Sometimes, the person we see in the mirror isn’t exactly the person we want to see. We may be upset about things we’ve done in the past, hold onto insecurities from mental illness or trauma, or not like how we look. Whatever the case, these negative thoughts will only hold us back from success and enjoying life to the fullest. It can be hard to lift ourselves, and we can all use some help sometimes. Here are 20 quotes about self love to remember when you’re depressed.

20 Self Love Quotes to Read When You Feel Depressed

self love

1. “The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.”  C.G. Jung

People have the wrong idea about confidence. Many people think that it means loving yourself completely. However, that’s not the case. You need to accept the fact that there are times when you won’t like your actions or appearance. That’s okay. Only after you like yourself can you work on recovering from depression.

2. “If you have the ability to love, love yourself first.” Charles Bukowski

This quote, like many quotes about self love, teaches us to love ourselves first. When we give ourselves enough love, it will spill over onto the other people in our lives. You can’t help or love others if you don’t take care of yourself. You will spread positivity and might rise above depression.

3. “I want to be the best version of myself for anyone who is going to someday walk into my life and need someone to love them beyond reason.”  Jennifer Elisabeth

You can’t love someone until you love yourself. When you are down on yourself, you need to think about the other people in your life who need your love. Love yourself for them on days when you are depressed to put yourself first.

love yourself quote
4. “Wildflower; pick up your pretty little head, It will get easier, your dreams are not dead.” Nikki Rowe

When we have a day filling with insecurity and depression, it can be hard to remember that the feeling is only temporary. This poem reminds us that it will get better soon. We all have to fight through the rain to get to the sunnier days.

5. “Self-love is a good thing, but self-awareness is more important. You need to once in a while go ‘Uh, I’m kind of an asshole.”  Louis C.K.

You can’t love yourself all of the time. At times, you will make mistakes, and you need to be able to tell yourself when you make those mistakes. If you don’t, you won’t grow as a human being. When you grow, it will make it much easier for you to love yourself in the future.

6.“You are not what others think you are. You are what God knows you are.” Shannon Alder

There is only one person out there who can look into your heart and soul. That’s the only person you need to worry about. And if God made you, you can’t be that bad, right? The perception of other people doesn’t matter.

7. “Sometimes, you need to take a break from everyone and spend time alone, to experience, appreciate and love yourself.” Robert Tew

Sometimes self-care involves taking some time for yourself. While you want to plan your alone time around your biggest social commitments, it’s okay to step back from people for a little bit to work on yourself.

8. “Stay true to yourself. An original is worth more than a copy.” Suzy Kassem

Authenticity is a large part of self-care according to most quotes about self love. You need to be true to yourself on your journey of self-discovery and self-love. When you are true to yourself, you can help yourself escape your sadness.

9. “When you are truly stunning, gorgeous, and beautiful, you won’t have to prove that to anyone visually.”  Alexandra Elle

Your appearance should never have anything to do with your self-love. Period. If you’re depressed because of your looks, remind yourself that there are more important things to think about.

10. “Self-care has become a new priority – the revelation that it’s perfectly permissible to listen to your body and do what it needs.”  Frances Ryan

Listen to your body and your emotions. They know what you need. Luckily, this is becoming better understood. In past eras, many people would feel guilty about taking a little bit of time for themselves. However, treating yourself is (fortunately) well-accepted today.

11. “Loving oneself is the most primal of all survival mechanisms”  Karen Hackel

You need to love yourself to survive. If you don’t love yourself, you will leave yourself vulnerable to attacks by yourself and others. This is one of the quotes about self love that teaches us that accepting ourselves equals strength. The world requires emotional strength, and that includes self love.

12. “Tonight I’ll dance, I’ll be alive, and ain’t that worth the party?”  Yesika Salgado

Life is a gift. Being alive and well is more than enough of a reason to smile when you look in the mirror and let go of the small things. Go live your life. The ride will be over before you know it, and you don’t want to miss out because you were too busy feeling depressed and insecure.

13. “What others think of you is none of your business.”  Deepak Chopra

There’s a certain amount of arrogance that comes from being preoccupied with what other people think of you. Plus, people are allowed to have private thoughts. You don’t like absolutely everyone you meet. Why does everyone need to love you? Let people have their opinions, and don’t worry about it.

14. “Anyone who indulges only in self-love remains devoid of true love.”  Ehsan Sehgal

It’s not enough to love yourself. You need to love others, too. When you love others, you are bringing even more love into your heart. Some people feel depressed and lonely, but once you like yourself, you’ll attract the one who is meant for you.

self love before finding a partner

15. “The cure of pain is the pain.”  Rumi

Many quotes about self love remind us that we need to go through the pain to come out of it. If you only put a band-aid over the problem, the problem is still there. You need to deal with the actual problem if you want to heal for genuine recovery from feeling depressed.

16.“Whatever paths you choose, someone will hate you. Only be certain that someone is not you.”  S.D. Simper

You cannot please absolutely everybody on the planet. At times, you will make some decisions that some people don’t approve of.  However, you can’t live for other people.. You need to live for you and do what makes you feel authentic and happy.

17. “Low self-esteem is like a natural and beautiful garden that’s been invaded by weeds from unhealthy relationships. In recovery, we pull the weeds, fertilize the soil, sow new seeds, and nourish our garden with water and sunlight.”  Darlene Lancer

The insecurities that make us depressed come from past pain. You may have been hurt by a parent, an ex-lover, peers, or multiple people. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t nurture yourself and weed out all of the pain and insecurity you feel until you are fresh and sunny again. However, this, like gardening, requires a lot of effort.

18. “You are divine. Accept it.”  Deborah Bravandt

Some of us don’t like to admit to ourselves that we are amazing for some silly reason. You are a creation of your maker, a human with feeling and who makes a mistake, and you are amazing. To err is to be human, and to be human is to be a part of all of creation. Show yourself love instead of resisting your love.

19. “Our reaction to self-criticism is more important than the self-criticism itself. Paying attention to our reactions is very important because the only thing we have control over is how we react.”  Yong Kang Chan

We may not be able to stop ourselves from getting a little down on ourselves sometimes. We can’t control our thoughts. However, we can do our best to control how we deal with those thoughts. We can let it destroy us, or we can try to curb those thoughts and think more positively.

20. “Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable, I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world. I celebrate myself, and sing myself.” – Walt Whitman

This Walt Whitman verse reminds us that we are complex creatures. Sometimes we may love ourselves. Other times, we may hate ourselves. It’s okay to feel our emotions and embrace them. In the end, this is a part of the human experience. When we celebrate the human experience, we are celebrating and loving ourselves.

quotes for depressed people

Final Thoughts on Quotes on Self Love and Overcoming Feeling Depressed

When you read these quotes about self love, the goal is to feel better about yourself enough to face the day. Hopefully, you can find some joy in the process. If you still struggle to find confidence and strength, you should at least muster the strength to get yourself the right help. Call a therapist to talk and find other ways to increase your inner love.