100 Mental Health Quotes To Comfort, Encourage, Inspire

By Maxime Lagacé

Maxime is the founder and chief editor of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm, powerful, and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page.

Almost 50 million Americans are experiencing a mental illness.

That’s 19.86% of the population.

And since mental health is vital, I’ve spent 10+ hours researching the best books, blogs, videos, and podcasts to find the best quotes.

I suffered from depression in 2004 and I want to contribute to the solution.

Here are 100 of the best mental health quotes I’ve collected.

The goal?

To help you, your friend, and your family and make you realize how important your well-being is.

Hope you’ll like them!

Give yourself permission to slow down. Gabby Bernstein

Start prioritizing your mental health instead of adjusting to toxic spaces. Thema Bryant-Davis

Life gets better when health becomes your first priority. Maxime Lagacé

He that won’t be counsell’d, can’t be help’d. Benjamin Franklin

Anything human is mentionable, and anything mentionable is manageable. Fred Rogers

mental health quotes everything prioritize make time life mel robbins wisdom

Your mental health is everything – prioritize it. Make the time like your life depends on it, because it does. Mel Robbins

Trauma isn’t what happens to you, it’s what happens inside you. Gabor Maté

Much suffering, much unhappiness arises when you take each thought that comes into your head for the truth. Eckhart Tolle

Meditate. It won’t be fun but it will surface what you need to deal with. Naval Ravikant

I invite you to the world of no past. It’s the only sane place to be. Byron Katie

mental health quotes drifting path depression focus action fastest way kamal ravikant wisdom boat sea

Drifting is the surest path to depression that I know. Focus and action is the fastest way out. Kamal Ravikant

Self-knowledge is the beginning of wisdom, which is the ending of fear. Jiddu Krishnamurti

The highest level of mental health cannot be achieved without a high level of physical health. Train both. Gal Shapira

Normalize taking the time you need to feel like you again. Andrew Zaffina

Stop caring about too many things and start listening to one thing: you. Maxime Lagacé

Related

The Best Mental Health Quotes

Go to table of contents

Digital addiction is going to be one of the great mental health crises of our time. Sam Altman

There is no health without mental health. David Satcher

Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace. Robert J. Sawyer

The ultimate list of biohacks and smart drugs: Drink more water, get 8 hours of sleep, walk outside in the sun, leave your phone on silent, read a few pages each day, eat more vegetables and greens, don’t hang out with toxic people, work on projects you care about. James Clear

The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. John Milton

What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, more unashamed conversation about illnesses that affect not only individuals, but their families as well. Glenn Close

Allow yourself to be sad, to be depressed. Think of it like an emptying. Those feelings are the emotions leaving your body. But don’t indulge your feelings, don’t give them more significance or more fuel than they already have. Thibaut (@kpaxs)

Sobriety is a myth, you always find a new addiction. Thibaut

We have so many drugs now, electronic and chemical, that most of us are junkies most of the time. Naval Ravikant

More drugs are taken to quiet the mind than to heal the body. Naval Ravikant

Persistent, non-specific anxiety is the result of wanting so much, talking so much, and doing so much that you lose touch with the quiet joys of solitude. Naval Ravikant

There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t. John Green

You are probably not the first person in your family to experience depression. You may be the first one to acknowledge it. Thema Bryant-Davis

Depression is a liar. Anxiety is a deceiver. PTSD is a trickster. As we heal, we gain more clarity. Thema Bryant-Davis

My number one priority in life, above my happiness, above my family, above my work, is my own health. It starts with my physical health. Second, it’s my mental health. Third, it’s my spiritual health. Then, it’s my family’s health. Then, it’s my family’s well-being. After that, I can go out and do whatever I need to do with the rest of the world. Naval Ravikant

The largest part of what we call ‘personality’ is determined by how we’ve opted to defend ourselves against anxiety and sadness. Alain de Botton

Whatever your experience with mental illness, you deserve to be heard, to be understood and to get help if you need it. Haley Quinn

Protect your time, energy, and mental health by being selective about when and how you engage. Thema Bryant-Davis

Identification with our mind causes thought to become compulsive. Eckhart Tolle

Don’t expect inner peace if you still hate your past. Maxime Lagacé

Part 2. Mental Health Quotes That Are…

The Most Famous Mental Health Quotes

Go to table of contents

Searching for a famous mental health quote or author? Check out these ones by Nietzsche, Benjamin Franklin, Michelle Obama, Dalai Lama, etc.

If you take care of your mind, you take care of the world. Arianna Huffington

At the root of this dilemma is the way we view mental health in this country. Whether an illness affects your heart, your let or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there should be no distinction. Michelle Obama

Sometimes the only thing you could do for people was to be there. Terry Pratchett

Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves. Henry David Thoreau

I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion. Jack Kerouac

The thing I’m most afraid of is me. Of not knowing what I’m going to do. Of not knowing what I’m doing right now. Haruki Murakami

I have learned now that while those who speak about one’s miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more. C.S. Lewis

When we are tired, we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago. Friedrich Nietzsche

Never cease loving a person, and never give up hope for him, for even the prodigal son who had fallen most low, could still be saved; the bitterest enemy and also he who was your friend could again be your friend; love that has grown cold can kindle. Søren Kierkegaard

Loving thoughts and actions are clearly beneficial for our physical and mental health. 14th Dalai Lama

Real loneliness is not necessarily limited to when you are alone. Charles Bukowski

Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. Albus Dumbledore

The worst part of having a mental illness is people expect you to behave as if you don’t. Joker

Just as we teach about physical hygiene in the interest of good health, we now need to teach about mental or emotional hygiene too. 14th Dalai Lama

