51 Self Care Quotes and Tiny Reminders to Love Yourself

Oh, life.  We work until we can barely keep our eyes open. We push our bodies and minds to keep up with impossible standards of productivity, achievement and beauty. We forget to take care of--or love--ourselves because we’re too busy taking care of and loving others. Living in a constant state of stress and work is not living at all though; it’s existing in a self-made state of fight or flight. Not only is it unnatural to live in this state for extended periods of time; it’s unhealthy, too.

The idea of self-care isn’t always front and center to everyone. Perhaps it lives somewhere in the back of our minds between faint but still accessible memories of your favorite summer and lyrics to that song you listened to on repeat a few years ago but have since replaced with another. You know about it. You even think about it sometimes, but it doesn’t always drive you to action or move to the top of your priority list.

Instead of thinking about self care as an action, start by thinking of it as a philosophy. That philosophy? Recognizing that you’re worth your time. 

If you’re like most of us, your time is mostly filled with taking care of everything and everyone but yourself. You get to the tail end of your day to relax but you either use your time to take care of things at home, numb yourself with bad TV that doesn’t require much thought, or drop on the bed, lay your head and fall asleep in a stressful state--only to do it all again the next day. Whether you’re working towards that promotion, a degree balancing a career and motherhood--or even a career and a personal life--, recognize that self-care requires a balance between work you and/or mom and the rest of you. 

Read on for our favorite self-care quotes and mantras that will aid you in taking care of yourself and help you practice self-love. 

Our minds do not have the capacity to run at high-speed 24/7, which is why having a proper amount of sleep is so important to restore energy. But sleeping should not be our only form of self-care—it’s a necessity on its own. 

Like sleeping, eating, and breathing, self-care should be a priority rather than something we push to the bottom of our to-do list. 

Think about this for a minute:

• Have you taken a break this week to unwind?
• How much did you smile or laugh today? 
• When was the last time you took a day to yourself?

If you answered “no”, “not at all” or “I don’t remember” to any of these questions, it’s time to start taking care of yourself and dedicating time to rejuvenating your mind, body, and soul. 

It’s time to slow down your life for just a moment. But going from zero to full-on self-care regimen overnight is next to impossible. So we’ve put together a number of self-care quotes to get you into the right mindset and help ease you in...

What is self care?

Self-care can be defined as a meaningful gift of self-love and appreciation. It is any activity we do to step back and rejuvenate ourselves mentally, physically, and emotionally. 

But how you take care of yourself means different things for different people. Some enjoy their alone time with a spa night in a bubble bath, listening to their favorite music and sipping on a nice glass of wine (or a refreshing, healthy drink). Others enjoy getting out in nature and enjoying the fresh air while hiking or biking, clearing their minds and some prefer to spend time with their closest family and friends to reset their emotions. 

However you define self-care is your prerogative.

The bottom line is: self-care should much less be defined but rather measured. We should be focusing on the benefits that come from self care.

You will always be more productive if you take a break. Whether you take an hour, a day, or just 15 minutes out of your busy schedule, you will feel refreshed after stepping away from your hectic life. Another plus: taking a break may even inspire you to come up with fresh ideas.

We have rounded up a number of “taking care of yourself” and “take time for yourself” short quotes that will aid you in your new self-care journey.

ME-TIME: QUOTES TO REMIND YOU TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

With all the forms of communication today, it isn’t easy to just be alone. Through our phones, we can call, text, video chat and DM someone with just a few clicks. We often get so caught up in what’s on our screen that we forget what it's like to be alone--or have an organic thought outside of what’s playing out there. 

Though it might not sound appealing if you’re a more social person, taking time to be by yourself—for however long you want—can be so refreshing. Being alone can really give you time to disconnect from your everyday life and clear your mind. It’s okay to be alone sometimes and just be with our thoughts. We lose touch with who we are when we are always busybodies, at the constant whim of the stimuli swirling around us, and concerned with what everyone else is doing. 

Here are a few quotes that will remind you to reconnect with yourself… 

• “You deserve better, you know you do.” 
• “Accept yourself, love yourself, and keep moving forward. If you want to fly, you have to give up what weighs you down.” — Roy T. Bennett
• “Be gentle with yourself.” 
• “Keep taking time for yourself until you are you again.” —Lalah Delia 
• “Don’t apologize for feeling something.” 
• “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” — Anne Lamott
• “Know your limits, don’t push past them.” 
• “The only person who can pull me down is myself, and I’m not going to let myself pull me down anymore.” — C. Joybell C.

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SELF CARE QUOTES TO GET BACK TO ‘COOL, CALM & COLLECTED’...

An overly busy person is like a ticking-time bomb. When your schedule is filled  to the very last minute, if even one thing goes wrong, it can completely set you off. The smallest thing can make you want to rip our hair out. Your anger or whatever emotion it is, is completely disproportionate to whatever caused it, of course. Someone cut you off on the road, someone was late for an appointment, you can’t find a file you need--all of these things are minor in the grand scheme of things. But because you haven’t left yourself even a second to breathe, any one of them can feel like they’re shattering your carefully laid plans.

