“How can I become more confident?”
It’s a question you’ve probably asked yourself hundreds of times. Maybe you’ve even read some self-confidence books before to seek out answers to this question.
It’s certainly an important one to ask because confidence is what separates those who get the life they want from those who settle for one they don’t:
The person who’s confident enough to approach strangers will always have a better dating life than the person who’s terrified of rejection.
The person who trusts in their ability to handle uncertainty will always put in more work than the person who’s terrified of failing.
We all know the importance of self-belief, but living by this virtue on a daily basis is far easier said than done.
In this article, we’re going to discuss a list of affirmations for confidence that will help you improve your self-esteem. We’ll also dive into the science behind confidence affirmations and the proper way to practice them for maximum impact.
Do Affirmations Help With Confidence?
Before we cover some powerful affirmations for confidence, let’s talk about some do’s and don’ts when it comes to positive self-talk.
The answer to the question posed above depends entirely on how you use affirmations. If you lack confidence and you try to convince your brain that you’re a confident person, then affirmations will do nothing for you.
By using affirmations in this fashion, you’re essentially having an argument with your brain:
- Generic Positive Affirmation: I radiate confidence in everything that I do!
- Your Brain’s Response: “Uhh no you don’t. You’ve lacked confidence for years and I have a bunch of anecdotal evidence to back this up.”
So while people who tell you to repeat confidence affirmations like the one above are coming from a good place, this is the wrong way to go about positive self-talk.
In this study, children who held negative beliefs about their competence were asked to practice self-affirmations while completing a set of math problems.
One group of students was asked to repeat ability-focused affirmations like, “I’m very good at this!” Other students were asked to repeat effort-focused affirmations such as “I will do my best!”
The students who practiced ability-focused affirmations saw little to no improvement in their performance, while the students who practiced effort-focused affirmations saw significant increases in performance.
The takeaway from this study is that your affirmations for confidence should emphasize effort as opposed to competence.
Don’t say things like, “I’m confident in everything that I do.” or “I carry confidence with me everywhere I go!”
This is essentially just lying to yourself under the pretense of positivity. Instead, say things like, “I’m capable of developing extreme confidence.” or “I have an opportunity to become more confident at this moment.”
In other words, keep your affirmations positive but believable. You’ll find that many of the following confidence affirmations will follow this exact structure.
Extreme Self Confidence Affirmations
Without further ado, let’s kick things off by getting right into the first batch of positive confidence affirmations.
As you read through the list, be sure to write down any phrases that resonate with you.
- I’m capable of showing confidence at any given moment.
- I cannot control how I feel, but I can control what I do.
- I’m the only person who controls my outcomes.
- Each time I act in spite of fear, I become more confident.
- The future that I want is waiting for my confidence to catch up.
- My level of confidence determines my future.
- I’m willing to act in spite of fear.
- If I weren’t afraid, it wouldn’t be meaningful.
- I’m confident in my ability to handle pressure.
- My confidence grows each time I take positive action.
- The actions of confidence come first, the feelings of confidence come later.
- I can become confident and courageous by overcoming my fears.
- I’m ready to unleash my inner badass.
- I trust that I can handle whatever life wants to throw at me.
- Confidence doesn’t come from thoughts, it has to come from my actions.
- If I change my decisions, I can change everything.
- I don’t need to feel ready to take action.
- Courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s acting in spite of it.
- Doubt is removed through action.
- I’m perfectly capable of overcoming my lack of confidence.
- Every confident person once lacked confidence.
- Confidence is just a skill; and any skill can be improved with practice.
- I get stronger with each display of confidence.
- The only person that can stop me is me.
- I was not made to be average.
- Successful people do what they have to do whether they feel like it or not.
- I’m both a masterpiece and a work in progress at the same time.
- The only thing I have control over is whether or not I show confidence in this moment.
- I trust myself to take calculated risks and let the chips fall where they may.
