Looking for the best self care quotes to inspire you?
Whether you want an empowering way to remind yourself to take of yourself, or you need to take a new perspective on life, this is the guide for you!
Keep reading…
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowTable of Contents
Best Self Care Quotes For Inner Peace & Inspiration
1. “If we do not know how to take care of ourselves and to love ourselves, we cannot take care of the people we love.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
Some people despise the idea of engaging in self care because they believe it to be egocentric.
The truth is, when we love ourselves and provide our basic necessities, we’re then able to take care of the people we love the most.
In psychology, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs backs up this Thich Nhat Hanh quote.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowMaslow’s theory suggests that our initial needs must be met first before we can gain our full potential in life.
And for many of us, gaining our full potential involves helping others.
In other words, we have needs that must be met prior to tending to the needs of others.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowHowever, we can’t provide the proper love, care, and assistance for others until we provide that for ourselves.
We project what we feel – and that’s why this is one of my favourite self care quotes!
2. “Lighten up on yourself. No one is perfect. Gently accept your humanness.”
– Deborah Day
Ironically, we tend to be harder on ourselves than anyone else.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowWhen someone else makes a trivial mistake, we shrug it off. When it’s us, we often have an opposing reaction.
To truly love yourself, it’s important to accept that you, just like everyone else, make mistakes.
When Deborah Day suggests that we need to learn to accept our humanness, she implies that making mistakes is part of being human.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now
Mistakes aren’t merely defined as things we make on accident, like spilling a cup of milk.
Mistakes can also be conscious acts that we later regret.
While society is often unforgiving of mistakes, we need to learn that making errors is part of life. These errors shape us for the better.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now3. “Nothing external to you has any power over you.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
It’s all too easy to let external people and things around us get to us in a negative manner.
One bad thing can easily trump a thousand good things in our head if we let pessimism take the lead.
Innately, we have the capability of responding to different stimuli, as we should.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowHowever, responding to negative stimuli is much different than letting negative stimuli have power over us.
For us to genuinely love ourselves, we have to learn the significance of not letting the external become superior to us.
Once we learn this tactic, we can be on the path to a happier, more fulfilling life.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now4. “Life should be touched, not strangled. You’ve got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others, move forward with it.”
– Ray Bradbury
This is one of those self care quotes that blows me away every time I read it….
As much as we wish it was, the circumstances of life are not always possible to control.
Sometimes there comes a time where we must be patient and wait things out to see what the outcome will be.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowAlthough being in the midst of an uncertain situation is frightening, sometimes we have to let the universe take charge.
Some things in life can absolutely be controlled. Other times, we have to let things occur as they’re meant to.
This saying reminds us that life involves effort and change, but it doesn’t involve totalitarian control.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowTo want to control everything that’s going on in our life is a toxic coping mechanism we use to gain self-confidence.
It just doesn’t work.
We need to teach ourselves that we don’t and won’t always have power over everything, and that’s okay.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now5. “The only person who can pull me down is myself, and I’m not going to let myself pull myself down anymore.”
– C. JoyBell
There are two critical parts of this self care quote.
The first part recognizes the importance of not letting the negativity of others hamper your happiness.
The second part of the quote talks about refraining from putting one’s own self down.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now
The truth is, some of us consider ourselves our worst enemy.
We may find fault with our physical appearance, with our capabilities, or with our mistakes of the past.
While we may find little harm in talking bad to ourselves, this can damage our self-esteem in the long run.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowFortunately, there are numerous ways we can learn to be kind to ourselves.
6. “Self Care is how you take your power back.”
– Lalah Delia
Have you ever felt powerless or like you weren’t good enough? This quote by Lalah Delia might speak to you.
When we have low confidence or generally lack self-love, we tend to be an easy target.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowOur lack of self-esteem rubs off onto others. As a result, people may take advantage of us.
Low confidence can also interfere with our ability to be successful in life and obtain our goals.
However, when we learn to care for ourselves physically, emotionally, and mentally, we take our power back.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowIn response, we become stronger, more bold, and more assertive, ready to take on whatever life throws at us.
7. “Put yourself at the top of your to-do list every single day, and the rest will fall into place.”
