Mental Health Quotes: Short, Funny, & Inspirational

By Tristan Williams, Ph.D.
​Reviewed by Tchiki Davis, M.A., Ph.D.
We all need inspiration and motivation sometimes. But it can be hard to put how we feel into words, especially when it's about mental health. That's why we decided to compile a list of quotes about mental health in one convenient place for you.
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Mental health is the term used to describe psychological, social, and emotional well-being (Kessler et al., 2007). We know that mental health can influence people's ability to be productive, make decisions, and achieve overall happiness. According to recent statistics, 1 in 5 Americans suffer from poor mental health (Reinert et al., 2021). Hence, it's essential that people recognize when their mental health is in jeopardy and know they are not alone.
In this article, we'll go over various mental health quotes to hopefully inspire and raise awareness.
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What Are Mental Health Quotes Helpful For?

We all can struggle with our mental health sometimes. Mental health quotes, in turn, can help us better express how we're feeling and experience empathy for those experiencing similar circumstances. Unfortunately, there is a stigma around mental health, leading many people to feel afraid to express their emotions.

Mental health quotes may be able to offer alternative perspectives. They may also encourage us to see the good in our lives and focus on the positive aspects we may take for granted.

Below are quotes about mental health that may help you empathize and stay motivated during your journey towards greater well-being.

Quotes on Mental Health Awareness

Although we've made strides as a society to be more open about discussing mental health topics, doing so is still taboo and can make it tough for those who experience them. People who haven't experienced mental health issues may also struggle to offer sage advice and support for issues they do not fully understand and, unfortunately, this can add to the barriers that prevent people from seeking help.

It’s important to remember that mental health is just as important as physical health – if you would go to a health specialist for a broken limb, why not do the same for a broken mind? Plus, if your brain isn't functioning properly, this can lead to a rapid decline of everything else – including your physical health. Studies have shown that positive mental health can even reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes (Abed et al., 2014).

To raise awareness, here is a list of mental health quotes to support and encourage you —there’s no need to feel ashamed about your mental status.
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  • “Anything that's human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” – Fred Rogers
  • “Be dedicated to change the way in which people see mental illness at all levels of society. If not for yourself, advocate for those who are struggling in silence.” ― Germany Kent
  • “People who suffer from mental illness are the lepers of this age! Not all who suffer are limited. Many are very bright. They just need patience and kindness, which is rare in this world!” ― June Stoyer
  • “What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” — Glenn Close
  • “Not surprisingly, there has been a mismatch between the enormous impact of mental illness and addiction on the public's health and our society's limited commitment to addressing these problems.” — John Campo
  • “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

Short Mental Health Quotes

Sometimes when we're looking at longer quotes, the take-home message gets lost. That’s why short phrases or sayings can have a significant impact.

Here are examples of short mental health quotes with deep meaning:
  • “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
  • “There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn't.” ― John Green
  • “Self-care is how you take your power back.” — Lalah Delia
  • “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” — Fredrick Douglass
  • “And still, I rise.”  —  Maya Angelou

Funny Mental Health Quotes

It can be helpful not to take things or yourself too seriously. Sometimes, a little humor can go a long way when struggling with mental health.

Here are some funny mental health quotes to help put life in perspective:
  • “When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear, and life stands explained.” — Mark Twain
  • “Freud: If it's not one thing, it's your mother.” — Robin Williams
  • “Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounding yourself with assholes.” — William Gibson

Inspirational Mental Health Quotes

​Words have power and can inspire and motivate people. Here are some quotes to help inspire you on your mental health journey:
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  • “Nobody can save you but yourself, and you're worth saving. It's a war not easily won, but if anything is worth winning, then this is it.” — Charles Bukowski
  • “Life doesn't make any sense without interdependence. We need each other, and the sooner we learn that the better for us all.” — Erik Erikson
  • “You are not alone. You are seen. I am with you. You are not alone.” — Shonda Rhimes
  • “I would say what others have said: It gets better. One day, you'll find your tribe. You just have to trust that people are out there waiting to love you and celebrate you for who you are. In the meantime, the reality is you might have to be your own tribe. You might have to be your own best friend. That's not something they're going to teach you in school. So start the work of loving yourself.” — Wentworth Miller

Mental Health Recovery Quotes

Mental health recovery can be difficult, but knowing you're not alone is essential.
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  • “Healing takes time, and asking for help is a courageous step.” — Mariska Hargitay
  • “Take your time healing, as long as you want. Nobody else knows what you've been through. How could they know how long it will take to heal you?” — Abertoli
  • “Recovery is real. It's not a luck-of-the-draw deal where you put your name in a hat and hope to be chosen. It's a grueling, relentless, personal process that will push you beyond your limits over and over.” ― Brittany Burgunder

Positive Mental Health Quotes

Sometimes, the best way to reframe your mindset is to think positively. Here are some quotes on positive mental health.
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  • “Being able to be your true self is one of the strongest components of good mental health.” — Lauren Fogel Mersy
  • “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.” — Albus Dumbledore
  • “Increasing the strength of our minds is the only way to reduce the difficulty of life.” ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Mental Health Quotes by Famous People

No matter our social status, everyone can face challenging times. Even the rich and famous have had struggles with mental health.