We have ALL experienced these times. And the only remedy is to step away, take a deep breath, splash some cool water on your face and move forward. Many times the things we stress about are ‘catastrophes’ that we can’t even recall in a matter of weeks. And if we do recall them, it’s usually with the thought--why did they make me so angry? It was not a big deal. It’s usually not the thing at all; it's all of the running-around bottled up inside you being released in that one moment that you’re experiencing. 

It will get better if you just take time to recuperate and recollect your thoughts. 

Take these quotes into consideration the next time you are ready to lose your marbles… 

• “Calm your mind, life becomes crystal clear.” 
• “It’s important to have a balance in your life between work and play.” —Bobby Flay 
• “Remember: The thing is not the thing. It’s the thing you think about the thing.”
• “Know when to let it go.” 
• “You can’t always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.” —Wayne Dyer
• “Life should be touched, not strangled. Let it happen at times and at others move forward with it.” —Ray Bradbury 
• “Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action.” —Walter Anderson
• “Control your own thoughts, stop letting them control you.”
• “Smile, breathe, and go slowly.” —Thích Nhất Hạnh 
• “It’s all about finding the calm in the chaos.” —Donna Karan
• “Will it matter a year from now?” 
• “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” — Dolly Parton

YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN YOUR LIFE…

It can be so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing. Comparing ourselves to others, concerning what others may be saying about you or even trying to out-do coworkers or friends, is a toxic trait that many of us should work on. We all work and live at a different pace. Self care means taking time to focus on yourself and only you, because you are the most important person in your life. 

You are the author of your own story, don’t let somebody else write this chapter.  

Consider one of these self-care quotes as a reminder to take time to focus on yourself… 

• “Be passionate and totally worth the chaos.” 
• “She believed she could, so she did.” —R.S. Grey 
• “Focus on the good and the good gets better.” 
• “You have your own life, why waste it on focusing on others.” —Nitin Namdeo
• “The most important person to seek approval from is yourself.” 
• “You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” —Eleanor Roosevelt
• “It is not your job to set yourself on fire to keep others warm.”
•  “When you focus on yourself and love yourself, some relationships have to go —Adrian Michael 
• “The only person who has to believe in you is you.” 
• “Self-care is how you take your power back.” – Lalah Delia

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{SELF} LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED… 

Taking care of oneself is an act of appreciation. Small or large, these acts of kindness are easy ways to make each day a little better. Whether you treat yourself to a fancy coffee drink from your favorite cafe or leave small notes around your home to make yourself smile on your not-so-great days, you are recognizing your hard work and showing love to yourself. No one is  perfect and that is okay. This is an opportunity to recognize your favorite parts of you. We should all treat ourselves how we treat others. You wouldn’t push someone far past their limits and make them stressed beyond belief, so why do that to yourself? 

Self care is self love.

Take these quotes and use them as a reminder that you are worthy of love, not only from others but yourself… 

• “Self love is never selfish.” 
• “Perfection is found in accepting your imperfections.” —Bridgett Devoue 
• “The most courageous act one can do is love each themself fully and unconditionally.” 
• “Be the love you always hoped for.” —Juansen Dizon
• “There is no happy ending until you choose to save yourself.” 
• “The challenge is not to be perfect — it is to be whole.” — Jane Fonda
• “Never say you’re not good enough.”
• “Be you, love you. All ways, always.” ― Alexandra Elle

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AFFIRMATIONS TO HEAL THE SOUL…  

Now that we know the importance of self love, let’s practice it. Here are a few affirmations to read everyday, good or bad. They will equally lift your spirits and fill you with the confidence you need to take on any challenge life has in store for you. 

Reading these affirmations in your head or out loud can completely flip your mindset in a matter of seconds. Clear your mind and focus on the meaning behind the words. 

• “Hey you, no giving up, okay?”
• “I am worthy.” 
• “I deserve the love I give to everyone else.”
•  “I am beautiful today and everyday.”
• “I’m doing this for me.”
• “I am committed to bettering myself, for me and only me.
• “I will always believe in myself, I can do anything I set my mind to.”

BITE-SIZED SELF CARE… 

Constantly running around and doing a million different things at once makes it hard to take a breather and reflect. In those moments, you don't have time to sit and ponder what deeper words of wisdom mean to you. 

Here are a few quick reads to give you that short and sweet boost of energy when you only have a split second to get inspired… 

• “Let go and let the universe do its thing.” 
• “Dare BIG, Fear small.”
• “Tap into your magic.” 
• “Follow what calls you.” 
• “Love yourself hard.” 

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If you loved our self care quotes and you’d like to read more affirming words, check out:

• 30 Gratitude Quotes and the Tips and Benefits of Keeping a Gratitude Journal
• How to Show Someone You Care
• 5 Ways to Get Out of a Negative Headspace
• Short Love Quotes to share with your loved one
• Meaningful Song Lyrics about Life
• Manifestation Quotes