Morning Affirmations For Confidence
Enjoying this list of confidence affirmations so far? Then perhaps you’d find value in these articles on the benefits of affirmations and how to write affirmations.
If you just want to keep reading, then here’s some more morning affirmations for confidence.
- Every day is a new opportunity to work on my confidence.
- Today is a great day to choose forward progress.
- I’m grateful for another opportunity to work on my confidence.
- I’m determined to do whatever it takes to reach my goals.
- Confidence is a skill that I’m capable of improving.
- My past doesn’t affect my ability to take action in the present.
- Fear is a signal that I need to display confidence; it’s not meant to stop me.
- Discomfort is where I need to live in order to become confident.
- Great things are never going to come from my comfort zone.
- I’m focused on what I can control and letting go of what I can’t.
- I can step into bravery at any given moment.
- Right now is an opportunity for me to train my confidence muscle.
- Acting in spite of fear is what will build my character.
- I can become supremely confident starting with my efforts right now.
- I grow with every challenge that I face.
- All I need to be successful and confident is within me right now.
- I’m in full control of my life.
- My limiting beliefs can be re-wired through purposeful effort.
- I have so much potential inside of me that’s waiting to be unlocked.
- If I do today what I did yesterday, I will get today what I did yesterday.
- Nobody can stop me from winning except myself.
- I’m fully capable of doing amazing things with my life.
- I don’t need to feel confident to face my fears.
- All day long, I see opportunities to improve my confidence.
- My mind isn’t wired for confidence, which is why I’m going to rewire it through my actions.
- No one is coming to save me. I’m 100% responsible for my life.
- Every moment in which I doubt myself is an opportunity for growth.
- There is no growth without discomfort.
- If I wanted an easy life, I’d have given up a long time ago.
- I am in charge of my life.
- No one can stop me from getting the life that I want.
- No one will hand me confidence, I need to go earn it.
- I’m coming for what’s mine, and it starts right now.
- Up until now I’ve let fear win, it’s time for me to start changing that story.
How To Implement These Affirmations For Confidence
Hopefully a few of the affirmations above resonated with you. Now we’re going to shift gears and discuss how you can deploy these affirmations to improve your self-esteem.
First off, identify the daily scenarios where your lack of confidence stops you from doing what you want to do. This will vary from person to person, but here are some common situations that you may write down:
- You see an attractive man/woman and want to go introduce yourself.
- You want to do something productive, but are doubting your ability to complete the task at hand.
- You want to speak your mind, but are struggling with the fear of being judged.
These are the kinds of moments where positive self-talk serves you best. When your irrational mind is clouded by fear, this is the perfect time to get your rational mind involved in the conversation.
Once you’ve identified key scenarios where your lack of confidence stops you from doing what you want, now it’s time to sprinkle in some positive self-talk:
- Whenever you find yourself in these moments, commit to practicing affirmations for 20-30 seconds.
- When you’re starting out, you may need to keep your affirmations somewhere visible (phone, piece of paper, etc.)
- Try your best to take action immediately after repeating your affirmations.
In the beginning, you probably won’t take action even with the help of confidence affirmations (don’t beat yourself up, this is totally normal).
Eventually, you’ll reach a point where you’re fed up with inaction and you’ll show a few seconds of courage.
This is the tipping point where things start to change — once you do it once, your brain now has new evidence. That first momentary flash of bravery is crucial because it proves that you’re capable of taking action.
With each subsequent action thereafter, your brain will start forming new beliefs and showing extreme confidence will become easier and easier.
Final Thoughts On These Confidence Affirmations
I hope that you enjoyed this extensive list of affirmations for confidence!
Just like any other skill in life, confidence is developed through repetition. While positive self-talk can serve as momentum to get the ball rolling, affirmations alone will not shift your beliefs.
At the end of the day, the actions of confidence need to come first — the feelings of confidence will come after.
If you learn to combine these confidence affirmations with action when you’re feeling fear, then you’re well on your way to getting exactly what you want in life.
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