100 Caregiver Affirmations to Honor Yourself and the Amazing Work You’re Doing
Compiled by Jessica Sager for Parade.com
Published: 4th May 2022
Caregiver affirmations can be a lifesaver for those whose lives are dedicated to meeting the needs of those unable to meet them themselves—it’s an often thankless and unpaid (or sorely underpaid) job, and it’s a necessary one to keep many of our loved ones healthy, safe and living with dignity.
Caregivers may experience compassion fatigue in addition to the stresses and tiredness that come with working in general, and maintaining a sense of balance and wellbeing isn’t always easy. Affirmations can help caregivers feel more centered, in control and at peace—but you have to choose your affirmations wisely.
“Affirmations are the positive words of hope and encouragement we need to hear from the most important person in our lives, the person that so often acts as our critic—ourselves,” Christina Furnival, mental health therapist and author of Fear Not! How to Face Your Fear and Anxiety Head-On tells Parade. “But the thing with affirmations is that they have to be based in truth. If they are the complete opposite of what we truly believe, it only makes us dig our heels in more that they aren’t true. So, for example, if we are a night owl and we despise the morning, an affirmation like ‘You love the morning‘ will not help us wake with the roosters, and will conversely inspire an internal comment of disbelief. If we modify it to be something like, ‘There is joy to be found in the challenge of taking on the day earlier,’ there is a real possibility that you may begin to notice simple pleasures in the morning like the view of the sunrise, the sound of a bird‘s song, or a cup of coffee in sweet silence.”
Andrea Dorn, psychotherapist and author of When Someone Dies: A Children’s Mindful How-To Guide on Grief and Loss, concurs.
“Affirmations are incredible tools that can help encourage us in times of struggle and help us manifest important and empowering feelings that can change and regulate our nervous system over time,” Dorn says. “When considering an affirmation, it’s important that they are easy to remember, that they speak to your heart, and they feel truthful.”
Elizabeth Bishop, social worker and author of Conscious Service, has an idea for how to start creating your own caregiver affirmation.
“Stumped on where to begin? Start where you are,” she tells us. “Notice your inner narrator, the voice that runs commentary on your frustrations and worries identifies the endless list of tasks, and never lets you forget how exhausted you are. This is the fertilizer you can work with to radically alter your experience.”
For caregiver affirmations and caregiver mantras from these experts and more, read on and know this: You’re appreciated and it gets better.
Caregiver Affirmations
Caregiver Affirmations From Dr. Monica Vermani
Clinical psychologist and author of A Deeper Wellness: Conquering Stress, Mood, Anxiety and Traumas, Dr. Monica Vermani recommends these caregiver affirmations to keep you in your healthiest, most productive and most soothing mindset—for yourself and for your loved one.
1. “Make your faith bigger than your fear.“
“Faith in yourself is trusting your skillset to handle whatever comes your way,” Dr. Vermani says. “Fear is simply self-doubt.”
2. “Give from your overflow, not from your well.“
Dr. Vermani explains, “We often find ourselves doing and giving to others at the expense of our self-care and wellbeing. Our time and energy are precious and limited resources. It is important to take care of our life tasks and responsibilities with our well of time and energy, and give of our resources to others from what we have left, rather than draining and depleting our energy and time.”
3. “This is a moment of time and this moment will pass.“
“We all have good moments and challenging ones. Nothing is permanent,” Dr. Vermani told Parade. “Change is always around the corner. When we are stressed, we can remind ourselves that this moment, will pass.”
4. “Pay attention to your thoughts.“
“What we think about—and the way we think about it—matters,” Dr. Vermani says. “Creating a happier, more balanced life is about replacing negative thoughts with positive ones.”
5. “Do the best you can with what you know.“
According to Dr. Vermani, “We constantly evolve and grow, and we need to trust our skillsets in the moment and learn the lessons that life constantly brings.”
6. “I am worthy of love, just the way I am.“
Dr. Vermani reminds us, “We are all perfect and a work in progress, and deserving of love just as we are, regardless of our level of achievement and success.”
