person struggling with mental health

35 Uplifting Mental Health Quotes

Here are some encouraging words that remind you it’s perfectly okay to feel.

  1. “There is no normal life that is free of pain. It’s the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth.” — Fred Rogers
  2. “Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.” — David Richo
  3. “Just because no one else can heal or do your inner work for you doesn’t mean you can, should, or need to do it alone.” — Lisa Olivera
  4. “You are valuable just because you exist. Not because of what you do or what you have done, but simply because you are. — Max Lucado
  5. “There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.” — John Green
  6. “Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it” — Albus Dumbledore
  7. “You don’t need to find a lesson in your trauma.” — Jordan Pickell, MCP RCC
  8. “Emotional pain is not something that should be hidden away and never spoken about. There is truth in your pain, there is growth in your pain, but only if it’s first brought out into the open.” — Steven Aitchison
  9. “When we deny our pain, losses, and feelings year after year, we become less and less human. We transform slowly into empty shells with smiley faces painted on them.” — Peter Scazzero 
  10. “‘Positive vibes only’ isn’t a thing. Humans have a wide range of emotions and that’s OK.” — Molly Bahr, LMHC
  11. “My dark days made me strong. Or maybe I already was strong, and they made me prove it. — Emery Lord
  12. “What if you moved through the world as if you were easy to be loved? Because I promise you, you are easy to love.” — Sonalee Rashatwar, LCSW
  13. “Being able to be your true self is one of the strongest components of good mental health.” — Dr. Lauren Fogel Mersy
  14. “Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to our true self and give it the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch.” — Parker Palmer
  15. “You don’t have to be positive all the time. It’s perfectly okay to feel sad, angry, annoyed, frustrated, scared and anxious. Having feelings doesn’t make you a negative person. It makes you human.” — Lori Deschene
  16. “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, he turned into a butterfly.”— Anonymous proverb
  17. “Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: It is easier to say ‘My tooth is aching’ than to say ‘My heart is broken.’”  ― C.S. Lewis
  18. “Over the course of the past decade, there’s been increased willingness to recognize mental health as an essential part of one’s well-being.” ― Nicole Spector, 2020
  19. “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” — Kahlil Gibran
  20. “There is no standard normal. Normal is subjective. There are seven billion versions of normal on this planet. — Matt Haig
  21. “I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.” — Amy March, from Little Women
  22. “Mental health problems don’t define who you are. They are something you experience. You walk in the rain and you feel the rain, but you are not the rain.” — Matt Haig
  23. “Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better.” — Emile Coue
  24. “The true definition of mental illness is when the majority of your time is spent in the past or future, but rarely living in the realism of NOW.” — Shannon L. Alder, n.d.
  25. “Sometimes you climb out of bed in the morning and you think, I’m not going to make it, but you laugh inside — remembering all the times you’ve felt that way.” — Charles Bukowski
  26. “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known to suffer, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of those depths.” — Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
  27. “Some of the most comforting words in the universe are ‘me too.’ That moment when you find out that your struggle is also someone else’s struggle, that you’re not alone, and that others have been down the same road.” — Unknown
  28. “If we start being honest about our pain, our anger, and our shortcomings instead of pretending they don’t exist, then maybe we’ll leave the world a better place than we found it.” — Russell Wilson
  29. “Promise me you’ll always remember — you’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — Christopher Robin from Winnie the Pooh
  30. “Vulnerability is not knowing victory of defeat, it’s understanding the necessity of both; it’s engaging. It’s being all in.” — Brene Brown
  31. “Mental health…is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.” — Noam Shpancer, PhD
  32. “Hope is not defined by the absence of hardship. Rather, hope is found in God’s grace in the midst of hardship. Hope is found in his promise to give us a future.” ― Stuart Scott
  33. “We want you to know that you don’t need to be in crisis or distress to seek help as going to therapy has numerous benefits.” — Carla Avalos LCSW+PMH-C
  34. “This feeling will pass. The fear is real but the danger is not.” ― Cammie McGovern
  35. “Happiness Can Be Found Even In The Darkest Of Times, If One Only Remembers To Turn On The Light” — Albus Dumbledore

Make a Difference in
Emotional Health and Wellness
Around the World

Children's HopeChest equips leaders in developing countries with emotional health and wellness training designed to help those that are suffering from the effects of poverty, grief, or trauma.

Just like our physical health, our mental health goes through cycles, shifting with different seasons of life. According to the Oxford dictionary, mental health refers to your psychological and emotional well-being.

Despite what you’ve heard, mental health is not always black and white. Try to think of your mental health as a fluctuating spectrum – it’s a journey that doesn’t look the same for everyone!

Mental health impacts every part of your life – relationships, work, physical health, etc. No matter where you’re at on your mental health journey, it’s essential to have check-ins with yourself. This could include reaching out to a friend, family member, or licensed counselor to talk. Remember, to struggle with mental health is to be human. You are not alone!

person struggling with mental health
Self care mental health

Unfortunately, mental difficulties are much harder to explain than physical ones. It’s much easier to seek help for a broken arm than it is to seek help for an internal struggle you’re facing. Jane Austen once wrote, “Sometimes I have kept my feelings to myself, because I could find no language to describe them in.” Not everyone will understand the internal struggles you’re experiencing – and that’s okay. Your mental state is still very real and very valid.

Self-care is a beautiful practice that can promote a healthy state of mind. Self-care is the prioritization of doing things you love like exercising, eating foods that make you feel good, listening to your favorite music, spending time with friends, or having alone-time. Remember, no matter how bad your circumstances are, there is always something that can make it a little better. Your favorite food, a walk outside, or a hug from someone you love. We all have something in our lives to be grateful for, even if we can’t see it right at that moment. 

We hope the previous quotes will lift your spirits and make you feel a little less alone. We also hope these quotes will help spread awareness, reduce stigma, and point anyone struggling with mental health to seek help.

Help global mental health happy kids

Mental health is a human rights issue and impacts everyone. Caring for people who suffer from mental illness or addiction can change the world and the lives of people around the world. If you want to be a part of global mental health initiatives, Children’s Hope Chest is paving the way for better mental health across the globe.