It is so easy to let self-doubt creep into our day-to-day, leaving us feeling not good enough, lacking confidence and belief in ourselves.

Self-doubt can follow you constantly, your inner thoughts become loud, all negative, all guiding you down a negative path, one negative moment rolling into the next and the next, until your inner you finds itself constantly in this negative, totally affecting how you feel about yourself.

This may start from the moment you get up, the moment you look back at your reflection in the mirror, you find yourself starting to focus on the negatives that you think you see about yourself, this then can quickly shift to the clothes you put on for the day, which can then snowball further as your continue on, feeling more negative before you have even left the house, slowly spiralling further into the negative mindset as you go
throughout your day.

A day that becomes full of negative thoughts, a negative mindset, and a negative outlook, affecting everything you do throughout your day and how you look and feel.

My Story...

How do I know this? I have been there, feeling negative about myself, not being able to shift out of this negative state, each day rolling into the next and the next, constantly feeling a lack of confidence and negativity, and you just can’t seem to shake it off.

I have always struggled with confidence, the way I look, growing up, I was totally shy, someone that always stood in the background, never one who really spoke up and had a say or was listened to, someone who’s opinion didn’t seem to matter.

This stayed with me throughout my school years: shy, not confident, often bullied.

Throughout my life, I have faced challenges that were a struggle, one of my constant struggles, bullying. I was often picked on because I didn’t do what all the cool kids were doing, I stood back, I was quiet, I didn’t speak up, I was seen as a “goody two-shoes”, all starting the spiral of bullying throughout my school years, all affecting my confidence, belief in myself and who I was.

Other struggles faced were throughout my first marriage, yes, more bullying, struggles of control, manipulation, put-downs, my self-esteem tumbling even further, my voice silenced, the little self-esteem I had no longer, and my confidence was nowhere to be seen, becoming a shell of myself.

Bullying became a part of my life; it seemed a constant, a struggle, negativity totally engulfing my life and everything in it.

All these effects are affecting me to the point that I hit rock bottom, a place I never imagined I would be.

With support, courage and strength, I found myself again, not the old version of myself but a stronger, braver, more empowered version of myself, never one to give up, always one to put one foot in front of the other, to keep going, no matter what.

Something that became my life was writing. I started to write in 2020; words jumbled in my head began forming phrases, then affirmations. As I wrote another and another, affirmations seemed to flow constantly, as if giving me a chance to heal myself through the phrases I began writing.

Affirmations changing my life forever.

What are Affirmations?

Affirmations are positive phrases repeated often to build confidence, to shift self-doubt and a negative mindset.

Repeated daily, they really can make such a difference to your day, building your confidence, giving you belief in yourself, totally changing how you see yourself, your inner you beginning to feel positive once more and giving you confidence that you can do anything.

Affirmations are more powerful than we think, combating self-doubt, shifting mindsets from negative to positive, building confidence, and improving overall well-being.

How to Make the Most of Affirmations

Reading affirmations daily helps me focus, shift that self-doubt, stay positive, believe in myself, have confidence, have a voice, speak out, and have a say.

Placing affirmations around my office space, having a glance at them when I need, keeps me on track, is my go-to when I am feeling down, and reminds me of who I am and what I can achieve.

One of the affirmations that resonates with me the most is the one that sits on my desk, the one that I look at more than any other, it is the one that I turn to every time to remind myself: 

I can do anything, I control my own life, I believe in myself, this is my life.

This affirmation reminds me that I can do anything, that I control my life, that it is my life to live, and that I believe in myself and what I can achieve.

Throughout my life, people told me I would not amount to anything, that my life was constantly controlled, and that I had lost the belief in myself that I could do anything and chase my dreams.

There was a time in my life when I did not even know about dreams; they just seemed so far away, like the moon in the sky, far and not able to reach. I did not even know I could achieve dreams, let alone impossible dreams.

Another affirmation I look at often relates to family challenges I have faced; I turn to it when my mindset starts to become negative, and I find I am constantly thinking about those challenges and cannot shift away from them. This is the affirmation I repeat to myself: 

Don’t let others drag you down, you deserve more, take off and soar.

After reading this affirmation repeatedly, my mindset returns and grounds me, bringing me back to the now and helping me feel confident in what I can achieve.

Life can go by so quickly that we find ourselves caught up in the hustle and bustle, and we often forget to truly take care of ourselves.

