In a world where confidence is key, it can be a struggle to think positively about yourself.
Many people have negative thoughts about themselves, thanks to either a bad mood or perhaps a learned behavior. Everyone has experienced self-sabotage at one point or another.
Even when we think we treat ourselves kindly, bad days happen to everyone. Stress and anxiety can lead you down a path where you talk to yourself in a not-so-nice way.
Self-sabotage has lasting negative effects on your self-esteem and overall confidence. By that logic, positive behavior could have a lasting effect too, right?
Yes! Instead of bringing down your self-esteem, give it a boost with a little compassion.
Using positive affirmations can help boost your self-esteem, rebuild your confidence, and find comfort in self-love.
In this article, we’ll help you find useful affirmations and explore why it’s important to show yourself love and avoid self-sabotage.
What Makes Confidence, Self-Love, And Self-Esteem Different?
It’s important to know the true meanings of confidence, self-love, and self-esteem.
Don’t confuse confidence for cockiness or being full of yourself.
Confidence is when you’re self-assured in your own abilities or qualities. Being able to appreciate yourself and everything you offer isn’t selfish, it’s being realistic and an important step to a positive self-image.
Everyone is unique and has different abilities. Comparing yourself to others is a harmful thing to do.
Take the time to be confident in what you can do and the different qualities you have to offer.
It’s also easy to confuse self-love and self-esteem. Self-esteem is an attitude, namely how you feel about yourself, and reflects your overall personal worth or value. How do you perceive yourself?
People with low self-esteem struggle with confidence and viewing themselves with a positive attitude. It’s difficult to hold self-respect or find satisfaction with yourself with low self-esteem.
Having higher self-esteem means you hold more confidence in your own worth or your abilities. When you take the time to appreciate your own qualities and abilities, you’ll find an easier time boosting your self-esteem and maintaining self-respect.
Self-love is more of actions and feelings combined. Self-love is showing yourself kindness and care for your own well-being.
Don’t settle for less than you deserve or sacrifice your well-being.
Think about acts of self-care. When you take the time to pamper yourself and relax, you’re showing yourself some love!
It’s difficult to always show yourself kindness through self-caring actions, which is why you should use positive affirmations. It’s almost like self-care, but for your brain.
Why Are Positive Affirmations Important?
Comparing yourself to others is harmful to you as well as to others. When you compare yourself, you’re really losing focus on yourself and instead looking towards others.
It isn’t selfish to be concerned with yourself. After all, you’re living your own life—not theirs.
Each person is unique in their own rights which means each person’s self-worth is measured differently.
Acknowledging your worth and valuing yourself based on your own standards, not anyone else’s standards will boost your confidence and your self-esteem.
On the other hand, practicing self-love gives you more control in your life. There will always be factors out of our control, but when you give yourself a positive space, it’s easier to make the best out of less-than-ideal situations and take responsibility for your actions.
At times, it may feel like indulging in self-defeating behaviors can give you a better sense of control. If you’re expecting the worst and talking down to yourself, any positive outcome can give you a short-lived burst of joy.
It might feel better than the worry you’d feel if things were to go poorly, but it isn’t a good long-term plan to hold control.
Loving yourself allows you to find peace with how you live your life. It also helps you fight the negative thoughts that you might be accustomed to.
When you genuinely love yourself, you find it easier to counter negative and critical thoughts while also being more emotionally resilient.
Self-love also boosts your productivity. Instead of treating yourself harshly to avoid procrastination, treating yourself kindly prepares you to tackle any to-do list. Showing yourself compassion will give you more motivation to do the things that matter most.
How Can You Unlearn Self-Sabotaging Behavior?
Using positive affirmations is a helpful tool to combat self-defeating behavior, but recognizing what negative self-talk looks like for you will help you make adjustments in the long run.
Self-sabotage is when you actively prevent yourself from completing your goals or finding success. That’s a pretty hefty definition, and talking unkindly to yourself may not feel that strong.
Those with low self-esteem will often turn to self-sabotaging behaviors. In fact, self-sabotaging behavior is often fueled by poor self-talk and the negative emotions associated with it.
By reinforcing this negative behavior, you’re limiting your success and creating a never-ending cycle of shame and low-self esteem.
Turning to yourself and truly reflecting can help you break free of this cycle. Take a step back and acknowledge your behaviors and the emotions that are causing them.
Self-sabotaging behavior can come from stress and anxiety, but also feelings of anger and worthlessness. Reflecting can be painful, but truly understanding the root of this behavior will help you turn to a more positive light.
How Do Positive Affirmations Make A Difference?
Positive affirmations aren’t magic. You can’t use them here and there, but rather, have to put in consistent effort which is half the battle.
Putting in the effort to use positive affirmations is a sign that you’re willing to show yourself love, and that in itself is a great first step.
Affirmations are more than wishful thinking. By repeating these positive statements, you’re slowly but surely reprogramming the way your mind works. Over time you begin to believe in them.
It’s like exercising or playing a sport. It requires a lot of time and practice to improve, and the end result is a well-developed skill.
Think of positive affirmations like a mental workout to keep your mind in a positive, healthy position to tackle all the changes life throws at you.
How Do You Use Positive Affirmations?
Pick affirmations that speak to you. It may seem silly at first, and some of these statements might not be as useful to you as others, but we encourage you to find the best affirmations for you.
Use them whenever you need positivity in your life. Do you need a boost in confidence, or are you overthinking a situation?
Don’t listen to the negative self-talk. Instead, give yourself the credit you deserve and put a positive spin on it.
Affirmations can be said during meditation, in between tasks, or even written down during journaling.
Taking this time for yourself and encouraging self-love will put you in a healthy routine of positivity. Take the time to focus on the words you’re saying.
30 Positive Affirmations For Productivity, Compassion, And Growth
This list of positive affirmations will give you the tools to start your journey of confidence and self-love.
For Productivity:
- I can be whatever I want to be.
- Today will be a productive day.
- I am consistent in my hard work.
- I am confident in my abilities.
- I show up every day and do my best.
- Every day, I am getting closer to achieving my goals.
- My potential to succeed is limitless.
- To make small steps toward big goals is progress.
- It is okay to make mistakes, I am still learning.
- I am worthy of success in every area of my life.
For Compassion:
- I am confident and value myself.
- I am enough.
- I am allowed to take up space.
- I deserve to feel joy.
- I am allowed to take time to heal.
- I am allowed to feel good.
- I am worthy of respect and acceptance.
- I am not afraid to stand up for myself.
- My wants and needs are important.
- I strive for joy, not for perfection.
For Growth:
- I am growing and learning every day.
- I have made mistakes, but they do not define me.
- I am constantly growing and evolving into a better person.
- I am going to make myself proud.
- My life has meaning and everything I do has meaning.
- My life is a gift and I appreciate everything I have.
- Difficult times allow me to appreciate the good times.
- Negative thoughts only have the power I allow them.
- I am free to create the life I desire.
- There is something in this world that only I can do. That is why I am here.
Conclusion
Incorporating positive affirmations into your daily life is a work in progress, but we’re rooting for you!
Remember to be kind to yourself and recognize when you’re engaging in self-defeating behavior. We were meant to thrive and live up to our true potential with a little bit of compassion.
As you work on showing yourself genuine love, you’ll see the positive changes in your life, and notice how much easier it gets!