Affirmation cards, or affirmation decks, are thoughtful first-person statements that encourage positive thinking, calm, and confidence. They help you ponder ideas that leave you with a feeling of more peace, calm, and clarity than before.
When either read aloud or recited silently in your mind, they encourage a positive shift in mood, energy, and intention. And in the realm of mental wellness, this can be a hugely helpful tool for those who are stuck in rut, feeling down, or feeling like they’re not living their best life. (Hey, we’ve all been there.)
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How To Use Affirmation Cards
For people who are new to using affirmation cards as a self-help practice, let me first explain how they work.
You generally pull an affirmation card after a guided meditation or at the beginning of the day to help you “set an intention” or start your day off right. Reading one of these cards first thing in the morning kick-starts your day with positive energy, so to speak.
Reading an affirmation card every morning imbues your days and weeks with good intentions. At night, they can also restore a sense of calm and serenity before bed. (I love using them as part of a self-comfort practice.)
Whether you’re new to affirmation cards or just looking for a new deck, the thoughtful affirmation cards detailed below are among the best of the best. Written and crafted by famous names in the realm of mindfulness, they capture the wisdom that gurus and mindful folks have been pondering for centuries.
Give them as a gift, or buy one as a gift to yourself. Either way, the receivers of these kind of special affirmation decks are always better off for it. They are powerful tools!
Also, this article contains Amazon Affiliate and Etsy Affiliate links for easy shopping. As an Amazon and Etsy Affiliate, we may earn from qualifying purchases, which is why we work our butts off to research and personally test everything we write about. (I use all of these affirmation cards myself, and in some cases have been enjoying them for years. I hope you get as much value out of them as I have.)
Enjoy!
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Gabrielle Bernstein’s Super Attractor Deck
Gabrielle Bernstein’s Super Attractor Deck is beloved among yogis and meditators who like to start their days by reading affirmations. These affirmation cards are super trendy and modern, showcasing ideas that can be applied to agnostic living as well as spiritual living.
(^ This 52-card set is based off of Bernstein’s New York Times bestselling book, Super Attractor: Methods for Manifesting a Life Beyond Your Wildest Dreams.)
Anytime you want guidance, simply shuffle the deck, choose an affirmation card, and have faith in the guidance you receive from it. For example, one card might say something like: “I can do less and attract more.” Or “I believe I am worthy of feeling good.”
I personally love the card that says, “Directing my focus onto what’s thriving creates more of what I want.” It’s lovely. If you want affirmation cards that feel more practical and less “woo-ey”, this is a good deck for you.
The illustrations on these cards are also absolutely beautiful, featuring bespoke watercolor designs by Micaela Ezra. Ultimately, the goal of these cards is to inspire you to live with more joy, grace, ease, and strength, all while manifesting your dreams into reality. (This is the theme of much of Bernstein’s work.)
Moreover, there’s a reason why these cards are popular on the Internet/social media. They’re just as aesthetically pleasing as they are thought-provoking. The visuals here underscore the message. They practically beg to be shared!
Related: Understanding Ho’oponopono: A Beautiful Hawaiian Prayer for Forgiveness.
Pema Chödrön’s Compassion Cards
Pema Chodron’s Compassion Card deck features “teachings for awakening the heart in everyday life.” With these cards, the prominent Buddhist scholar and meditation teacher offers a powerful method to awaken qualities of compassion and fearlessness to guide you both in good times and in bad.
Using a practice called lojong (i.e. “mind training”), she provides the tools you need to practice it in your own life. Thus, in addition to functioning as a viable affirmation deck, this boxed set also captures wisdom that reaches beyond the scope of daily inspiration and contemplation.
Each card features practical commentary from Pema on the reverse of each card, as well. This is a great bonus for people who are new to the practice of mindfulness.
Also included is a card stand for easy display of the affirmations that really resonate. Put them on your desk, your mantle, your bathroom counter, etc.
Additionally, this set includes an audio download of Chodron’s guided meditations on the related practice of tonglen, a traditional Buddhist meditation used to awaken compassion for oneself and others. (Tonglen is a Tibetan word that roughly translates to “giving and taking”, or “sending and receiving.” For more free guided meditations, go here.)
Still, using these cards is simple. Each morning, select a card at random from the deck. Read the slogan on the card, then read the commentary on the back. Then, contemplate how that affirmation or teaching might apply to your life.
Finally, try to practice and live by the meaning of your chosen slogan throughout your day. There is deep meaning to be found in the practice of at least attempting to do this. It’s hard, but worthwhile– and it can be a really grounding practice.
