99 Affirmations For Self-Love + How To Use Them Properly

You've likely heard of positive affirmations, but if you're new to the concept, the idea that saying a few sentences can magically make you feel amazing may sound too good to be true. While that's not exactly how affirmations work, they can definitely be effective, especially if you're looking to boost your self-love.

Self-love affirmations are positive phrases that are meant to inspire, uplift, and bolster feelings of self-love within.

They can be particularly helpful if you deal with insecurities and self-criticism because according to therapist Megan Bruneau, M.A., when done correctly, "self-love affirmations can help reprogram the subconscious mind, where we house our unhelpful core beliefs—such as, I'm unlovable, or When people see the real me, they'll abandon me."

As licensed marriage and family therapist Tiana Leeds, M.A., LMFT, explains to mindbodygreen, the truth is, our brains are wired with a negativity bias that serves as a survival strategy to identify threats. "However," she notes, "it has significant drawbacks when it comes to self-love, and by weaving affirmations into your day, you are combating this negativity bias and rewiring your brain toward more helpful thought patterns."

Think of self-love affirmations like training your brain to come back to your values and what you love about yourself, Leeds says. The more you do it, the easier it will be to "naturally feel a sense of worthiness and ease," she explains.

There's something about writing affirmations down that makes them feel that much more tangible, hence why Bruneau and Leeds both recommend doing so. Leeds also advises making your affirmations your own by writing them in your own words.

Bruneau and Leeds both stress the importance of actually believing the affirmations you use, which might mean starting off with softer affirmations that you can really get behind. Otherwise, Bruneau explains, the affirmations will just feel inauthentic and frustrating.

"For example," Leeds says, "if you're working on no longer being a workaholic but the affirmation I am worthy of rest doesn't yet feel true, start with, It's OK to take a break when I'm feeling depleted, and work your way up." Or for another example, Bruneau adds, if you're struggling to love your body, try I accept my body.

Go ahead and open up your phone's voice memo app, Leed suggests. Not only is speaking affirmations powerful in itself, but listening to them back makes them even more powerful. "We are highly influenced by our own voice and can choose whether to use it for self-criticism or self-affirmation," Leeds says.

And last but not least, get into the habit of affirmations by incorporating them into your day in various ways. Bruneau recommends writing them down and placing them in places you'll see them often, as well as practicing them when you're doing something embodied like yoga, walking, bathing, etc.