Here are some mental health quotes from celebrities:
  • “The experience I have had is that once you start talking about [experiencing a mental health struggle], you realize that actually, you're part of quite a big club.” — Prince Harry
  • “If you have been brutally broken but still have the courage to be gentle to other living beings, then you're a badass with a heart of an angel.” — Keanu Reeves
  • “I think it's safe to say that most of you know a lot of my life, whether I liked it or not. And I had to stop. Because I had everything, and I was absolutely broken inside. And I kept it all together enough to where I would never let you down, but I kept it too much together to where I let myself down… I'm not trying to get validation, nor do I need it anymore. All I can say from the bottom of my heart is I am so grateful. If you are broken, you do not have to stay broken.” — Selena Gomez
  • “I found that with depression, one of the most important things you could realize is that you're not alone. You're not the first to go through it; you're not going to be the last to go through it.” — Dwayne' The Rock' Johnson
  • “I can slip in and out of depression quite easily. I had really bad postpartum depression after I had my son. It frightened me, and I didn't talk to anyone about it. I was very reluctant…Four of my friends felt the same way I did, and everyone was too embarrassed to talk about it.” — Adele
  • “What I love about therapy is that they'll tell you what your blind spots are. Although that's uncomfortable and painful, it gives you something to work with.” — Pink
  • “Whether an illness affects your heart, your arm, or your brain, it's still an illness, and there shouldn't be any distinction. We would never tell someone with a broken leg that they should stop wallowing and get it together. We don't consider taking medication for an ear infection something to be ashamed of. We shouldn't treat mental health conditions any differently. Instead, we should make it clear that getting help isn't a sign of weakness — it's a sign of strength.” — Michelle Obama

Mental Health Quotes by Psychologists

When it comes to mental health, we can get some of the best insight from those trained to treat it. Here are some quotes from psychologists about mental health.

  • “Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will surface later in an uglier form.” — Sigmund Freud
  • “What does not become conscious manifests in our lives as destiny.” — Carl Gustav Jung
  • “Self-love, it is obvious, always remains positive and active in our natures.” — Gordon W. Allport
  • “The ultimate goal of the therapist is not to provide his patients with a series of intellectual insights but to help them change their lives.” — Aaron T. Beck
  • “Spend your free time the way you like, not the way you think you're supposed to.”  —  Susan Cain

Mental Health Quotes by Philosophers

Philosophers often study the human condition. The following quotes express some of the attitudes famous philosophers had on mental health:
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  • “The human body is the chariot; the self, the man who drives it; thought is the reins, and feelings, the horses.” — Plato
  • “Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” ― Henry David Thoreau
  • “What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” — Plutarch
  • “Persist and resist.”  —  Epictetus
  • “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” — Aristotle

Mental Health Quotes for Students

​Pursuing education can take a toll on your mental health. So, here are some quotes for students.
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  • “Another statistical survey of 7,948 students at forty-eight colleges was conducted by social scientists from Johns Hopkins University. Their preliminary report is part of a two-year study sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health. Asked what they considered ‘very important’ to them now, 16 percent of the students checked ‘making a lot of money’; 78 percent said their first goal was ‘finding a purpose and meaning to my life.’” — Viktor E. Frankl
  • “Do we talk about the dignity of work? Do we give our students any reason for believing it is worthwhile to sacrifice for their work because such sacrifices improve the psychological and mental health of the person who makes them?” — Sargent Shriver
  • “Education...is not to reform students, or to amuse them, or to make them expert technicians. It is to unsettle their minds, widen their horizons, inflame their intellects, and teach them to think straight, if possible.” — Robert M. Hutchins

Mental Health Quotes for Parents

Parenting is a critical and fulfilling job but can be draining. The following quotes are for parents who struggle with mental health.
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  • “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” — Carl W. Buehner
  • “Being a parent is the best reason you'll have to take care of yourself.” — Lorna Lambert
  • “Self–care for parents is crucial. Not only do you have a lot on your plate, being solely responsible for tiny humans, but you also have to teach your kids how to navigate life's challenges. So, it would seem that your self-care routine has to work double-time.” — Hayley Gallagher
  • “Our children cannot fully internalize the idea they should advocate for what they need unless we do the same for ourselves.” — Dr. Nichelle Haynes
  • “People who smack you down by saying that 'parenting isn't about you' are mostly wrong. Parenting isn't JUST about you, but some of it is: Your health. Your happiness. Those are still important. Take care of you, too, or the whole damn thing falls apart.” — Arianna Bradford

Lists of Mental Health Quotes

There are many quotes from a variety of people about mental health. Unfortunately, I can't put all of them here, but I can provide lists with some of the best.

Here are some of my favorite lists of mental health quotes:

Articles Related to Mental Health Quotes​

​Want to learn more? Check out these articles:

Books & Products Related to Mental Health Quotes​

If you’d like to keep learning more, here are a few books and products that you might be interested in.

Final Thoughts on Mental Health Quotes

Maintaining a healthy mental status is key to ensuring good physical and mental fortitude. Mental health issues are on the rise worldwide, and many of us can find ourselves struggling more than ever to cope. Battling the stigma against speaking on mental health topics may help us change the perceptions surrounding mental illness.

These quotations can serve as a starting point in conversations and provide insight, inspiration, and motivation for people on their mental health journeys. Remember, you are not alone if you are struggling with mental health. Don't be afraid to seek professional help if needed.
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For additional information about mental health, check out this video below:

Video: Let’s Talk Mental Health

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