55 Self Compassion Affirmations to Show Yourself More Kindness
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Last Updated on January 23, 2023
When you think of compassion, are you including yourself in the equation?
Are you harder on yourself than you are on others? We tend to be our own worst critic. But self compassion is actually absolutely necessary for you to function, thrive, and feel your best.
But being kind to yourself isn’t always easy. Amidst societal pressure, perfectionism, and other sources of unrealistic expectations, you might find it challenging to show yourself the self compassion you deserve. That’s where these self compassion affirmations come in.
These self compassion affirmations can help you get one step closer to being kinder, gentler, and more lenient with yourself. They work to transform your negative self talk into positive self talk! This will significantly improve your self esteem and belief in yourself, which is a must for good mental health.
So if you’re ready to treat yourself with MORE self love, let’s dive right into these self compassion affirmations!
How to Practice Self-Compassion
Self compassion is all about having a positive attitude toward yourself by giving yourself grace and acceptance.
Positive Psychology offers a few super useful approaches for practicing self compassion, including:
- Treating yourself as you’d treat a friend – you probably don’t beat your friends up for making mistakes. We’re usually more understanding of others than we are of ourselves, so it’s important to work toward giving yourself the same kind of grace and leniency!
- Becoming more self aware – next time you catch your negative self talk coming on, stop it in its tracks by reframing the self talk into something more understanding. For example, “I keep messing everything up!” can be reframed into “I do mess up sometimes, but making mistakes is only human. I’m doing okay.”
- Gain outside perspectives – sometimes getting a second opinion on something you’re stressed about can help you view it differently. Maybe your friend has gone through exactly what you’re going through and can offer some words of wisdom. They might allow you to see that the problem isn’t as big as it feels right now.
And then, of course, using the self compassion affirmations in this post are a fantastic way to help re-train your brain to leap toward self compassion in times of stress, rather than self hatred. Think of self compassion like a muscle. The more you train it and work on it, the easier it will become!
Try these self compassion exercises and affirmations to become a little gentler on yourself!
Self Compassion Affirmations
- It’s okay to feel whatever it is I’m feeling.
- I deserve to treat myself with the same compassion I give to others.
- I am allowed to be lenient with myself.
- I am allowed to go easy on myself in times of stress.
- I am doing the best I can with the resources I have.
- I am choosing to love myself unconditionally.
- Mistakes are only human and I expect to make mistakes.
- I am patient with myself.
- I am a work in progress and that’s okay.
- I am always enough.
- I don’t have to achieve it all.
- I am allowed to just be.
- I accept my faults and quirks.
- I accept the best and worst parts of myself.
- I can pave my own way.
- I am perfectly capable.
- I don’t need to second guess myself.
- I trust that I make the best decisions possible.
- Change is hard, so I’ll go easy on myself when going through it.
- I am allowed to be kind and gentle toward myself.
- I would never be hateful toward myself as a child, so why would I treat my adult self any different?
- I respect myself just the way I am.
- Spending time with myself isn’t selfish, it’s essential.
- I know myself best, so I can make the best choices for myself.
- I am showing up for myself today.
- I am proud of the person I’m becoming.
- I am letting go of all societal expectations.
{RELATED: 114 Affirmations for Letting Go and Releasing Expectations}
Like self compassion affirmations? Get them as cards!
A physical reminder that you ARE doing amazing is even more effective for your mindset! Grab this deck of 40 printable affirmation cards and bring these affirmations to life.
Use them as journal prompts, stick ‘em on your mirror for an everyday reminder, or get creative and turn them into a vision board or collage on your wall!
Self Love Affirmations for Self Compassion
- I appreciate the person I am.
- I am worthy of being my first priority.
- I am allowed to fill my cup before filling the cups of others.
- I am understanding with myself.
- I am a wonderful friend, daughter/son, sister/brother, significant other, etc.
- Self love heals my inner wounds.
- Believing in myself will get me far.
- The more I practice self compassion affirmations, the more they will become second nature.
- I am celebrating my uniqueness.
- I love my body for all it can do for me.
- I love my brain for all the things it’s gotten me through.
- I am resilient and powerful.
- I embrace myself completely.
- I deserve to pay attention to myself.
- I honor myself and my needs.
- My feelings are valid and there is no right or wrong.
- Everyone has flaws and I accept mine.
- I am gentle with myself when things go wrong.
- My shortcomings do not define me.
- Criticizing myself has no place in my life.
- I deserve my own approval.
- I do not need the approval of others to be happy.
- I don’t need to seek external validation.
- I am doing SO well.
- Even when I’m going through a rough patch, I am worthy of self love and compassion.
- I can take things one step at a time.
- I don’t have to have it all figured out.
- I release the expectation of being perfect.
{RELATED: 250 Peaceful Affirmations for Overthinking}
Popping in to ask you about your mental health! Could you use a little extra support for negative self-thoughts? Talking to an online therapist can really help you out. It’s helped me tremendously! I always recommend Online Therapy because it’s a comprehensive, effective online therapy toolkit at an affordable monthly cost. Get 20% off your first month at the link below!
What are self compassion affirmations and are they useful?
Self compassion affirmations are positive statements we can use to improve our self-image and swap our negative self talk for positive self talk.
They provide great benefit to you by challenging your inner critic and motivating you to believe in yourself and your capabilities. They are especially focused on self-kindness and reframing your negative thoughts. You get the opportunity to acknowledge your feelings, then respond to them with empathy rather than judgment.
This practice also relates to mindfulness, where you accept your thoughts and feelings just as they are without criticism. It’s also important to remember that change and acceptance aren’t mutually exclusive. Good, effective change comes when you first accept yourself and meet yourself where you’re already at!
How to Use These Affirmations
The purpose behind using affirmations is to essentially retrain your brain to opt for positive self-talk rather than negative self-talk. The more you intentionally practice encouraging inner dialogue, the more it will become second nature in time.
Here’s a few ways to use these self compassion affirmations to make them most effective:
- Speak them out loud or write them down in a safe space, like a journal
- Speak or read them slowly, clearly, and intentionally
- Repeat them in front of a mirror once a day
- Repeat them while meditating
- Work toward truly believing the affirmations. This is the most important step of all!
Research shows that speaking self compassion affirmations to yourself improves feelings of self worth and increases motivation. So yes, they really work! Your job is to just be consistent with them, like anything, to truly reap the benefits.
Let me know in the comments:
Which of these self compassion affirmations do you like best?
More Affirmations You’ll Love
114 Affirmations for Letting Go and Releasing Expectations
250 Peaceful Affirmations for Overthinking
50+ Daily Positive Affirmations for Motivation and Self Confidence
40 Printable Positive Affirmation Cards!!
Hello, Alexa.
I appreciate the work you do.
I am a blogger who writes to support Women 55+ to live their best lives with intention, purpose, passion and joy. Today, I published a blog and added a link to your article so my readers could enjoy your work and be better informed.
Your article: 55 Self-Compassion Affirmations to Show Yourself More Kindness
The Link: https://ambitiouslyalexa.com/self-compassion-affirmations/
My Blog: The Surprising Power of Self-Compassion for Women Over 55
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Thank you for the work you do.
Chris Cole
Loop See Ladder
https://www.loopseeladder.com/