How to Create Affirmations to Improve Your Self-Esteem

These days, our self esteem can be compromised by almost anything. We are bombarded with unrealistic images of what we should look like, what we should have and how we should live. When our reality does not meet with the fantasy, we can begin to feel bad about ourselves and feel our self esteem plummet.

For some of us, low self-esteem has always been an issue. We have struggled with how we see and feel about ourselves. Sometimes this has been compounded by unpleasant events, failures, failed or toxic relationships etc.

If your self esteem is low or could use some improving, consider changing the way you see yourself. One way, to do this is to create personal affirmations that will help you work on that. Affirmations are positive declarations that can be used to change your self perception and habits for the better. Here are some tips to help you create your own affirmations that will help improve your self-esteem.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Use a journal to write down your thoughts, feelings and experiences. The process of improving your self esteem begins with you journaling about yourself. You will be creating a series of lists. Each list may bring up old memories, thoughts and feelings. It may also bring up memories and feelings you may have forgotten.
   
   Make a list of your positive qualities. If you are having trouble doing so, do not panic. Instead, think about any and all of the positive things people have said about you. It can be anything, including something small such as your smile. While compiling this list, you may want to journal about your thoughts and how you are feeling about the list.

2. Next, make a list of your ideal qualities. What qualities do you wish that you had but are lacking right now? This list should be qualities that are attainable and realistic. For example, do not list brown eyes, if your eyes are green. Instead, focus on qualities that you can improve. For example, if your teeth are crooked or yellow, those are things that you can improve. You want to keep your list realistic and attainable as much as possible.
   
   Again journal about your thoughts and feelings. Address your feelings, old memories and experiences. Do not be afraid to delve deep.

3. Make a list of things you appreciate in your life. This list should include qualities about yourself, people that love and care about you (including pets!), and actual things that you own or have that you are proud of (including your home, your job, school, material things etc.).
   
   Make this list as long as possible. Seeing in black and white, all of the things in your life that you have and appreciate, should make you feel better and more positive about your life.

4. Make a list of goals and dreams that you have. These can be big and seemingly unattainable. The point is that they are your dreams and goals. No matter the size, the risk, or your current situation, you are entitled to have dreams and goals.
   
   Now journal about this list. How do you feel about your goals and dreams? Of the goals and dreams you have written down, how many of them are attainable? For those attainable dreams and goals, write about what you would need to have or do and how long you would need to realize them.

5. At this point, you should have a series of lists. From these lists, you will create your affirmations. The first list you compiled focused on your positive qualities. From this list, you now want to create positive declarations that celebrate these qualities. For example, if you listed your smile as a positive quality, then write an affirmation that declares this. Something like: "I have a beautiful and radiant smile" would suffice. Continue down the list.

6. Do the same for your ideal qualities list and for your appreciation list. You may want to write affirmations that form a combination of qualities from these lists. If there is a similar point on both lists, combine them into a positive declarative statement. For example, if you put that you wanted to get to your ideal size on your ideal list and that you appreciate your health on your appreciation list, you can combine these two into a statement that addresses both. Something like: "I appreciate my healthy and shapely body in all of its imperfections. I will continue to strive to meet my health and fitness goals but I am proud of where I am today."

7. From your goals and dreams list and your journaling, you should now have a clearer perspective on your dreams and goals. Why not declare that you will fulfill these goals in an affirmation? Not only will it increase your self esteem it may also encourage you to actually take the initiative in making these dreams a reality.
   
   For example, if one of your goals is to be an award winning painter or artist, declare something like: "I am a talented and intuitive artist. I use my talents for good and will create known and well received works." Declaring this aloud every day, may help you to make the necessary steps and to do the necessary work to get the ball rolling.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider reading positive self-help books that offer affirmations or advice on ways to look at yourself in a positive light.
• Add any affirmations that you find useful to your affirmation list.
• Take anything not so good or that does not seem to be negative and turn it into a positive. You will be amazed at how the change in your perspective can change how you feel about the situation. This in turn, can change how you behave and what happens in your life.
• This is a process that may not be complete in a few days. This is only the beginning in a process to delve deep and address issues that you are facing or dealing with. Continue to go through the process and add affirmations to your list until you find a change in the way you see and feel about yourself.
• Affirmations are great to write, but you must actually say them aloud every day for them to be effective.