – your first affirmation probably won’t make you feel much different, especially in the minutes that follow.
However, over time, you’ll find yourself feeling an increased sense of accomplishment. It will become increasingly clear that your efforts are paying off.
At that point, you’ll:
- Trust your affirmations more
- Gain confidence that you’ll achieve what you’ve affirmed
- Start to focus on even bigger commitments as you’ll know they work
Overall, you’ll become more content because you know you’re moving in the right direction. You use affirmations to determine how the day ahead will go, and then you start to see results. From there, the sky’s the limit.
7. A Single Daily Affirmation Reduces Negative Self-Talk and Harmful Thinking Patterns
When you focus on saying something positive, there’s less time for negativity.
Speaking from personal experience once more, I can tell you that both positivity and negativity can be addictive. Some might say that becoming addicted to anything is a bad idea – everything in moderation and all that. However, given the choice, I know I’d prefer positivity.
Have you ever had one of those days where it feels like everything that could go wrong does go wrong? One of the main reasons why you should start using daily affirmations is that you can eliminate those kinds of days altogether.
Will they ensure nothing ever goes wrong again? Absolutely not – you can’t predict the future. However, by affirming something, focusing, and ensuring it happens, something has gone right. It’s therefore impossible for everything to go wrong that day, and on any other where you start with a morning affirmation.
8. They Could Assist in Developing a Better Sense of Self-Awareness
If you’re anything like me, you’ll occasionally find yourself wondering where you’re going and what you have to look forward to.
As a child, I always looked forward to Christmas. It kept my head in the game in the weeks or months ahead, knowing I had something to look forward to. As I’ve grown older, I’ve variously looked forward to vacations and even weekends in particularly difficult weeks.
The fact is that many people don’t have something to look forward to – something that makes today more manageable because there are better days ahead. There are all sorts of reasons for this, but one of the biggest causes is that they don’t have anything to look forward to because they don’t know what they want.
Once again, a daily affirmation can result in a moment of clarity each day, where you focus on a problem to solve, or a goal to achieve.
I’ve mentioned looking forward to vacations and weekends. Sometimes, I look forward to the end of the same day. I’ve affirmed what I’m going to achieve that day, and I’ve been doing it for long enough now that I know I’ll get it done.
Then, once the end of the day comes, I can look back with a sense of pride that I did what I set out to do. Sure, I’ll be back tomorrow to do it all again, but that’s part of the fun.
9. Positive Daily Affirmations Help Foster a More Positive and Healthier Mindset
When you start out with daily affirmations, putting yourself in a positive frame of mind can feel difficult. Sometimes, there’s no option but to force yourself.
We all have those days when we’ve gotten out of the wrong side of the bed. We’re grumpy, lazy and all sorts of other negative words ending in “y”, and switching into positivity can be difficult. However, the more positive you are, the more positive you will become naturally.
As you know, good emotions feel a lot better than bad ones. You’ll eventually condition yourself to favor them. Ultimately, you’ll train yourself to draw the positives from bad experiences and to look upon situations and scenarios with a more open mind.
10. They Can Be Used as a Powerful Tool for Personal Growth and Transformation
No matter where you’re at, there’s always room to grow. Some people are content with where they are – I’d still recommend affirmations as I do to anyone, but they might not be overly concerned with growth or transformation.
If you are, well, that’s why you should start using daily affirmations.
Most people aren’t all that enamored by the rat race. I’ve had periods in my life where I’ve felt like I’m on a treadmill. Get up, go to work, come home, and rest in preparation for doing it all again the following day.
I’ll share one of my most frequently used affirmations:
“I am better today than I was yesterday.”
It’s deliberately ambiguous. Today’s you being better than yesterday’s will mean different things to different people.
As a standalone statement, it doesn’t mean much. I have the benefit of providing context, as I usually have around a dozen different affirmations on my manifestation list.
For me, improving day by day might mean:
- Writing another article for my websites
- Doing some DIY to boost (or at least maintain) my home’s value
- Learning something new – which often goes hand in hand with the first point
- Gaining a new client
- Checking something off my bucket list
And that’s just a small selection of what I consider success. Some of them take less than an hour, but when I do my evening affirmations, I can look back and feel like I’ve done at least something.
Remember what I said above about how small successes can lead to big results. If I can improve slightly each day, think how well I’ll have done ten years from now!
11. You Could Build a Stronger Sense of Self-Identity
Let me ask you a question. Are you the person you want to be? If you can truthfully answer ‘yes,’ I congratulate you.
Most people will say ‘no,’ and they’re the ones to whom this point is relevant.
It’s time for another personal anecdote. One day a few years back I struggled to be positive, even though I already understood the importance a positive outlook can have on my life. A lot of things disappointed me, including myself.
I turned to one of my favorite techniques; I made a list. And I’m not talking about a manifestation list or rotating affirmation list. This was far simpler. It was a list of small things I could focus on in the short term for real results, that would make me more like the person I wanted to be and felt I should be.
I’m not talking fast cars and big houses here. They’re better suited for vision boards.
I’m referring to things that I could change if I focused:
- Not charging clients enough
- Not spending as many hours on productivity as I could and should
- Not spending enough time with people that matter
- Occasionally having a midday beer (although there’s a time and a place for that!)
Things like that.
My list tackled these issues and inspired daily affirmations.
One of my most memorable examples refers to the first point about undercharging clients. I’d been with the same client for a couple of years and the time spent didn’t make sense for the rates paid. It was a while ago now, but my affirmation went something like:
I’m grateful that [client] agrees I’m worth $xxx per project.