– Unknown
Sometimes we create impossible to-do lists with seemingly endless tasks with strict due dates.
At the end of the day, you might find yourself not only exhausted but completely drained.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowPeering at your to-do list of unfinished tasks, you may feel overwhelming anxiety, stress, and frustration.
Will you ever get it done?
This becomes an endless, vicious cycle.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now
Although, this quote seems to have a solution.
If we really want to be successful in tackling our to-do list, we must put ourselves first.
To put ourselves first not only means to ensure our basic necessities are met but to also ensure our mental health is up-to-par.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowWhen we are well, we can then tend to our responsibilities in the healthiest way possible.
8. “Be kinder to yourself and then let your kindness flood the world.”
– Pema Chodron
Something we forget to understand is that self care is not selfish.
When we give ourselves the love and care we need to be happy, we’re doing a favor for everyone else we come in contact with.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowWhen we’re cruel to ourselves, we tend to become mean, bitter, self-conscious individuals.
We may lash out at others in response.
However, when we love ourselves, we are in a more positive state of mind.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowLike Pema Chodron states in this quote, once we are kind to ourselves, we can then spread that kindness inside of us to others.
This also works in reverse.
When we engage in acts of kindness for other people, we can then feel kindness inside of us for ourselves.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now9. “Take time off. The world will not fall apart without you.”
– Malebo Sephodi
Self care comes in hundreds of different forms, but one of the greatest ways to show yourself love is to give yourself a break.
Although we all have a purpose and can make an impact on many people’s lives, we tend to think that this means we’re constantly being relied on.
We have to learn to separate our purpose from our obligations.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowThis Malebo Sephodi saying gives me peace of mind knowing that we don’t have to be constantly “on duty” to feel like we’re helping others.
Sometimes, the best way to help other people is to help yourself.
After you take time to rest, you’ll find that when you resume providing your purpose, you’ll be recharged and better able to help others.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now10. “Self care is taking all the pressures you are facing right now and deciding to which you will respond and how.”
– Imani Shola
One of the most beautiful self care quotes I’ve ever read – life is about priorities…
The weight of the world can be heavy enough to crush us.
Although, this can only happen if we let it.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now
We all face pressures in life.
We might face peer pressure, pressure to be perfect, pressure to be “the best,” the list goes on.
But it isn’t pressure alone that damages us; it’s how we react to these pressures.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowWe have to be able to decide what type of pressure we’re willing to acknowledge and which we must let go.
Imani Shola in this saying also explains that it’s important to not just decide which to respond to but how to respond to each one.
Will we face pressure with confidence or with doubt? Will trivial pressures power our life, or will we let them go to focus on greater problems?
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowHow you react to the pressure you feel says a lot about you.
11. “Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”
– Edward Stanley
When the term “self care quotes” comes to mind, many people think of rehearsing kind words of affirmation, engaging in beauty routines, and taking breaks.
In reality, there are many ways self care can come into practice.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now
Physical exercise is one of the many ways you can provide self care for yourself.
Working out has many benefits apart from weight loss, better-toned muscles, and healthier organs.
For example, regular exercise can boost your self-confidence, aid with mental health, and improve your relaxation and sleep quality.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowBy gaining any of the latter, you’re positively providing for yourself.
Although this quote may seem negative, it’s inspiring in that it essentially provides a call to action.
Edward Stanley’s quote exercises the importance of caring for your body not just in the short run but also in the long run.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowMore motivational quotes for losing weight here!
12. “When the body forces you to STOP, it’s saying, ‘Hey buddy, you’ve gone too far.'”
– Jacqueline Escolme
Being kind to yourself doesn’t just mean saying nice things to yourself. Showing yourself kindness also involves learning to read your body.
While our mental and physical states are intertwined, we forget that they’re also separate from one another.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowYour mental and physical state may not even be on the same page at times. That’s what makes it tricky.
Regardless, we must learn to listen to our physical body as if it’s another person.
If it “tells” us it’s tired, hungry, or thirsty, we need to respond by giving it what it needs to stay healthy.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowAnd as well all know, when our physical body is in good condition, our mental state can be in good condition as well.