7. “Other peoples’ opinions of me are none of my business.“
“It is natural to seek validation from and want to be liked by and to please others, but it is important to understand that it’s our opinion of ourselves that matters most,” Dr. Vermani says. “We need to free ourselves from seeking external validation of other people.”
8. “Take charge of the energy in your space.“
“Pay attention to who you allow into your life,” Dr. Vermani advises. “Ensure that you surround yourself with supportive people who help you on your journey to becoming a more authentic, happier, and higher version of yourself.”
Caregiver Affirmations from Christina Furnival
9. “Everybody, including myself, deserves to be treated with care and compassion.“
“This affirmation is helpful because so often we discount ourselves while lifting up others,” Furnival says. “We are just as important and worthy as others are and we can benefit ourselves by reminding ourselves of this.”
10. “It is possible to notice the good and the joy at the same time as acknowledging the struggle and challenge.“
“Our feelings can overwhelm us, especially the uncomfortable ones,” Furnival points out. “By remembering and reminding ourselves that we can feel positive emotions alongside the uncomfortable ones, we can feel a sense of resiliency that we cannot if we are only focusing on the negatives.”
11. “I am growing at my own pace. I need not compare my journey to those of others.“
“Just like flowers, we bloom when we are supposed to. Just because others appear to be doing well or finding success does not mean that we aren’t or won’t,” Furnival notes. “Their journey and ours, while possibly intertwined, are not causal and we can direct our energy to ourselves rather than to comparison.”
12. “I am capable of handling even more than I know I can. I have yet to see just how strong I am.”
“Everyone reading this has survived 100% of the challenges they have faced previously, even if we have scars to show for it,” Furnival told us. “We are so much more strong and capable than we are aware of and if we stop to express gratitude for ourselves and our journey, we can find the fortitude to keep going.”
Caregiver Affirmations From Elizabeth Bishop
13. “I don’t want this to be happening, but I recognize that it is. And I don’t like it.“
Bishop explains that this is a reframing of a common caregiver refrain of “I can’t believe this is happening to us. I didn’t sign up for this. This can’t be happening.”
“The power of this reframe allows you to move into acceptance of what is while also honoring how you feel about it,” she said. “Both can exist at the same time.”
14. “I am doing the best I can. I can give myself a moment now to gather my thoughts. I can stop and be still.“
Bishop says this is a good affirmation for when you’re exhausted and can barely string a sentence together, explaining, “Contrary to popular belief, we don’t ‘catch up’ on sleeplessness. But, taking moments as we need them throughout the day can replenish us because it’s self-responsive.”
15. “My life is changing in unexpected ways. I am evolving through this and learning more about myself.“
For those moments when you’re wondering what happened to your life and are questioning your own sense of self, Bishop says this mantra is key, noting, “When life throws a curve ball, this affirmation, reminds you that instead of losing yourself, you can move with it to discover another layer of you.”
16. “I am choosing to be a loving caregiver. I have choices. I can ask for help.“
“Reminding yourself that you have choices—even if only in your response to what is—puts you back in the driver’s seat of your life. That is powerful,” Bishop explains. “Whenever you hear a defeating thought, be loving to yourself. It’s natural. What you are going through can be tough. Speak to yourself with kindness. Say what you want to hear. And more than anything, let yourself feel it.”
17. “I always have enough time.”
18. “I respond to myself and everyone around me with love.”
19. “I have choices.”
20. “I can give myself what I need most right now.”
21. “I listen to and trust my heart’s guidance.”
22. “I am surrounded by supportive people and energy. All my needs are met.”
Caregiver Affirmations From Andrea Dorn
23. “I am excited for all of the opportunities this day holds.”
“Starting each day (and even each moment) with a fresh outlook can manifest positive emotions even if negative emotions were present the day before,” Dorn says. “Use this affirmation to begin each day with excitement and curiosity.”
24. “I am open to experiencing this moment exactly as it is.“
“Judgments, expectations, and labels are all one-way tickets to being stuck in the emotional mind,” Dorn told us. “Reminding your mind that you are open to experiencing all things exactly as they are, allows us space to experience reality as it is and allows us to make confident and effective choices without emotion clouding our vision.”
