Positive Affirmations in the Morning (This is What I Tell Myself)

Do you wake up in the morning spewing forth positive emotions from thy lips?

Yeah, me neither.

However, the morning is actually a pretty good time to give yourself a pep talk, should you feel so inclined.

Why positive affirmations in the morning are a good idea

When you wake up in the morning, you’re fresh. You haven’t started freaking out about the number on the scale or the presentation you have to give later today. Your mind has been turned off and, unless you were up on and off all night from stress or a small child, you’re probably pretty relaxed.

Enter positive affirmations. You don’t have to say a ton of them, and you should definitely put them down if they start to feel like a chore, but saying them in the morning may help set a good tone for the day.

I know, I know, all this uplifting self talk brings to mind Stuart Smalley from SNL, but it does NOT have to be cheesy or hokey. And it really can make you feel better, especially if you’re in the right head space for it.

HOW I USE POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS IN THE MORNING

Honestly, I don’t have a set thing that I do. I like to use positive affirmations in the morning if that feels right, but I also use them throughout the day and even right before bed.

In fact, I have a list that I keep right next to my bed, and I look at it every time I remember, because it really does make me feel better.

And you, yes you, are going to get to take a look at the exact affirmations I tell myself! Let’s get to it!

The exact positive affirmations I live by

These are the REAL things I have written on a piece of paper next to my bed. I refer to them quite often, especially when I’m feeling grumpy.

#1 I AM DOING A GOOD JOB 

This sounds so simple, but it is so powerful.

Tell yourself you’re doing a good job! I do this every morning and boy, it makes me feel so happy and jubilant. Good vibes abound!

Try it. Say to yourself, “I’m doing a good job.”

Did you do it?

It helps me feel so good and so alive and so present. It makes me feel like I really am doing a good job at this whole game of life thing. That I’m a good mom. That I’m taking my business in a good direction.

Give it a whirl.

#2 I’M IN CONTROL OF MY THOUGHTS

It’s easy to get bent out of shape and frustrated about life or what the people around you are doing, but the truth is, you can’t control any of it. The thing you do control, though, is your thoughts.

For instance, this weekend the Low Oil Level light came on in my car. I have no control over this or how it turns out (my car, Pearl, is going to the shop tomorrow). The only thing I can do in this situation is pay attention to my thoughts and help them to be positive ones.

Instead of assuming the worst, that the repair will be expensive, that this is the beginning of the end, or that my luck is terrible, I can tell myself more peaceful things, instead.

“The folks at the dealership will know exactly what to do.”

“Thank goodness we made it home safely after the light came on.”

“I have plenty of savings that can cover car repairs.”

See what I mean?

#3 MY NATURAL VIBE IS HIGH AF

I read this on Aaron Doughty’s Instagram and it stuck with me. For one, it’s kind of funny. I guess adding “AF” to any sentence just makes it a little more light-hearted?

Secondly, telling myself reminds me that it’s okay to feel good and that it is, in fact, my natural state. When I’m not feeling high vibe, it’s because I’m stuck in some negative thought patterns and it’s time to let ’em go.

#4 WHAT I WANT ALSO WANTS ME

There’s one Rumi poem that really, really speaks to me.

When I run after what I think I want,
my days are a furnace of stress and anxiety;
if I sit in my own place of patience,
what I need flows to me, and without pain.
From this I understand that
what I want also wants me,
is looking for me and attracting me.
There is a great secret here
for anyone who can grasp it.

I usually can’t remember the whole thing, but if I just tell myself, “what I want also wants me,” it calms me down. I remember its essence, it’s message of sitting still and feeling peaceful rather than chasing after things with stress and anguish.

#5 I CHOOSE TO ALIGN WITH  MY HIGHER SELF

My inner being knows all is well. It knows I’m safe, it knows I’m loved, it knows everything is available to me.

That means if I’m feeling cranky, grumpy, or worthless, I know I’m out of alignment with how my inner self feels. With how my heart feels.

So I simply remind myself that I’m choosing to be in alignment with my higher self. It might not always make me feel better instantly, but it certainly helps me to feel more positive.

#6 I AM ALREADY COMPLETE

If you want to understand why this positive affirmation works for me, go listen to the podcast that inspired it.

The analogy used in the podcast was that we are the feet, not the shoes. Here’s what was meant by that: Our human bodies are simply the shoe and our true selves, our souls, are the foot.

We’re looking and looking for fulfillment outside of ourselves, never realizing it’s already there. We think we’re the shoe needing something more, but the truth is we’re the foot. We’re already complete.

Our bodies die, but our souls continue. We are so, so much more than just a body.

#7 I HAVE THE ANSWERS INSIDE ME

This is a guiding force in my life, plain and simple. Knowing and believing that you have the answers inside you, that your intuition with always guide you, is the most uplifting thing I can imagine.

Try telling yourself this whenever you run into a tough situations and watch how it helps you feel centered and calm.

As far as positive affirmations in the morning go, this one is pretty high up there for me.

Want to keep the good vibes going? Check out these 40 Art Journal Prompts and let the positivity flow.