Positive Affirmations in the Workplace: Impact, Tips and Examples
By Indeed Editorial Team
Updated June 21, 2022 | Published December 12, 2019
Updated June 21, 2022
Published December 12, 2019
Positive affirmations are powerful statements that can help improve your confidence and outlook. Understanding how positive mantras work may assist you in reducing negativity in your professional life. In this article, we discuss positive affirmations, their benefits and how to use them. We also provide examples to help you increase your contributions at the office.
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What are positive affirmations?
Positive affirmations, also known as mantras, are statements used to provide encouragement and motivation for yourself and others to become better at a certain activity or skill. If you’ve ever reassured yourself of your ability to do something before doing that activity, that is a positive self-affirmation. Encouraging a friend or sibling that they can do something is also the use of an affirmation.
You can use affirmations in situations and the workplace where you would like to improve, such as:
Boosting self-esteem at job interviews and work
Controlling negative thoughts and emotions, such as fear, frustration and impatience
Overcoming a habit negatively impacting your career progression, including procrastination or passive-aggressive behavior
Improving your confidence and public speaking skills before and during an interview, meetings and presentations
Enhancing your proficiency at skills and boosting your productivity
Motivating yourself to finish ongoing projects according to schedule
Setting new career goals
Benefits of using positive affirmations
Repeating positive affirmations can provide multiple benefits for your work life. They include:
Improved skills
Daily positive mantras can help you become more proficient at skills vital to your professional success. For example, repeating and believing in the statement, “I am confident” before presenting a plan can help improve your presentation skills. You can also use this affirmation to increase your confidence levels as you prepare for interviews.
Sharpened focus
Affirmations can help you reduce distractions at work and concentrate on activities that increase your contribution to organizational goals. For instance, repeating the affirmations, “I set clear goals and work to complete them every day” and “I am hardworking” can motivate you to create achievable and measurable milestones for completing your projects.
Improved interpersonal relationships
Invoking a mantra can improve your interpersonal skills by helping you to promote positive reactions and feelings about others. For example, writing the assertion, “My time will come, but my coworker’s success is also my success” can help promote collaboration and teamwork.
Managed stress
You can use affirmations to lower stress and boost performance on difficult tasks. Mantras can break obsessive thought patterns, preventing your mind from dwelling on negativity. For example, instead of thinking about your failure to meet a deadline, you can use the mantra “I am a doer” to encourage yourself to find new ways to resolve the delay.
Positive perspective
Affirmations can improve how you see your role. For instance, repeating “I am lucky to have this job” can improve how you view your position and increase your gratitude.
Increased job satisfaction
If you can use mantras to boost productivity, improve your goal-setting and interpersonal skills, master new proficiencies and enhance decision-making, your job satisfaction can increase. Practicing positive affirmations can help raise levels of optimism and happiness about your work or career outlook.
How to use positive affirmations
You can use positive affirmations to improve your work life in the following ways:
1. Repeat before starting work
Repeating affirmations before starting work can help set a good tone for the day. Saying “I will be productive today” for a few minutes before you begin the day’s activities can help increase your motivation levels and boost productivity.
2. Use during meditation
You can incorporate mantras into your meditation. Affirmations such as “My mind is free from stress and worry” can help you relax and improve your focus.
3. Pair with goal setting
A great way to make affirmations more effective is to combine them with goals. For example, you can repeat or visualize the affirmation “I have confidence in my ability to present in front of others” to enhance your presentation skills.
4. Use with positive thinking techniques
You can encourage positive thoughts by repeating affirmations. For instance, the affirmation “I am successful at my job” can improve how you perceive your position.
5. Review affirmations frequently
Write down affirmations regularly, whether it’s daily or weekly. Whenever you see the statement, it can drive you to achieve your goals and perfect skills to become better at your job.
6. Use them in your notifications
You can make affirmations more effective by using them as notifications on your smart devices. You can select a daily affirmation and have it sent via a calendar application.
7. Repeat whenever you engage in negative thoughts or behavior
Repeating affirmations like “I choose hope over fear” before defending a large project or facing an interviewer can help you conquer the emotion and deliver a spectacular performance.
Positive affirmations examples
Below are positive affirmation examples to use in different work-related situations.
Affirmations for the job search
You can use these affirmations to increase your confidence level during the job search process:
“I am completely energized to find my perfect job.”
“I am open to new and exciting opportunities to find my ideal work.”
“I am calm and confident.”
“I have limitless potential.”
“I see myself in my dream job.”
“I have all the skills and knowledge to deliver at my dream job.”
Affirmations for an interview
Here are interview affirmations to improve your chances of landing your dream role:
“I excel at job interviews.”
“I have exceptional talents and capabilities.”
“I always speak with confidence.”
“I am a natural communicator.”
“I am the perfect fit for this position.”
Affirmations for the first day at work
Use these positive mantras to set yourself up for success from day one at your job:
“I have confidence in myself. I am at ease speaking in the presence of coworkers.”
“I will ask for help when I encounter problems on the job.”
“I am rewarded in multiple ways when I perform my job to the best of my abilities.”
“My coworkers and I encourage and help each other grow and succeed.”
“My job brings me joy and happiness.”
Affirmations for everyday motivation
These affirmations are excellent for everyday motivation:
“I am courageous enough to face and conquer my fears.”
“I am confident in my self-worth.”
“I have the skills and knowledge to make the best decisions for my career.”
“I am the best at what I do. I create exceptional results for my organization.”
“I am focused and passionate about my goals and career.”
“I am living my life to the fullest.”
Affirmations for career progression
Here are positive affirmations to motivate you toward achieving your career goals:
“I have the drive and ambition to achieve my goals.”
“I am on the right career path.”
“I allow myself to grow and learn.”
“I am a great user of my time and talents.”
“I am confident in my abilities to reach the pinnacle of my profession.”
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