I placed that affirmation on my instant vision board (an original creation of mine and one that is absolutely fantastic for anyone wondering why you should start doing daily affirmations).
That $xxx amount was double the current rate. It was risky, but I’d affirmed it, so it had to happen, right?
The nature of the instant vision board means that it was always in view. I keep it on a dedicated screen, and it serves as a constant reminder of what I’ve committed to. In the back of my mind, it’s always there saying, ‘you’ve affirmed this, so go ahead and make it happen.’
So I broached the subject. That was the first benefit of making that affirmation. I knew it was a risk, but I also knew it was one I was willing to take. I had to give myself the implied leverage. Was I willing to walk away if they weren’t willing to meet my demands? Yes, I was.
It went just as well as I’d hoped. It wasn’t entirely straightforward – there were a couple of instances of the client saying they knew this day would come and things like that. But, fortunately, there was no negotiation and let’s just say I didn’t need to walk away.
Could I have achieved the same result without affirmations? Quite possibly. However, I took a structured approach with a technique I’m confident in and took a big step closer to being the person I felt I should be.
12. Affirmations Can Enhance Creativity and Intuition
Something as simple as coming up with new affirmations can scratch the creative itch. The process reassures you that when faced with a challenge, you have the intuition and skills to solve it and put it into words.
There are loads of resources out there for premade affirmations, including ones right here on this site – take a look at our list of affirmations for friendships, for example. For me, these premade lists are worth the time to put together to inspire others and demonstrate how to structure an affirmation. Of course, you can use them in a pinch.
However, creativity is part of the process. There’s a certain satisfaction in creating an affirmation nobody has ever used before. Sure, you’ll never know with certainty, but relevance matters. As you become more skilled and experienced with affirmations, you can start to focus on what they mean to you. More importantly, you can modify them to mean exactly what you need them to, and interpret them accordingly.
13. Where Necessary, They Promote Feelings of Calmness and Relaxation
Once again, everyone’s busy in their own ways. Do you take time to take stock and chill out? If not, you probably should.
I’ve spoken endlessly on self-improvement, productivity, and downright getting things done in this article, but don’t forget affirmations are just as good for doing nothing at all.
“I am hugely grateful that I did nothing at all today.”
Yes, you can use daily affirmations to do nothing. In this case, they’re a reminder that it’s your day off or a day you’ve devoted to actively avoiding productivity. That affirmation will remain in the back of your mind so that you don’t answer the phone or check your emails.
Just don’t use it on days when you’re meant to be at work!
14. Reduce Feelings of Loneliness and Isolation
I don’t want to dabble too much in subjects beyond affirmations themselves in this article, but I’ll refer back to this article on how to make someone call you with the law of attraction. You don’t need to be into the law of attraction in any way to make use of affirmations, but it’s more about the principle.
Affirmations can apply to anything, including loneliness and isolation. Depending on how you phrase them, you can commit to reaching out to others. If that doesn’t suit, you can affirm that they’ll contact you.
Beyond this, you can also affirm other things you commit to doing. Going out and interacting with people, even if they’re total strangers, can alleviate feelings of isolation.
Again, I understand that everyone has different circumstances. Nevertheless, if you’re physically and emotionally capable of getting out there, affirmations can be a great way to make it happen.
15. They Can Provide Timely Boosts in Morale and Motivation
I’m somewhat questioning why I left this one so late in the article as it’s one of the best uses of affirmations in my life.
I do get lazy. I lose focus quite easily. Affirmations help me to bring it right back around to what I should be doing.
If you find yourself losing focus, schedule additional affirmation time. I’ve referred to morning and evening affirmations throughout this article, but there are no limits. I can recall days when I’ve referred back to my affirmations over a dozen times. If you use an affirmation list, manifestation list, or instant vision board, they’ll always be somewhere nearby.
Try to pinpoint times of day when your attention wanders. For many years, that time was 3 pm for me. It turned out the 3 pm slump was very real.
Affirmations versus the circadian rhythm – who would win? It turns out, it’s the former. Yes, affirmations can defeat the 3 pm slump.
A quick affirmation can boost both motivation and morale, as it reminds you what you’re ultimately working towards. As always, it also serves as a commitment to yourself that you’re going to get things done.
16. In Some Cases, They Encourage Positive Communication With Others
How are your social skills? Mine have deteriorated somewhat after two decades in a home office. I’m used to my opinions being the only ones that matter because there’s nobody around to disagree (only kidding!).
Affirmations can remind you to take the initiative and also of your commitments to others. I consider the example above about increasing rates with a client as being a fantastic instance of positive communication.
Most clients don’t come to you to offer more money – although it did happen to me once. The affirmation caused me to take the initiative, decide my desired outcome and hold a professional, reasoned conversation.
The specific example won’t apply to everyone, but if you need a few reminders about your communication skills, affirmations can get you to where you want to be.
Why You Should Start Using Daily Affirmations – In Summary
I love affirmations and their positive impact on my life – that’s why I write about them so much, and the reasons why you should start using daily affirmations above are just some of the positive benefits.
The best part is that they’ll benefit you on their own. As noted, I didn’t want to deviate too far from the concept of affirmations alone in this article, as they’re powerful enough to deserve it.
However, they’re also the building blocks of manifestation and a vital component of the law of attraction. There are multiple purposes of affirmations and once you get started, the sky really is the limit.
Remember to focus on consistency, and don’t feel like you only need to focus on one affirmation at a time. Fire up your rotating affirmation list to ensure your desires and statements are always relevant, and to make sure they’re working!
