Do you ever repeat affirmations to yourself, maybe while looking in the mirror or driving in your car? It feels weirdly powerful, especially when you say them out loud. And the ThinkUp app wants you to harness that power.
Instead of listening to pre-recorded mantras from a stranger, you get to record your own very specific affirmations and play them whenever you like. The goal? To boost your mood, feel more self-assured, and maybe even manifest a few dreams.
On YouTube, creator @OliviaG said she uses the app to show up for herself with affirmations like, “I trust my intuition” and “Everything I want wants me more.” She’ll record these words in her own voice and play them throughout the night, almost like a subliminal message.
On TikTok, @stellabr8 said using ThinkUp regularly seems to speed up her manifestations. “I feel like sh*t starts to move when I do it,” she said in a clip. She’s racked up over 12,000 listens for her affirmations, which is more than 3,000 minutes. That’s a lot of positivity, and it inspired me to do the same. Here’s what it was like to try the ThinkUp app.
Fast Facts
- Price: $3.33/month
- Best for: Positive thinking, manifesting, self-confidence
- My rating: 5/5
- What I like: Easy to use, unique idea
What To Know About ThinkUp
The award-winning ThinkUp app helps you manifest positivity and self-love through daily affirmations and “I am” mantras. It allows you to record your own affirmations that are not only customized to you but also more powerful. It’s said that hearing the words in your own voice will make them more effective.
Once you record your mantra, you can set it to play on a loop or just listen to it a few times. Imagine playing a positive mantra in the morning while you get ready for the day, or at a low volume while falling asleep. Daily words of affirmation can improve how you feel, boost positive thinking, and even rewire your brain.
When you download the app, you’ll see suggested mantras, like “I am grateful for the good in my life.” You then go to the Record tab to record the ones you like in your own voice, or write your own mantras that feel more specific to your dreams, like, “I have a sunny apartment in Brooklyn” or “I feel at home in my friend group.” To listen to your mantras, go to the Practice tab, where you can set a timer or choose how many times it will loop.
Have fun customizing. If you like an upbeat mantra, keep your voice light and bubbly. If you want to relax, say them low and slow. Or just talk like you would to a friend.
If you cringe at the sound of your own voice, don’t worry. The app also offers prerecorded mantras under certain themes, like Self-Confidence, Career, Love and Relationships, and Gratitude, as well as affirmations created by professionals in the wellness field.
These have themes, too, like “Living Life On Your Terms” by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford or “Overcoming Anxiety” by Yvonne W. Casaus. Click on the titles that call out to you, and you’ll get an assortment of pre-made mantras.
According to the app, you’ll have more luck if you listen to the same set of affirmations for several weeks. Make it part of your routine and then keep an eye out for shifts in your life. If you feel like you’re starting to see ripples of change, then you can create a new mantra for your next goal.
To keep track of how often you’re listening, there’s a Stats section where you can see your daily streak, the total number of affirmations you’ve listened to, and the total number of minutes you’ve played them. It all lies out on a neat calendar.
On YouTube, @OliviaG was on a 12-day streak and, because she plays her mantras through the night, had looped them a whopping 748,337 times. And when TikTok creator @haleyhoffmansmith let her mantras play through the night, she said she woke up feeling like she was in a “brand new reality where her dreams were at her fingertips.”
Trying It Out
To create a good mantra, I made sure to speak in the present tense, as if I already had the thing I wanted. For example, instead of saying, “I’m going to get rich one day,” you might say, “I am wealthy and secure.” It’s also smart to speak positively, so you’d say “I am healthy and strong” instead of “I’m no longer sick and tired.” You want positive words spiraling out into the universe — not negative ones.
My mantras centered around feeling calm in stressful situations. For one recording, I did “I am grounded and secure.” I kept it simple, realizing there was no need to reinvent the wheel. That one felt good to play in the morning, when my anxiety can be high. I also made a few recordings about future goals, speaking as if they’d already come true.
Those I played at night as part of my wind-down routine so I’d go to bed thinking about my happy future self. It felt like a nice thing to do, especially compared to scrolling through TikTok or watching Netflix, and it also made it easier to think about the next steps towards my goals.
I will admit it was weird to hear my own voice playing in my headphones. To make it more palatable, I rerecorded a few times until I liked how it sounded. But I will say this: Once I got used to it, it was weirdly comforting to hear my own voice.
I love that I can record classic mantras, as well as unique, lengthier ones that are hyper-specific to me, and all at a pace and tone that feels encouraging. It’s like I was giving myself a personalized pep talk.
The Takeaway
The ThinkUp app is a sleek yet affordable app that’s helpful if you’ve been feeling anxious, ungrounded, or overwhelmed. Phrases like “I choose myself”, or “I celebrate small wins every day,” or “When I wake up, I’ll know what to do” feel like medicine for your brain.
It’s also the ideal app if you’re big into manifesting. If you’re someone who vision boards or journals about the future, ThinkUp would be a great addition to that routine. Imagine your goals echoing around your apartment as you start your day, almost like a soundtrack. It’s easy to see how that might set you on the path towards achieving your dreams.
