Self Love Affirmations for Teens (EFT Tapping Guide)
These are not gonna be just any usual self-love affirmations. We're not doing the kind where you just stare in the mirror and repeat "I am beautiful" until you maybe sort of believe it.
We're gonna start by validating those negative icky thoughts (the ones you actually have), while working toward a better relationship with yourself. Also known as self-love.
We're going to pair that with a technique called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)— which is literally tapping on different points on your body to help physically ground yourself while you work through it.
What are self love affirmations for teens? Self love affirmations for teens are short statements that help you challenge negative thoughts and build a better relationship with yourself. These aren't toxic positivity — they start by validating the hard stuff first, then guide you toward self-acceptance. Pairing them with Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping helps your body actually receive what you're saying, not just your brain.
If you prefer to watch the video, click this image here:
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How to Do Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Tapping
Typically you'll start with the fleshy part of the outside of your hand: this is kind of like your reset point. They usually recommend two fingers, though if you want to use one, three, all of them, or however you want to do that, it's fine.
You'll want to lightly, gently tap the following areas. You do not want to hurt yourself. You don't want to scratch. If you have longer nails, you might want to use the more fleshy part of the pad of your finger.
Here Are the Tapping Points You'll Use for EFT:
The fleshy part of the side of your hand (reset point)
Middle of your forehead
The side of your head aligned with your eye (do not tap your actual eyeball)
The top of your cheekbone
Between your upper lip and nose (mustache area)
Your chin
The "sore spot" between your collarbone and upper chest area (do not tap here — instead rub in a gentle circular motion)
Side of your body where your rib cage starts, aligned with where a bra strap would be
The crown of your head
Repeat and cycle through again
EFT will tell you that you have to follow in this exact order. I'm gonna be rebellious and tell you I don't think it really matters where you're tapping. Tapping in general is just a really healthy grounding technique… and I stand by that because I first heard it from Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, who is like the granddaddy of trauma treatment and chronic PTSD. He wrote The Body Keeps The Score. If you're nerdy like that, look him up.
I saw him speak, many years ago before I even decided to go to grad school to become a therapist, when he was talking about how to work with people who struggle with self-harm. He first introduced me to EFT in that training and said the same thing: "You can tap wherever. I've seen progress wherever you're tapping." So don't stress about the order.
That said, if you want to follow along in order with the video, go for it. And if at any point you feel overwhelmed, emotional, or stressed out: pause, stop the video, go back to that fleshy reset point on your hand, and breathe.
This Is How We're Going to Do Affirmations
We're going to start with "even though" — then name a negative thought you've had about yourself or your situation — and end with "I deeply and completely love and accept myself."
"Even though (negative thought or belief), I deeply and completely love and accept myself."
That's the affirmation format I was trained to use when I learned EFT, and I've found it genuinely helpful in my own work around self-love. If you'd rather swap out the ending for a different mantra or affirmation that resonates more — go for it. I'm not here to stop you.
I highly encourage you to follow along with the guided practice in the video. Though if you'd prefer to read along, here are all the affirmations from the guided practice:
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You can say these out loud or inside your head— whatever feels right. Repeat along with me.
Even though I struggle with loving myself, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though sometimes I judge myself harshly, and even though I feel really bad about myself sometimes, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though sometimes I have a hard time believing that I am lovable, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though sometimes I say really negative things to myself, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though sometimes I actually hate myself, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though sometimes I struggle to find anything that I like about myself, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though I feel insecure sometimes about the things that I say or the way that I say things, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though sometimes I believe the negative things I hear people say about people like me, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though sometimes I struggle to find the good and to find the positive in myself and others, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though sometimes I find myself self-sabotaging, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though I don't always keep those promises to myself, and even though I have those days, those weeks, those months, where I just give up on my self-care, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though sometimes I feel like I have to be perfect and I have to be the best, and I struggle with that, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though I find it hard to accept myself sometimes, and even though I struggle to love myself all of the time, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though I'm not exactly where I want to be, and even though I'm not done on this self-love journey, even though it seems like it's going to be a long time until I fully love and accept myself, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though I don't always think I'm doing a good job, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though I have a hard time always looking at myself with kindness, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though sometimes I mess up, sometimes I make mistakes, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though I struggle with self-love, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
When you're ready, take a deep breath in through your nose and slowly out through your mouth. Walk a little lighter and brighter out into your day, or into your evening sleep, depending on when you're practicing these self-love affirmations.
Want to go deeper on self-love? Check out my Top 10 Rules for Self-Love for Teens next.
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