40 Self-Love Affirmations For The Festive Season

With the holiday season in full swing for many people around the world, this time of year is often accompanied by a whole mashup of emotions. Need proof? Just watch Love Actually.

For some, it’s a period of excitement, joy and fun as the holiday anticipation builds each day. For others, this time of year brings nerves, fatigue, stress and dread due to things like strained relationships, an ever-growing to-do list, a packed schedule, work stress or financial difficulties. Maybe you experience a mix of ups and downs and are doing your best to ride the waves.

Whatever the festive season looks like for you and however you’re feeling, we know that it’s common to feel a sense of pressure as the year draws to a close, and a few of the Sweat trainers recently shared their feel-good holiday tips. It’s all too easy to be hard on ourselves when we’re trying to juggle a million things and drop one or two (or 10), so we want to remind you how important it is to show yourself kindness right now.

Whenever you achieve something big or small, take a moment to celebrate. When you’re tired, prioritise rest. If you slip up, forgive yourself and remember you’re only human. Regardless of how consistent your workout schedule is or if it’s the first thing to fall off your to-do list, find ways to feel gratitude for your incredible body. And no matter what each day throws at you, know that you’re enough and you’re doing the best you can. 

Should you notice you’re not feeling so great about yourself or that you’re more on the glass-half-empty side of life, one powerful thing you can try is to practice self-love affirmations.

The power of affirmations

According to research from 2014 on affirmations and the psychology of change, affirmations have been shown to improve education, health, and relationship outcomes, with benefits that sometimes persist for months and years.

Other research from 2016 published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience journal highlighted that when a person’s positive self-view is threatened, affirmations can restore self-competence by allowing individuals to reflect on sources of self-worth. 

Sweat Trainer Kelsey Wells is a huge fan of affirmations and the power of self-love as these tools have helped to transform her relationship with her body, mind and fitness. She even made them a part of her Redefine Fitness: Strength and Mindfulness program and her upcoming Sweat Challenge program, Mindful Strength.  

“I know some people have an aversion to things like affirmations and gratitude because they think they’re ‘woo-woo’ or fluffy, but I urge people who might think it’s ridiculous to give it a shot,” Kelsey encourages. 

“It might feel uncomfortable or awkward at first, you might be rolling your eyes - and trust me, the affirmations I need the most are the hardest for me to say out loud - but the more you do it, the more you’ll start to feel a shift in how you feel.”

Show yourself some love

As a loving, festive treat for you and your mind, we’ve put together 40 self-love affirmations to help you let go of negative self-talk and reshape your mindset. Think of them as personal declarations of kindness, positivity and empowerment that will help foster a stronger relationship with yourself and a greater sense of resilience - perfect for the silly season or any time of year.

Whether you’re feeling on top of the world or like you’re running on empty, the key is to try your best to really feel and believe what you’re saying in order to shift your mood and outlook.

You can say these affirmations out aloud, repeat them in your mind, keep them in your phone notes app, write them in a journal or pop them on post-it notes where you’ll see them often - whatever feels most helpful for you. You might feel drawn to different affirmations depending on how you feel and what’s going on in your life, so use whichever ones resonate with you best.

Affirmations for love, kindness or acceptance

• Today, I love myself just as I am.

• I am enough.

• I choose to be kind to myself.

• I deserve to be kind to myself. 

• I am my own best friend.

• I am grateful to be me!

• I allow myself to be the real me, the person who I truly am.

• I am learning to love myself more each day.

• I believe in myself.

• I cherish the relationship I have with myself.

Affirmations to destress

• I am calm and relaxed in all situations.

• I am equipped to handle this situation effectively.

• I am thankful for all the good in my life.

• With each breath that I take, I feel more calm and relaxed.

• Everything is going to be okay.

• Despite how I feel right now, I understand this feeling and situation are temporary. This will pass.

• I accept the things I can’t control or change and I’m okay with that.

• I am at peace with where I am.

• I practice self-compassion when I make mistakes or don’t achieve what I wanted to.

• I let go of that which no longer serves me.

• Things might not go to plan, and that’s ok.

Affirmations to show kindness to your body

• I am at home in my body as my body is my forever home.

• I treat my body with love, care and respect.

• I love my body and all that it does for me.

• My body does not determine my worth.

• My body is the least interesting thing about me.

• My body is a gift.

• My body can do incredible things, and isn't a source of shame or insecurity. 

• Nobody has the power to make me feel bad about my body.

• I embrace my body as it changes.

• Taking care of myself and my body is always a good idea.

Affirmations to feel proud or empowered

• I let go of negative self talk.

• I am doing the best I can.

• I am strong and confident.

• I am proud of myself.

• I am constantly growing, evolving and becoming my best self.

• I am proud of everything I get done, no matter how small.

• I am capable and resilient.

• I honour my unique life path.

Let’s face it - the festive season just feels a bit much at times, and we could all do with having some clever self-care tools up our sleeves to keep our sanity in check. In case you needed a reminder, self-care is never selfish and we're all about ditching the guilt this festive season. You can’t pour from an empty cup! Make these self-love affirmations part of your daily wellness routine and remember how incredible you truly are.