70 Best Quotes About Mental Health

Mental health struggles affect people of all ages. In the U.S., about 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health issue each year. Among youth ages 6 to 17, about 1 in 6 face similar challenges [*]. Struggling silently often makes the journey feel lonelier.

Mental health quotes can offer a sense of relief and validation. They remind you that others have felt the same way and made it through.

Whether you're looking for comfort, motivation, or a reason to pause, these words can help you feel less alone.

70 Best Quotes About Mental Health

This article features 70 powerful quotes on mental health, with themes like self-care, anxiety, connection, growth, and healing. These quotes can lift your spirits, help you reflect, or encourage someone else who might be hurting.

Self-Care and Rest

Self-care and rest are important when it comes to taking care of your mental health. These quotes remind you to slow down, set boundaries, and recharge when needed.

• “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott
• “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”
• “Rest is not idleness.” – John Lubbock
• “Self-care is how you take your power back.” – Lalah Delia
• “Talk to yourself like someone you love.” – Brené Brown
• “You owe yourself the love you so freely give to others.”
• “Taking care of yourself doesn’t mean me first, it means me too.” – L.R. Knost
• “Boundaries are a form of self-respect.”
• "Protecting your energy is an act of love."
• "Peace begins where expectations end." – Sri Chinmoy

Awareness and Acceptance

Healing begins when you recognize your struggles without judgment. These quotes help normalize difficult feelings and encourage open conversations about mental health.

• “It’s okay to not be okay.”
• “Your feelings are valid.”
• “Mental health is not a destination, but a process.” – Noam Shpancer
• “Healing grows in honesty, openness, and the courage to speak.”
• “You are not your illness.” – Julian Seifter
• “There is no standard normal. Normal is subjective.” – Matt Haig
• “Not all wounds are visible.”
• “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey.” – Joubert Botha
• “Mental health struggles deserve compassion, not silence.”
• “It’s not weak to ask for help. It’s brave.”

Anxiety and Overthinking

Anxiety often clouds your thoughts. These quotes for mental health encourage you to breathe, let go of control, and stay grounded in the present.

• “Your thoughts are visitors. Observe them, but don’t let them take over.”
• “Take a breath. This moment doesn’t define your whole journey.”
• “Your mind will believe what you tell it. Speak kindness.”
• “A single deep breath can create space between chaos and calm.”
• “Don’t believe everything you think.”
• “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” – Corrie Ten Boom
• “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” – Chinese Proverb
• “Trying to fit in can hide the parts of you meant to stand out.”
• “A restless mind holds strength. Calm it, and that strength becomes clear.”
• “You can’t avoid every storm, but you can steady yourself within it.”

Depression and Hope

These quotes speak to the quiet pain of depression and the possibility of recovery. They offer strength when things feel heavy.

• “Hope is patient. It lingers until you’re ready to see it.”
• “Healing is not linear.”
• “This too shall pass.” – Persian Proverb
• “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” – Victor Hugo
• “You are enough.”
• “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls.” – Khalil Gibran
• “When you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill
• “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” – J.K. Rowling
• “Start small. Even tiny steps can move you forward.”
• “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.” – Desmond Tutu

Resilience and Growth

Mental health struggles can shape your strength. These mental health quotes highlight how pain can turn into personal growth and resilience.

• “You can honor who you are while growing into who you’re becoming.
• “The path forward often leads straight through the pain.”
• “Healing takes time, and sometimes it takes more than one try.”
• “Courage doesn’t always roar.” – Mary Anne Radmacher
• “Sometimes, the cracks in us let healing in.”
• “Difficult days shape you for the strength you don’t know you’ll need yet.”
• “The quiet struggles often shape your deepest strength.”
• “You’re not meant to shine all the time. Growth has quiet seasons too.”
• "Healing leaves a mark, but it also builds armor."
• "You're still standing, and that matters more than you know."

Connection and Community

Mental health improves when you feel seen and supported. These quotes remind you that connection helps you heal.

• “You are not alone.”
• “Asking for help is a strength.”
• “We rise by lifting others.” – Robert Ingersoll
• “Sometimes, talking is the most powerful medicine.”
• “Connection is why we’re here.” – Brené Brown
• "The opposite of isolation is belonging."
• "Empathy is the antidote to shame." – Brené Brown
• "Strong friends need support too."
• "There is power in being heard."
• "Support is not weakness. It’s survival." 

Perseverance and Motivation

Recovery takes effort and time. These quotes encourage you to keep going, even on hard days.

• “Keep rising. Resilience isn’t about never falling, but always returning.”
• “There is more to your life than this moment.”
• “Some days, surviving is its own kind of brave.”
• “No feeling is final.” – Rainer Maria Rilke
• “You’re doing better than you think.”
• “Small steps still move you forward.”
• “Don’t quit before the miracle.”
• “Progress, not perfection.”
• “Healing begins with hope.”
• “Your story isn’t over yet.” – Project Semicolon

Let These Mental Health Quotes Inspire You

Quotes won’t fix everything, but they can offer comfort when you need it. They can give you perspective, make you feel less isolated, or help you find the words you couldn’t say yourself.

If you're a young person working through tough emotions or supporting a child or teen, these quotes are a good place to start. Pair them with DBT worksheets. These worksheets cover mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and help kids to learn acceptance during difficult moments.

DBT, or Dialectical Behavior Therapy, teaches practical skills for managing emotions, handling stress, and making more thoughtful choices. DBT offers practical support for people of all ages, from children to older adults, and helps with a wide range of mental health concerns [*].

References:

1. National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2025, March 27). Mental health by the numbers | NAMI. NAMI. https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/mental-health-by-the-numbers/
2. Core Evidence & Research - Behavioral Tech Institute. Behavioral Tech Institute. https://behavioraltech.org/evidence/