Days get so busy, going from one day to the next, that we sometimes never actually stop to think about our self-care, our mindset, and how we truly are.

It is easy to forget how often mindset effects our day-to-day life, changing how we feel about ourselves, changing our emotions and influencing the decisions we make, mindset is more important than we realise.

How easy it is to simply fail to realise the vital role mindset plays.

Mindset can affect your entire day, the moment you get up, right through to the end of the day, and it can even stay with you day after day after day.

Writing has really helped me to give hope to so many, whether it be in a small way or a big way, it is easy to continue throughout your days and never really stop to think about, how a negative mindset can truly be affecting you.

There is a real difference between starting your day negatively and starting your day positively. When you are confident, you feel like you can do anything, achieve anything, and life seems a little easier. When you are feeling negative, life seems difficult, like a weight is on top of you, you are not confident, and life seems a struggle.

Feeling confident in yourself is so beneficial to your overall mental health and well-being.

There are many ways you can build confidence through affirmations into your day, whether it be by writing them down in a journal, talking them to yourself in the mirror (this is one I often do), placing affirmations throughout your home, in frames like I have done or writing them on sticky notes, these are great ways to keep you grounded, to stay positive and to remind yourself of who you are.

Here are a handful of examples of affirmations I have written. Start with one and then include more as you need: 

1. I am beautiful, I am me
2. Love myself today, tomorrow and always
3. I am brave, and I am strong
4. I love all of me
5. It is my life, I can do anything

Simple affirmations said as you are getting ready each morning, repeated throughout your day, will really start to change how you see yourself, giving you more confidence, belief in yourself, and a more positive mindset.

Affirmations will slowly build your confidence as you start to use them more especially in the times that you feel yourself feeling flat, feeling negative and just not confident, they are phrases you can turn to, to give you a boost throughout your day.

Affirmations are becoming a part of your day-to-day.

Confidence is so important in our life, it can turn a bad day into a good day just by feeling confident within yourself, when you feel good, your mindset is positive and things seem easier, no longer stressful or overwhelming, you are no longer anxious, and you feel calm and grounded.

Life can be stressful, make it a little easier with affirmations, building confidence, giving you belief, changing your wellbeing now and into the future, both in your personal life and working life.

Break free from negativity and choose affirmations; they really can change your life.

 

Join the Conversation

Confidence doesn't happen overnight.

It grows through small moments of kindness, encouraging words, supportive communities, and choosing to see ourselves through a more compassionate lens.

If something in this article resonated with you, we'd love to hear from you.

Have affirmations helped you through a difficult season?

Is there an affirmation you return to whenever you need encouragement?

Or perhaps today is the first time you've considered speaking to yourself with a little more kindness.

Whatever stage you're at on your self-love journey, your story matters.

Join the conversation by following Pear Collections and One Off Card Designs on Instagram, where we're sharing daily affirmations, confidence-building conversations, styling inspiration, and uplifting reminders throughout our 30 Days of Loving Your Curves Project.

Together, we can create a community where women encourage one another, celebrate everybody, and remember that confidence begins with believing we are already enough.

Because every journey starts with one positive thought.

Further Reading

Continue your confidence journey with these resources from the Pear Collections Love Your Curves Project:

Why Pear Collections Created the 30 Days of Loving Your Curves Project

Discover how one woman's frustration with finding clothes that truly fit became a mission to help pear-shaped and curvaceous women feel confident, celebrated, and supported.

 

Join the 30 Days of Loving Your Curves Project

Follow along as we share:

• Daily affirmations
• Confidence-building conversations
• Styling advice for pear-shaped women
• Community stories
• Practical ways to build self-love every day

Together, we're creating more than a campaign.

We're building a community that reminds every woman she is worthy, capable, and, beautifully enough, exactly as she is.

About the Author

Kristen MacDonald is the founder of One Off Card Designs, an author, card designer, and affirmation writer dedicated to helping people build confidence, resilience, and self-worth through the power of positive words.

Inspired by her own experiences of overcoming bullying and rebuilding confidence, Kristen created Reflection in the Mirror: You Are Enough, a beautifully illustrated collection of affirmations that has supported individuals, schools, and communities across Australia.

Through this collaboration with Pear Collections, Kristen hopes to encourage more women to embrace self-love, celebrate their uniqueness, and discover the life-changing impact of speaking kindly to themselves.

Connect with Kristen:

Instagram: @oneoffcarddesigns

Book: Reflection in the Mirror: You Are Enough