Taking care of yourself starts with asking that one simple question: “How am I doing?” You can then assess your needs and start your self-care routine. There is no right or wrong way to do this. It’s about tapping into what you need—whether that’s meditating, sleeping in on the weekend or signing up for a class.
As always, it’s easier said than done. If you’re looking for inspiration, why not check out some self-care quotes? In this curated list, we chose 40 quotes about self-care to inspire, motivate and empower you.
Inspirational Self-Care Quotes
Many self-care quotes highlight the importance of loving yourself first. This is the first step of considering yourself worthy of good things, like a happy life, a loving relationship or a successful career.
Take a look at these inspirational quotes for self-care and loving yourself:
- “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” —Anne Lamott
- “I wish I could go back and tell myself, ‘‘Arianna, your performance will actually improve if you can commit to not only working hard, but also unplugging, recharging and renewing yourself.’” —Arianna Huffington
- “As you get older, you start to realize: ‘I wish I started self-care five years ago.’” —Jay Shetty
- “I think before you can really move on, you just have to really be able to let go of the anger, and then you focus on yourself and do you.” —Mariah Carey
- “You will find that love and care have an extraordinary capacity to transform the sorrows of your life into a great stream of compassion.” —Jack Kornfield
- “Self-love is the final destination, not something you should feel like you’re failing at.” —Jameela Jamil
- “I know that to give the best of me, I have to take care of myself and listen to my body.” —Beyoncé
- “Sometimes you can do wonderful and important things for yourself without taking a thing away from another human being. This is the difference between self-care and greed.” —Elizabeth Gilbert
- “Self-care includes caring for your whole being, including living a balanced lifestyle (being mindful of sleep, nutrition and exercise), exerting healthy boundaries for yourself and others, practicing self-acceptance and becoming more mindful and aware of your thoughts, behaviors and actions.” —Deepak Chopra
- “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” —Oscar Wilde
Related: 100 Inner Peace Quotes To Be Your Guide Through Difficult Situations
Motivational Self-Care Quotes
When you care for yourself, you’re more likely to know what you want and achieve your goals. Need examples? Here are some motivational self-care quotes:
- “In your heart, you have a song that will change the world, once you give yourself permission to sing.” —Vironika Tugaleva
- “Self-care isn’t just some airy-fairy, self-indulgent concept. It’s a core component to becoming your most joyful, creative and effective self. Not to mention, you’ll be enormously more patient and present with family and friends, too.” —Marie Forleo
- “If your self-expression is serving the needs of others, you may be limiting your uniqueness and happiness. You need time for you to be YOU!” —Brendon Burchard
- “We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to-do’ list.” —Michelle Obama
- “Self-talk strategies: If you need confidence, talk to yourself the way you would talk to a friend. If you need persistence, talk to yourself the way you would talk to a student. If you need patience, talk to yourself the way you would talk to a child.” —James Clear
- “Self-care is the non-negotiable. That’s the thing that you have to do. And beauty is the thing that can be the benefit of the self-care. Beauty is not the point. Beauty is just a cute side-effect from self-care.” —Jonathan Van Ness
- “Self-care equals success. You’re going to be more successful if you take care of yourself and you’re healthy.” —Beth Behrs
- “Part of self-care is knowing and accepting the consequences of something, and going into a situation with your eyes open and with all the facts.” —Arin Murphy-Hiscock
- “Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” —Eleanor Brownn
Related: The Power of Accountability: 10 Steps to Achieve Any Goal
Self-Care Sayings For Positive Mental Health
Self-care does wonders for your mental health. Start by defining what self-care means to you. Often, it’s the activities that help you unwind and recharge. Then, consider taking some time for yourself and setting boundaries, as these mental health self-care quotes suggest:
- “Take a shower, wash off the day. Drink a glass of water. Make the room dark. Lie down and close your eyes. Notice the silence. Notice your heart. Still beating. Still fighting. You made it, after all. You made it, another day. And you can make it one more. You’re doing just fine.” —Charlotte Eriksson
- “When you say ‘yes’ to others make sure you are not saying ‘no’ to yourself.” —Paolo Coehlo
- “It’s not selfish to love yourself, to take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.” —Mandy Hale-Gautsch
- “Establishing habits of self-care, like eating healthy and exercising, can train your brain to think positively. One of the best ways to love yourself is to build a life you love and also to surround yourself with love.” —Tony Robbins
- “Often when people think about self-care, they think about a trip to the spa or bubble bath—you all know I love a bath. There’s nothing wrong with a spa-ing—love that, too. But I think self-care is something deeper. It’s a practice that comes with doing the internal work and listening to what you, and only you, need.” —Oprah Winfrey
- “The best gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you.” —Joyce Meyer
- “I always try to remember that I’ll be the best me I can be if I prioritize myself.” —Michelle Obama
- “True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake, it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from.” —Brianna Wiest
- “In my experience, the single best way to amplify self-love is to take better care of yourself.” —Robin Sharma
- “Clutter is not just physical stuff. It’s old ideas, toxic relationships and bad habits. Clutter is anything that does not support your better self.” —Eleanor Brownn
Related: 120 Motivational Quotes to Inspire You to Be Successful
Short Quotes About Self-Care
Sometimes, just a few words remind us how important it is to take time for ourselves. Here are some short self-care quotes that can be as impactful as longer ones:
- “The greatest wealth is health.” —Virgil
- “Self-care takes effort. It doesn’t just happen.” —James Clear
- “Whatever you decide to do, make sure it makes you happy.” —Paolo Coelho
- “Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.” —Brené Brown
- “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.” —Lucille Ball
- “Learning to be easy on yourself is probably the best form of self-care.” —Rupi Kaur
Self-Care Quotes For Mindfulness And Inner Strength
Caring for yourself makes you a stronger and more well-rounded person. Here are some quotes that show us how and why:
- “Self-care is deliberately taking care of your wellbeing through restorative activities.” —Susannah Winters
- Self-care shouldn’t have to come out of an imminent need for relief when everything comes tumbling down. It should be deliberate, it should be scheduled, it should become a habit. —Oprah Winfrey
- “Self-care means honoring your boundaries, and making new ones if you need.” —Mariah Carey
- “With mindfulness, you can establish yourself in the present in order to touch the wonders of life that are available in that moment.” —Thich Nhat Hanh
- “Mindfulness not only makes it possible to survey our internal landscape with compassion and curiosity but can also actively steer us in the right direction for self-care.” —Bessel van der Kolk
Self Care Is A Necessity
What do all these positive self-care quotes have in common? They all suggest that self-care is necessary. Take some time to listen to yourself, and make self-care a priority. All the rest will follow!
Photo by: Josep Suria/Shutterstock.com