“Be You” Affirmation Cards
The Lamare’s Be You Affirmation Cards come together in a beautiful, modern affirmation deck that is only available on Etsy.
We love the chic, minimalist illustrations and the fact that all of the affirmations here are very simple. As a result, this deck is great for beginners and people who don’t have a lot of extra mental bandwidth to contemplate more esoteric affirmations.
The Be You deck features 40 beautifully illustrated 4″ by 4″ cards printed on ethically harvested paper. They even come in a pretty box, which makes them ideal for gifting!
You can use these cards to make a wall collage with your favorite affirmations– they basically look like art. Or, stick one on your mirror for those periods of life when you need extra inspiration and motivation. Remember: you can use affirmation cards in whatever way you like.
Ultimately, however, the Be You set is an easy go-to for short morning mantras and feel-good phrases. It’s a bestseller popular among aesthetes, artists, design lovers, and people who like to put single affirmation cards in letters. (Which makes sense, as each individual card feels like a beautiful piece of stationery.)
Louise Hay’s “I Can Do It” Cards
Hay House— a mission-driven company “dedicated to supporting positive change in the world by helping all people to grow in mind, body, and spirit”– has a number of great affirmation decks to choose from.
Chief among the popular sets is founder Louise Hay’s “I Can Do It” Affirmation Cards, a lovely gift idea for new graduates, new hires, or people who could use a little uplift.
Functionally, these classic affirmation cards touch on a variety of subjects, from health & wealth to creativity, career success, and self-esteem. It’s a great deck for beginners, written by one of the progenitors of the modern self-help movement.
We also really love the Power Thought Cards, a deck of 64 affirmation cards that is all about helping you find your inner strength. This particular set is one of the most popular affirmation decks in the collection, and it’s been around since 1999!
Featuring illustrations from 5 different artists, this OG affirmation deck combines powerful self-love affirmations on one side with unique visualizations on the reverse. Today, it’s a modern classic.
It’s also worth noting that Hay House affirmation decks are some of the most accessible and affordable affirmation decks on the market. (Usually around $15 or less.)
This is especially true if you buy them on Amazon, as they sell used versions of these decks, as well. Recycling is positive energy, too, after all!
Marianne Williamson’s Miracle Cards
For the more spiritually inclined, Marianne Williamson’s Miracle Cards are just as compelling as the books that made the author famous. (Those would be: A Return to Love and A Year of Miracles, for those asking.)
With this affirmation deck, the best-selling, love-centric author is at it again. These 50 beautifully realized cards address subjects ranging from relationships to climate change (but not in a dark way, I promise).
The aphorisms on the cards reflect the miracles inherent to everyday life. These affirmations apply universal truths to issues that confront us all in the course of our daily journeys.
Even if you’re not spiritual, per se, Williamson’s belief in the inherent goodness and order of the universe is supremely calming. At the very least, they’re reassuring. Her words sparkle with wisdom.
We hope these affirmation cards, like the rest in this list, help soothe you in times when you need it most. To quote one of Williamson’s most famous lines, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…”
^ Internalizing that is easier said than done, but doing so successfully can be a transformative experience. Best of luck!
~ Honorable Mention ~
FortuneJars’ Paper Stars Affirmation Jar
While this isn’t technically an affirmation deck, it is a cool new way to enjoy affirmations. FortuneJar’s Paper Stars Affirmation Jar is sort of like a fortune cookie affirmation. Choose one of the tiny origami stars from the jar and unfold it to reveal your affirmation for the day.
These so-called “lucky stars” can be used daily or saved for a rainy day– or whenever you need a positive affirmation. They’re so cute!
Sample affirmations include: “Life is tough but so am I”; “I set smart goals and take action”; and “I am limited only by my vision of what is possible.”
Each jar contains over 100 unique positive affirmations and self-love reminders that come from various authors. They can be philosophical, inspirational, mysterious, and even funny!
And, most intriguingly, each star is handmade. In this way, you can be sure that each message comes with a personal touch of warmth in those moments when you need it most.
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Related: 5 Gorgeous Floral Smudge Sticks Ideal for Gifting “Good Vibes”
Sarah Blondin’s “Honoring Life” Meditation is a Thing of Beauty.
Stuck in a rut? Try one of these 25 Helpful Gifts for Stressed Out People. (<— One of our most popular posts of all time!)
Also: These are the 6 Best Free Meditation Apps according to dedicated mindfulness lovers.
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