Everybody is somewhat neurotic, and…we must practice tolerance. Carl Jung

You are more precious to this world than you’ll ever know. Lili Rhinehart

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. Arthur Ashe

Helpful Mental Health Quotes

Go to table of contents

The acknowledgement of having suffered evil is the greatest step forward in mental health. Stefan Molyneux

Be gentle with yourself. Idil Ahmed

Make peace with your inner turmoil. Unknown

The biggest benefit of exercise isn’t your physical health, it’s your mental health. Matthew Kobach (Source)

Honor yourself by not criticizing, judging, or denying what you feel. Iyanla Vanzant

Learn how to stop doing. Do not be afraid to admit it when you are tired. Iyanla Vanzant

Just keep showing up. Ask for help when you need it. Remember the voices in your head are just voices. You don’t need to act on them. And be kind to yourself because hard experiences are hard. Brad Stulberg

Don’t let someone live rent-free in your head if they don’t care about your mental health. @MindTendencies2

Mental illness can happen to anyone. If you or someone you know is struggling please seek professional help. Lifestyle behaviors like sleep and exercise can help. But sometimes you also need therapy or medication. You can get better and thrive. Brad Stulberg

Nothing can survive without food. Everything we consume acts either to heal us or to poison us. Thich Nhat Hanh

Seeing a therapist doesn’t mean you’re crazy, or bad, or sick. A therapist is like a… a guide. He knows the signs, the roads, the pits. He can help you find the pain inside, acknowledge it and its cause, and get past it. Steven Gould

You cannot be mentally healthy without a routine. Jordan Peterson

You’re not much more demented than the rest – you just know a lot more about what’s passing through your mind. Alain de Botton

Lying in bed thinking about what makes you anxious is terrible for your mental health. Get up. Start your day. Get out of the house. It won’t make your problems disappear but it makes you feel better immediately. And that helps you solve them. Mel Robbins

Your soul is tired of your ego’s bullshit. Unknown

Related: 10 Celebrities Who Struggle With Mental Health (healthcare.utah.edu)

Well-being is the final stage of self-acceptance. Maxime Lagacé

Trying to please everyone is a guaranteed prescription for unhappiness. The first step toward emotional freedom is realizing that you’re not for everyone. Shane Parrish

The mind craves pleasure, and in doing so creates pain. James Pierce

I think when someone gets to rock bottom and they need a way out of that hole, the only way to get out is to surrender and ask for help. Demi Lovato

Until you heal the wounds of your past, you will continue to bleed. Iyanla Vanzant

Self-forgiveness can heal you. Andrew Zaffina

Wise Mental Health Quotes

Go to table of contents

The more you understand your self the more inner peace you can have. Maxime Lagacé

The problems we feel most alone with are, by definition, a shared reality with millions of others, separated by shame and shyness. Alain de Botton

To feel better, do three things: diet, exercise and sleep. Justin Kan (Source)

So very often we do not recognize or realize how the unhealed wounds of childhood motivate our adult behavior. Mental health is still health and we must take care of it. Iyanla Vanzant

We may be happy enough with little if little is what we have come to expect, and we may be miserable with much when we have been taught to desire everything. Alain de Botton (Status Anxiety, Amabon book)

No one should postpone the study of philosophy when he is young, nor should he wear of it when he becomes mature, for the search for mental health is never untimely or out of season. Epicurus

Mental health isn’t always about feeling good. As I define it, mental health is about accepting reality on reality’s terms. Drew Pinsky

Most of us do not understand ourselves, our various tensions and conflicts, our hopes and fears, which often produce mental and physical disorders. Jiddu Krishnamurti

The mentally ill frighten and embarrass us. And so we marginalize the people who most need our acceptance. What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, more unashamed conversation. Glenn Close

Unless a problem has reached a certain level of acuteness in one’s life, there will not be a sufficient motivation for them to examine it. James Pierce

Nothing like a health problem to turn up the contrast dial for the rest of life. Naval Ravikant

Being able to be your true self is one of the strongest components of good mental health. Lauren Fogel Mersy

You will not find great mental health in stagnation. Gal Shapira

One does not become fully human painlessly. Rollo May

Knowing how little you matter is very important for your mental health and your happiness. Naval Ravikant

The human brain isn’t designed to process all of the world’s emergencies in realtime. Naval Ravikant

Your mental health is a priority. Your self-care is a priority. Idil Ahmed

Conclusion

Go to table of contents

May your heart heal. May you know how lovable you are. May the laughter return to your mouth, the music return to your voice, and the dance return to your feet. Thema Bryant-Davis

Key Takeaways

Your mental health is vital. Together with your physical health, make them your first priority.
It’s more important than friends, money, family, and work. “A sick man only wants one thing”.
You will receive signs when it’s time to slow down and rest. Listen to them.
Remove the toxic from your life: toxic relationships, toxic thoughts, toxic habits, toxic foods, toxic apps, etc.
Words are powerful. They can help you live a simpler, better, and more peaceful life.

A few thoughts on mental health…

If you’re like me, you know too many people who have mental issues.

In fact, I know people with bipolar disorders, depression, and a few who stopped working because of burnout.

I also know people who committed suicide despite showing no external signals at all.

I even experienced depression (not clinical) back in 2004 after my girlfriend died in a car accident.

I spent the next 10 years struggling to find the joy I had before. I remember people around me asking if I was okay but I couldn’t explain what was happening inside.

In sum,

I truly hope the quotes on this page will create some light for you or your friend.

100 Mental Health Quotes To Comfort, Encourage, Inspire

The Best Mental Health Quotes

Part 2. Mental Health Quotes That Are…

The Most Famous Mental Health Quotes

Helpful Mental Health Quotes

Wise Mental Health Quotes

Conclusion

Key Takeaways

A few thoughts on mental health…

Further Readings

Table Of Contents