Learning How to Encourage Yourself
Yes, there are ways to encourage yourself that will help you move forward in goals, break through challenging days, and reorient after a rough season or relationship.
Whether you are talking about life challenges in marriage, parenting, homeschooling, ministry, work, missions, health, friendships, seasons of life or family dynamics, there are some things that you can do to encourage yourself that help you through the day.
Encouraging words that you can speak over yourself that have great impact on daily life.
Encouraging actions that bring you a smile or help you cry, processing big emotions for and with yourself.
Telling yourself things that will encourage your attitude, heart condition, and thought processes.
Doing things that will bring life, health, joy, peace, and new faith.
In coaching, I often help women through this process. We’ll untangle the negative thought patterns, the discouraging thought processes that are often the missing pieces to real change and growth.
A huge part of the process is changing your thoughts at the deepest levels and decision points. It includes learning to encourage yourself through transformational statements that bring life.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2
I have been known to buy myself flowers. I do love the sight of fresh cut flowers on the counter in the kitchen. The smell, the colors, the joy of flowers brings encouragement to my heart and joy to my soul.
Definitely find those things to keep encouraging yourself along the way.
Go for coffee by yourself.
Start a small garden that you can plan and plant and watch it grow.
Thrift for a purse in a new color.
Go for a roadtrip with a new playlist.
Watch a sad movie that will bring on needed tears and help you cry it out.
Dump out your thoughts in a journal.
Skip to the bottom of this post to find my journaling favorites and printables!
Have fun, buy the flowers, do the things.
But real encouragement, real change, real heart and gut level transformation comes when we bring Jesus into the mess and ask for his Words to encourage us.
This is where real encouragement happens.
I’ve listed some of my favorites below.
How to Encourage Yourself
1} Get Joy – “Go and enjoy… for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
Share your #getjoymoments on instagram
2} This too shall pass – “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18
3} Think before you speak – “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James 1:19
4} God loves me – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
5} God is here with me – “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:1-3
He is with you for @everysinglepage of the story
6} I do not have to worry – “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34
7} Patience and kindness is love – “Love is patient, love is kind.” I Corinthians 13:4
8} I can trust God’s plan – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 and “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 and “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
9} Move when God says Move – “At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.” Numbers 9:23 and “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105 and “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14
10} Keep doing good – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:9-10
11} Let your heart – “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.” Psalm 31:24 and “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.” Proverbs 4:4 and “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” John 14:1
12} With God ALL Things Are Possible – “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26
13} Do not fear – “do not fear anything that is frightening” 1 Peter 3:6 and “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 13:8
14} Sleep in peace – “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord , make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8
I hope this list of sayings and scriptures helps you encourage yourself as much as it helps me.
Keeping God’s Word at the forefront of my day goes a long way in helping me stay focused on kingdom perspectives instead of the pulls of this life.
But, also remembering them throughout the day and into the evening, before I go to sleep, is a great way to hold this thought as you end the day.
I often do “2-a-days” with God. Morning and night because the days can be so challenging and these kinds of phrases, these ways of encouraging myself are so powerful.
Taking the time to apply these verses is challenging, time-involved but worth it.
There are so many wonderful things we can say, memorize, and pray each day as an encouragement to ourselves.
Another tip to stay encouraged is by writing and journaling.
Having a printed guide specific to helping you stay on track can be very helpful! I’ve put together a PDF printable that will help. Get a cute binder, some sheet protectors, print, and get going. Add the free printable above with these encouraging phrases!
Want to build an even bigger planner journal? Get this one.
Make sure you have a journal of some kind, a Bible and a pen with you at some point throughout the day. Those links take you to my favorite ones on Amazon.
Be sure to grab my free Get Joy Journal at this link.
Do you have any more ways to encourage yourself that you can add to this list?