13. “Taking care of yourself doesn’t mean ‘me first;’ it means ‘me, too.'”
– L.R. Knost
There are certain instances where it makes sense to completely put yourself first when you’re in dire need of self care.
Although, much of the time, self care isn’t about always putting yourself first and foremost.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowRather, self care is about making yourself a priority without necessarily deeming you’re the absolute most important.
The idea behind the “me, too” in L.R. Knost’s quote signifies that while you matter, you can still find the capacity to prioritize others as well.
If you find yourself able to, you can care for yourself at the same time you care for others.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowThe versatility of self care is what makes it so beautiful. We can shape it into what we wish.
14. “People who love themselves don’t hurt other people. The more we hate ourselves, the more we want others to suffer.”
– Dan Pearce
This quote’s a little different from the latter but still pertains to self care.
I connected with this quote because I’ve witnessed the truth behind it in my own life.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now
Dan Pearce makes a great point that how we feel about ourselves usually gets projected onto others.
When we’re hurting inside, we’re quick to get angry with others, even those who don’t deserve it.
However, when we feel good inside, we often express happiness, generosity, and a bubbly disposition.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowThis reminds us how important self care quotes really are.
If we wish to be kinder to those around us, it’s imperative that we work on ourselves directly.
A little kindness can go a long way.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now15. “You may be the only person left who believes in you, but it’s enough. It takes just one star to pierce a universe of darkness. Never give up.”
– Richelle E. Goodrich
One of the best self care quotes – and one I think we can all relate to at some point in our lives:
When we’re lacking self-confidence, we often turn to others rather than ourselves.
The problem with this is, just like we can lose faith in ourselves, others can lose faith in us – and often, it hurts more.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowPeople may doubt our ability to succeed.
They may put us down.
Others may even tell us that we’ll never be good enough.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowIf we listen to what these people tell us, we’re not providing ourselves the self-love we need.
By agreeing with the negative things others say about us, we’re indirectly reinforcing self-hate.
The only way for us to be happy with ourselves and our capabilities is to have faith in ourselves and never give up.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowHow To Use These Self Care Quotes To Improve Your Life
It’s important to take action!
So to squeeze the most out of these self care quotes, find some ways to let them enhance your life…
Here’s a few ideas:
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now- Use them as a mantra to inspire you
- Read them whenever you’re feeling burn out, stressed or need a break
- Hang your favourite quote up on your wall
- Add one of these quotes as a desktop background to your phone/laptop
- Try and take some regular time out for self care (see my tips below)
- Memorise a few of your favourite self care quotes – so that you can recall them whenever you’re having a rough day
Why Is Self Care So Important?
Self care is so important because whilst you may want to help everyone around you, it’s important to take care of yourself too.
Your happiness starts with you:
And with self care, you’re essentially taking responsibility for your overall mental wellbeing.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowNow whilst you might feel guilty for taking time out, you have to be kind to yourself – you’re a human being after all!
But not just that, there’s actually a ton of benefits of self care including:
- Reducing stress
- Preventing and recovering from burnout
- Improving your overall levels of happiness
- Helping you get in tune with your mind, body and overall level of wellbeing
- Improving your happiness levels – so that you can spread more positivity to those around you too
- Refocus on what’s important and improve your productivity
What Are Self Care Activities?
Now you know the importance of self care, you might be wondering “how can I practice self care?“…
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowThis is where the fun begins!
There’s loads of ways to practice self care including:
- Practicing meditation and mindfulness
- Taking a day out from work
- Going to the gym or playing a sport you love
- Having a spa day
- Having a “lie in” and finally getting the sleep you deserve!
- Spending time with the people you love
- Inspiring yourself by reading the self care quotes on this list!
- Going on holiday or taking a day trip to somewhere new and exiting
- Eating healthy, nutritious foods that nourish your body
- Taking some “you time” in a float tank/isolation tank
- Finally saying no to things you don’t want to do!
Basically, self care should be fun, rewarding and something that has a positive effect on how you feel:
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowWhen you’re practicing self care, avoid destructive activities that might do more harm than good
e.g. Smoking or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol isn’t ideal!
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now
