If you have depression and anxiety you’re probably looking for ways to feel less alone. While there is no magic quote that will make depression and anxiety vanish, sometimes quotes can shift your perspective enough that you start to feel better. With that in mind, these empowering and inspirational quotes for depression and anxiety can give you that emotional boost you’re looking for.
Everyone has a different response when they read a quote. Maybe, just maybe there are quotes that help you feel understood. Or that provide hope. Maybe even a shift in perspective. Or how about a smile or chuckle?
Pay attention as you read this collection of 11 empowering and inspirational quotes for depression and anxiety. Notice which ones make you feel understood or hopeful. Be mindful of any other way your perspective shifts even a smidge.
1.“The way you tell your story to yourself matters.”
– Amy Cuddy
2.”What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.”
– Lao Tzu
3.“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”
–Dalai Lama
4.“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also harder 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, “The Problem of Pain”
5.“Slow breathing is like an anchor in the midst of an emotional storm: the anchor won’t make the storm goes away, but it will hold you steady until it passes.”
-Russ Harris
Take a breath. Diaphragmatic breathing is one way to feel better fast. Try it before and after repeating inspirational and empowering quotes for Depression and Anxiety.
6.”Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
—Leonard Cohen
7. “Imagine you’re 90 years old. You’re looking back on your life, as it is today. Finish the following sentences:
–Russ Harris
- I spent too much time worrying about…
- I spent too little time doing things such as…
- If I could go back in time, I would…”
Find inspiration and empowerment in recognizing that in this very moment, even with Depression and Anxiety, you have the power to choose.. to look back, look ahead, and/or be where you are, now.
8.“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.”
–Og Mandino
9. “When one door closes, another opens. But we often look so regretfully upon the closed door that we don’t see the one that has opened for us.”
—Alexander Graham Bell
Every ending also means a new beginning. The beginning may emerge by navigating Depression or Anxiety.
10. Acceptance doesn’t mean putting up with or resigning yourself to something. It (acceptance) is about embracing life, not merely tolerating it. Acceptance literally means “taking what is offered”. It doesn’t mean giving up or admitting defeat. (Nor does it) mean just gritting your teeth and bearing it.
It means fully opening yourself to your present reality – acknowledging how it is, right here and now, and letting go of of the struggle with life as it is in this moment.”
–Russ Harris
11. “No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.”
–The Buddha
Experiencing joy and suffering, and everything in between, is what being human means.
Along the way, there may be bumps in the road. When those bumps are in the form of depression or anxiety, remember to pause and become conscious of your breathing.
And, remember Dalai Lama’s words, and be sure there is no mosquito in your bed.
If you need immediate help, consider these resources:
- Call a crisis hotline, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
- Text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
Dr. Elayne Daniels is a private-practice psychologist, international consultant, and coach. Over the last 25 years, she has helped people heal and deal with depression and anxiety. To learn more about how she might help you, contact her here.