Affirmations can help strengthen self-worth by boosting both your positive opinion of yourself and your confidence in your ability to achieve your goals. They can also help counter the feelings of panic, stress, and self-doubt that often accompany anxiety.

Can positive affirmations be harmful?

Studies conducted by Joanne Wood, a professor of psychology at the University of Waterloo show that the use of affirmations, or positive self-statements, not only don't always help, sometimes they can actually be harmful.

Should I use you or affirmations?

While most of the affirmation exercises I've seen recommend writing first-person 'I' statements, the research clearly shows that in situations that challenge our self-control and self-regulation — like putting your butt in your chair and words on the page — use of the second-person pronoun is much more effective.