Affirmations to Boost Self Confidence

Affirmations are things that drum up strong emotion in people. You either love them or hate them. How do I know? I have been on both sides of the coin when it comes to affirmations.

When I first started out on my entrepreneurial journey in 2010, I learned a bit about affirmations from a variety of avenues. Books I was reading. Guru-type coaches I learned from. My own business coach would talk about them.

So, being naturally curious, I tried a few.

Nothing happened.

And so, I began teaching people that affirmations don’t work.

Admitting to Mistakes.

Many years passed and I kept seeing other people using affirmations and receiving great benefit. So, I thought harder about it. What was I missing?

Turns out – I made a mistake.

Affirmations do work. You just have to use them properly.

Your Intentions.

The reason that I was struggling with affirmation success? Well, the affirmation statements that I was trying to use… they were wrong.

What do I mean by “wrong”? Well, they were not my own.

Sure, you can get onto social media and scroll through the lovely images. You can read the posts that have those strong words that conjure up emotion.

But unless those words have meaning – real value in your life – they aren’t going to move the needle!

Affirmations do work. Yup, I have changed my tune. However, they only are successful when they are your words put into practice.

Create Your Affirmations.

So, how does a person create their intentional statements?

First, I like to figure out what is getting in my way.

Am I afraid of something? Do I lack confidence in a skill? What are the things that are holding me back?

List those out first.

Then, tackle each item that you wrote down one at a time.

So, for example, if you wrote down: “I am afraid that I will make a mistake when I am in the charge nurse role.” Think about – what is the opposite to fearing that you will make a mistake?

To me, the opposite of being worried about making a mistake is trusting in my clinical judgement to lead the team effectively. So, the affirmation then becomes…

I choose to use my clinical judgement to effectively lead my team.

Bold, right? There is one word in the sentence above that is the MOST important word that you may ever read… What is it?

Choose.

Your rational mind is protecting you from harm by worrying about how you will do running charge. So, you have to gently invite the rational mind to agree with what you are working towards.

You aren’t going to be full of confidence in your ability to lead the team over night… just saying. So, again, you must slowing allow yourself to start to believe in this idea.

(Hint: this is another reason why affirmations do not work for people. They jump too far ahead of themselves and never fully believe the statements that their mouths are repeating.)

Confident Nurses.

It can be difficult to be a nurse. Yes, I realize that I am stating the obvious… but in all seriousness, nursing is tough.

You have lots of other disciplines to navigate and work collaboratively with. Emotions are high. The pace is fast. And since health care changes so rapidly, we have to constantly be educating ourselves to keep up with new information and technology.

Even the most experienced nurse may find him or herself in a situation that tests their confidence. So, we all could use some confidence boosters to support our nursing practice.

Now again… affirmations work best when YOU craft them in your own words. However, I’d like to help you out and so I’ll get you started with this list.

22 Affirmations to Boost Self Confidence

1. I choose to believe in my capabilities.
2. I choose to trust my knowledge and skills.
3. I choose to know that I am a confident nurse.
4. I choose to show up today with confidence.
5. I choose to do the best job that I can do during this shift.
6. I choose to believe in myself as a nurse.
7. I choose to know that I am a strong team member.
8. I choose to contribute actively to my team.
9. I choose to be able to provide quality nursing care.
10. I choose to trust that I am a great nurse.
11. I choose to see myself as a confident nurse.
12. I choose to feel empowered today.
13. I choose to speak with confidence.
14. I choose to support my colleagues in a confident manner.
15. I choose to run charge with grace and ease.
16. I choose to handle difficult situations calmly, trusting myself and my decisions.
17. I choose to be an awesome nurse today.
18. I choose to work with a confident demeanor.
19. I choose to be a valuable asset to my team.
20. I choose to make a difference on my unit.
21. I choose to be a confident nurse leader.
22. I choose to speak clearly and confidently at work.

Would love to hear your thoughts on the above list and what you’d add to the docket? Tell us by commenting below, how do you exhibit confidence in the work place?

About the Author: Keynote speaker and podcaster, Elizabeth Scala MSN/MBA, RN, HNB-BC partners with hospitals, nursing schools, and nurse associations to transform the field of nursing from the inside out. As the host of the Your Next Shift podcast, Elizabeth supports nursing organizations in celebrating and recognizing their staff in a meaningful way. Elizabeth received her dual master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. She is also a certified coach and Reiki Master Teacher. Elizabeth lives in Maryland with her supportive husband and playful pit bull.