25. “Everything I need to know is already inside of me.“
Dorn says, “If life becomes overwhelming or a decision becomes paralyzing, it is easy to look outward for answers. It can be important to remember and embody the inner wisdom we each possess and recognize that the answers we’re searching for are likely already in our possession. All we need to do is pause, connect and listen.”
26. “This is no longer meant for me and I can let it go.“
“Letting go of things no longer meant for us is a challenging, but important practice. This affirmation allows us to confidently and clearly acknowledge what is not serving us well and empowers us to release it,” Dorn advises.
27. “I am safe.“
Dorn explains, “Sometimes, simple is best. When your nervous system is dysregulated by anxiety, fear, overwhelm, or past trauma, a clear direct reminder works best to ground and regulate our bodies and emotions.”
More Caregiver Affirmations and Caregiver Mantras
28. I am as important as my loved one.
29. I am worth caring for.
30. My worth is not determined by my work.
31. My loved one is grateful that I am here.
32. I will sleep tonight knowing I did everything that I could.
33. I can ask for help if I need it.
34. My loved one is honored that I am here.
35. If my loved one is deteriorating, it is not my fault.
36. I am not responsible for my loved one’s moods.
37. I will take time to breathe today.
38. Even if they can’t express it, my loved one loves me.
39. I let go of any guilt for my loved one’s condition.
40. I will make time for myself today because I deserve it.
41. I will refill my own well today.
42. I will put on my oxygen mask first.
43. My loved one knows that I love them.
44. My loved one is doing the best that they can.
45. If I can’t do it alone, I can ask for a hand.
46. I do not hold my loved one responsible for what they may say or do to hurt me.
47. My loved one is not upset with me. If they are unhappy, it is due to their circumstances.
48. My loved one is happy that I am here.
49. I am a welcome presence.
50. I am enough.
51. I cannot do it all, but I can do my part.
52. I am aware that feeling guilt is irrational.
53. I will surround myself with people who support me.
54. I am thankful that my loved one is still in my life.
55. I matter and so do my needs.
56. I am needed, but it is OK for me to need.
57. Asking for help is a sign of strength.
58. I am not my mistakes.
59. I am appreciated.
60. A bad moment doesn’t have to make a bad day.
61. My work is important.
62. I am doing the best that I can.
63. I will find joyous moments today.
64. I forgive myself for any mistakes I’ve made in the moment.
65. My loved one forgives me for my misgivings.
66. My empathy is my superpower.
67. I cannot fill from an empty cup.
68. I let go of what I cannot control or change.
69. I am as important as the person for whom I am caring.
70. To be imperfect is to be human.
71. I accept that my loved one’s condition may progress.
72. I accept the changes in my loved one that are out of my control.
73. I will learn as much as I can about my loved one’s condition.
74. I know my truth.
75. My wellbeing matters.
76. I do not need to feel guilty because I know I’m doing my best.
77. I will do what I can.
78. I can take a break if I need one.
79. Self-care helps me care for others.
80. I am doing enough.
81. My loved one’s condition is not my fault.
82. My loved one appreciates my care.
83. My relationship with my loved one is my main priority.
84. It’s important to care for myself as much as it is that I care for others.
85. I can do anything, but I cannot do everything.
86. I will focus on today.
87. Your work helps the world go around, but you do not have to carry the world on your shoulders.
88. I let go of any expectations beyond expecting everyone to do their best.
89. I deserve to seek the same joy I bring to my loved one.
90. It’s OK to take time for myself.
91.I mean the world to my loved one.
92. Be as kind and generous to yourself as you are to others.
93. My loved one loves me, even if their condition makes it seem like they do not.
94. I will prioritize my health and wellbeing today.
95. I will treat myself like my own best friend.
96. I will be the caregiver my loved one deserves.
97. This is not forever, but I promise to make this moment the best that it can be.
98. My kindness is an asset.
99. I will be OK.
100. I will not focus on how far my loved one and I have to go, but instead on how far we have come.