15 Mantras for Confidence & Self Esteem (+ PDF)

  • By: Ryan Kane
  • Updated: February 21, 2024
  • Time to read: 7 min.

Self confidence mantras can help you cultivate self trust and come to rely on your instincts and abilities. Oftentimes, feelings of low self-esteem can create a distorted view of the world. This list of self empowering mantras to boost confidence is designed to build feelings of self-worth, trust, and belief in yourself.

All of us experience feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem at one time or another in life. What’s troubling about these feelings is that they often create an inaccurate picture of the world – one in which we think we’re capable of less than we truly are.

Regardless of the success you find in life, many people struggle with confidence. Low self-esteem can affect even the highest of achievers. 

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That’s why mantras for self esteem and confidence can be so helpful. 

By replacing thoughts of low self-worth with feelings of strength and capability, you can begin to show up with greater confidence.

By repeating a confidence building mantra–for example, “When setbacks happen, I have the power to overcome them”–you may find that over time, your trust and belief in yourself increases.

Let’s jump into the confidence mantras below.

15 Mantras for Self Confidence

1 Mantras for Confidence
To download a printable PDF of the full list of 15 mantras, click below

1. I’m comfortable being myself around other people.

Growing up, we often learn that in order to fit in, we need to adhere to a certain type of behavior.

Our parents want us to act one way. Our teachers want us to act another way. Our friends want us to act in a different way.

Fitting into those molds and expectations is tiring, and brings us away from our true selves.

Allow yourself to become more and more at ease with being yourself around other people with this mantra for confidence. 

2. My choices in life are within my control. 

Sometimes, it can feel like life happens “to” you, instead of “for” you. When life is pushing you around, it’s easy to start feeling like a victim. 

The best response to this is to focus on what’s within your control. No matter what’s happening outside you, your reaction to those events is within your power.

As you feel more and more control over your life, greater confidence is the result. Use this self confidence mantra for cultivating self trust.

Use the “Circle of Control” as a guide:

Venn diagram of circle of concern vs circle of influence

3. I have within me the power to handle any situation.

Remind yourself as you enter new situations that you are resilient, adaptable, and capable. 

You have within you the power to handle any situation by approaching life with lightness, humor, and confidence. 

Even if your response is to decide something is not right for you, you know that you will be able to confidently make the decision to exit. 

4. I am worthy of having whatever I want in life.

Many of us internalize low expectations for ourselves based on the messaging we received as young people, or based on the people who modeled behavior for us. 

Regardless of your conditioning, remind yourself: you are worthy of having whatever you want in life.

You’re allowed to set big goals for yourself, you’re allowed to dream big, and you’re allowed to envision a future in which you’re wildly successful – whatever that means to you.

This self worth mantra can reinforce that belief.

5. I am not afraid to take risks, because I believe in my ability to adapt.

Taking risks is scary. 

But sometimes, NOT taking risks is even scarier. For the sake of security, many people put their dreams to the side and stay in situations they consider safe: safe jobs, safe relationships, safe places. 

By trusting in your ability to adapt and flourish in new situations, you can empower yourself to take risks that ultimately help you create a life you love.

6. Being myself is a privilege.

There’s no one else like you in the world. No one who’s ever lived, or who ever will live, brings the exact set of qualities to this planet that you do.

Bask in your uniqueness. Enjoy the privilege of being yourself.

Let everything that makes you “you” shine through.

7. I’m not for everyone. Not everyone has to like me.

For many people, the approval of others is what guides their decisions. 

That’s why having someone dislike you can make you feel like a failure. Something deep inside us seems to seek the approval of others, perhaps for evolutionary reasons.

The challenge with listening to this instinct for approval-seeking is that we can end up changing our behavior in an effort to get everyone to like us. Ultimately, this is a futile effort, because people are wildly different – we can’t be liked simultaneously by everyone.

Much better to acknowledge – through this mantra for self confidence – that not everyone is for us, and we aren’t for everyone. Once we’ve done that, we’re in a better position to live true to ourselves.  

8. The process of life has twists and turns. I trust each step. 

Humans love making plans. We love certainty and security and roadmaps. But often, life takes a route much different than what we expect. 

Confidence is about trusting each step of the path – even when it twists and turns – because you know you can adapt to it, and because you know it’s ultimately leading somewhere good. 

9. Leaving my comfort zone is hard, but I know growth is on the other side.

It’s hard to leave what you’re comfortable with. 

But what’s key is trusting that regardless of what happens, growth is inevitable.

You will learn through the experience of trying something new. 

And lived experience is invaluable. It builds the kind of lasting confidence that only comes from having experienced something first-hand.

10. My mood isn’t dependent on the opinions of others.

There’s nothing worse than going through the day bright and cheery, and then finding yourself taken down a notch by something someone else says. 

Maybe it’s an insult, or simply the lack of a compliment. Maybe it’s the feeling of being ignored.

Whatever the case may be, know that the approval that matters ultimately rests entirely with you. Your mood, and your self-worth, is within your control.

11. When I receive compliments, I accept them with gratitude.

It’s common in many societies to deflect compliments. We work exceptionally hard to achieve something, and then in the end, say:

“Aw thanks – well, it was much easier than it seemed.”

Instead, recognize that just as you take pleasure in recognizing the achievements of others, you should proudly acknowledge your own accomplishments. 

Instead of deflecting compliments, use this self esteem mantra to remind you to accept them with gratitude and confidence. 

12. My intuition is strong. When I have an instinct about something, I listen to it.

Have you ever experienced a deep intuition, ignored it, and then found that your initial gut feeling was right after all?

There’s a certain magical quality to our instincts. Our brains have years of experience navigating the world and all its subtleties, and specialize in making quick automatic assessments of any given situation. 

If you’re not sure if you regularly have intuitions, start listening for them. When you notice an intuition, try following it.

13. What sometimes seems hard for me to handle can, in fact, come easily to me.

Have you ever noticed that a situation seems “easy” or “hard” simply because of the mood you find yourself in, how much energy you happen to have – or even whether you’ve eaten recently?

Sometimes, we go through life with a heavy feeling, like everything is difficult. And in certain emotional or physical states, everything is indeed difficult. 

But if you’re able to approach your day with a light, joyful feeling, many things become easier. 

14. When I’m true to myself, I’m also the most confident version of myself.

It’s hard pretending to be someone you’re not. 

When you’re in that mode, it’s easy to feel on edge, like you’ll be “discovered” at any minute. Confidence can be hard to come by, or, it needs to be faked.

In contrast, being unabashedly yourself often brings out the funniest, most magnetic, most charming, and most confident version of yourself.

15. I compare myself with the past version of me – not with other people.

As the saying goes, “comparison is the thief of joy.”

Growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum. We have no idea of the path that other people are on, or even what truly goes on in their heads.

Rather than compare yourself with others, notice how far you’ve come as compared with a past version of yourself. 

Further Inspiration

For further inspiration, see the following articles about confidence: