These self-care quotes are your signs of taking a break from the busyness of the world and being good to yourself every once in a while.
Our everyday lives can get so hectic, busy, and just overall crazy.
Sadly, when this happens, our gut instinct tells us to work more and try to do more to keep up. However, we must realize that what we must do instead is to take a break and take care of ourselves first.
Many people look at self-care as something selfish, but really, it’s one of the most important things to do.
After all, how can you give your all and consistently perform at your best when you have nothing left to give?
True success and happiness come from within ourselves, and the only way to find them is to start the journey of self-care.
If you don’t know where to start, then read through to the end of this list and realize that it’s actually as easy as pie!
Continue to the complete collection below.
And don’t forget to check out these self-love quotes and positive quotes.
Best Self-Care Quotes
1. “Self-care is not a waste of time; self-care makes your use of time more sustainable.” – Jackie Viramontez
2. “An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows your light to shine brightly.” – Anonymous
3. “Self-care is allowing yourself to appreciate the moment for what it is, instead of wishing it was something else.” – Sharon Pearson
4. “Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.” – Parker Palmer
5. “Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.” – Katie Reed
6. “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
7. “Mind. Body. Soul. These are the three things self-care is all about.” – Kathy Sledge
8. “Self-care is the non-negotiable. That’s the thing that you have to do. And beauty is the thing that can be the benefit of self-care. Beauty is not the point. Beauty is just a cute side-effect from self-care.” – Jonathan Van Ness
9. “With every act of self-care, your authentic self gets stronger, and the critical, fearful mind gets weaker. Every act of self-care is a powerful declaration: I am on my side, I am on my side, each day I am more and more on my own side.” – Susan Weiss Berry
Famous Quotes About Self-Care
10. “Self-care is taking all the pressures you are facing right now, and deciding to which you will respond, and how.” – Imani Shola
11. “Self-care means giving yourself permission to pause.” – Cecilia Tran
12. “You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.” – Anonymous
13. “Taking care of myself doesn’t mean ‘me first.’ It means ‘me, too.’” – L.R. Knost
14. “Taking care of yourself is the most powerful way to begin to take care of others.” – Bryant McGill
15. “Self-care equals success. You’re going to be more successful if you take care of yourself and you’re healthy.” – Beth Behrs
16. “When we care for ourselves as our very own beloved—with naps, healthy food, clean sheets, a lovely cup of tea—we can begin to give in wildly generous ways to the world, from abundance.” – Anne Lamott
17. “Every one of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves.” – Princess Diana
Also read: Famous Quotes, Encouraging Quotes
Self-Care Quotes That’ll Inspire You to Be Good to Yourself
18. “There are days I drop words of comfort on myself like falling leaves and remember that it is enough to be taken care of by myself.” – Brian Andreas
19. “Any time we listen to our true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves but for the many others whose lives we touch.” – Parker L. Palmer
20. “Carve out and claim the time to care for yourself and kindle your own fire.” – Amy Ippoliti
21. “Be kinder to yourself. And then let your kindness flood the world.” – Pema Chodron
22. “When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” – Jean Shinoda Bolen
23. “The value of self-care and self-love is often underestimated. It starts with you. You can’t give what you don’t have.” – Izey Victoria Odiase
24. “Self-care means considering yourself a worthwhile person and presenting yourself as valuable, capable, and deserving. In other words, self-care seeks to redress an imbalance that develops when you don’t take proper care of yourself, whether by inattention or by choice.” – Arin Murphy-Hiscock
Also read: Inspirational Quotes, Quotes to Live By
Self-Care Quotes That’ll Push You to Put Yourself First
25. “You can’t take care of anyone else unless you first take care of yourself.” – Michael Hyatt
26. “By taking care of myself, I have so much more to offer the world than I do when I am running on empty.” – Ali Washington
27. “For us to feel good emotionally, we have to look after ourselves.” – Sam Owen
28. “How we care for ourselves gives our brain messages that shape our self-worth so we must care for ourselves in every way, every day.” – Sam Owen
29. “When you take care of yourself, you’re a better person for others. When you feel good about yourself, you treat others better.” – Solange Knowles
30. “Invent your world. Surround yourself with people, color, sounds, and work that nourish you.” – Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy
Also read: Self-Reflection Quotes
Short Self-Care Quotes
31. “Self-discipline is self-caring.” – M. Scott Peck
32. “Self-care is how you take your power back.” – Lalah Delia
33. “The best health care plan is a self-care plan.” – Nina Leavins
34. “Saying no can be the ultimate self-care.” – Claudia Black
35. “Doing something nice for myself is not selfish.” – Christine Morgan
36. “Be enough for yourself first; the rest of the world can wait.” – Anonymous
37. “Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s self-esteem.” – Ashley Judd
38. “Self-care comes first.” – Anonymous
39. “Self-care is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.” – Audre Lorde
40. “Self-care should include the cold shower as well as the scented tub.” – Mary Catherine Bateson
Quotes About Self-Care That You Can Use as a Guide
41. “Self-care is so much more than a beauty regimen or an external thing you do. It has to start within your heart to know what you need to navigate your life. A pedicure doesn’t last, but meditating every day does.” – Carrie-Anne Moss
42. “Self-care is one of the active ways that I love myself. When you can and as you can, in ways that feel loving, make time and space for yourself.” – Tracee Ellis Ross
43. “Caring for your body, mind, and spirit is your greatest and grandest responsibility. It’s about listening to the needs of your soul and then honoring them.” – Kristi Ling
44. “For those of you who struggle with guilt regarding self-care, answer this question: what greater gift can you give to those you love than your own wholeness?” – Shannon Tanner
45. “Self-care is a deliberate choice to gift yourself with people, places, things, events, and opportunities that recharge our personal battery and promote whole health—body, mind, and spirit.” – Laurie Buchanan
46. “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott
Wise Self-Care Quotes to Live By
47. “Take care of yourself as if you’re the most awesome person you’ve ever met.” – Jen Sincero
48. “Fall in love with caring for yourself, in body, mind, and spirit.” – Anonymous
49. “Self-care is essential. Put your oxygen mask on first.” – Anonymous
50. “Self-care is non-negotiable. Show up for yourself every day!” – Anonymous
51. “Give yourself the same care and attention that you give to others and watch yourself bloom.” – Anonymous
52. “Don’t sacrifice yourself too much, because if you sacrifice too much, there’s nothing else you can give, and nobody will care for you.” – Karl Lagerfeld
53. “Keep good company, read good books, love good things, and cultivate soul and body as faithfully as you can.” – Louisa May Alcott
Self-Care Quotes for Those Who Need a Break
54. “Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” – Eleanor Brown
55. “Self-care is those moments when your mind feels an urge to be occupied with more things, but you listen to your body and soul, who are asking you to rest and take time for yourself instead.” – Lala Delia
56. “When the body forces you to stop, it’s saying, hey buddy, you’ve gone too far.” – Jacqueline Escolme
57. “It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.” – Mandy Hale
58. “As important as it is to have a plan for doing work, it is perhaps more important to have a plan for rest, relaxation, self-care, and sleep.” – Akiroq Brost
59. “Do something nice for yourself today. Find some quiet, sit in stillness, and breathe. Put your problems on pause. You deserve a break.” – Akiroq Brost
Self-Care Quotes That Everyone Can Learn From
60. “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn
61. “We need to replace your vicious stress cycle with a vicious cycle of self-care.” – Sara Gottfried
62. “Taking care of yourself isn’t about trying to become perfect. It’s about realizing and honouring, in every moment, that you already are.” – Vironika Tugaleva
63. “One way to feel good about yourself is to love yourself—to take care of yourself.” – Goldie Hawn
64. “I make it a point to practice self-care. I make an appointment with myself.” – Manisha Singal
65. “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” – Jack Kornfield
66. “Practice self-rescue first before you ‘help’ someone else.” – Maureen Joyce Connolly
Self-Care Quotes That Will Change Your Life
67. “Self-care is your fuel. Whatever the road ahead or the path you’ve taken, self-care is what keeps your motor running and your wheels turning.” – Melissa Steginus
68. “Self-care is the number one solution to helping somebody else. If you are being good to yourself and your body and your psyche, that serves other people better, because you will grow strong enough to lift someone else up.” – Mary Lambert
69. “If we truly loved ourselves, we’d never harm another. That is a truly revolutionary, celebratory mode of self-care.” – Sharon Salzberg
70. “There is enough time for self-care. There is not enough time to make up for the life you’ll miss by not filling yourself up.” – Jennifer Williamson
71. “When you take care of yourself, you will improve the length and quality of your life as well as increase the quality of your business and add more years to its life.” – Pooja Agnihotri
Interesting Quotes About Self-Care to Reflect On
72. “Self-care: doing the things that make you feel more like yourself.” – Robyn Conley Downs
73. “Self-care is the delicate balance between selfishness and self-sacrifice.” – Elayna Fernandez
74. “Don’t take your health for granted. Don’t take your body for granted. Do something today that communicates to your body that you desire to care for it. Tomorrow is not promised.” – Jada Pinkett Smith
75. “Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort.” – Deborah Day
76. “To me, self-care isn’t really shallow. Showing up for yourself, putting on a little moisturizer, can inspire so many different parts of your life.” – Jonathan Van Ness
77. “It is so important to take time for yourself and find clarity. The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself.” – Diane von Furstenberg
Self-Care Quotes for Your Curious Mind
78. “When admiring other people’s gardens, don’t forget to tend to your own flowers.” – Sanober Khan
79. “Your subconscious mind is paying attention to how you treat yourself.” – Sam Owen
80. “Self-care sometimes is doing the things that will make your next 2 hours difficult, but your next 10 years easier.” – Em.x.thoughts
81. “In my own deepening understanding of myself, I find my capacity to serve others is deepened as well. The better I am at self-care, the more genuinely nurturing of others I am able to be.” – Mary Anne Radmacher
82. “You can’t really be present for the people in your life if you aren’t taking care of yourself.” – Kerry Washington
83. “Selfishness at the expense of others is bad. Self-care for the betterment of others is good.” – Richie Norton
84. “Learning self-care is like building your own lifeboat, plank by plank. Once you’ve got your boat, you’ll still be rocked by the waves of life, but you’ll have a feeling of safety, and stability that means you can pick other people up on your way.” – Nadia Narain
More Self-Care Quotes That You Will Love
85. “For me, recovery and self-care are inextricably connected. My recovery from abuse, addiction, and a suicide attempt required dump truck loads of self-care.” – Steve Austin
86. “I think it’s when you take care of yourself, you love yourself that you truly bloom and look your most beautiful.” – Heart Evangelista
87. “The care, therefore, of every man’s soul belongs unto himself.” – John Locke
88. “I believe that self-care is a daily practice that should involve your interests, needs, and preferences. And it should have room to evolve with you over time.” – Portia Jackson-Preston
89. “Take care of your body as if you were going to live forever, and take care of your soul as if you were going to die tomorrow.” – St. Augustine
90. “Self-care is more than a catchphrase, and it’s more than important; it’s critical. Taking time out for ourselves helps to prevent burnout, increases our good health, decreases symptoms of depression, and so much more. Besides, as a caregiver, I couldn’t care for someone else as I do if I didn’t take time out to take care of myself.” – Gloria Kraegel
How Do You Take Care of Yourself?
There are many ways to care for oneself. After all, self-care covers all aspects of our lives, from our work, social life, personal life, and even the food we eat. It’s all very simple, but people sometimes feel guilty about putting themselves first.
This mindset pushes self-care back and makes it the least of our priorities. In reality, it should be our focus, first and foremost. So, make sure you take the list of quotes above as a sign to try taking care of yourself actively.
You don’t have to make significant changes to your routine; start small—eat healthily, get a decent amount of sleep, work out, and spend some time alone or with friends to rejuvenate your soul! Self-care also manifests itself in the day-to-day decisions we make. Don’t be afraid to say no to things you do not enjoy.
Self-care starts with an active choice of putting ourselves first and being good to ourselves. Slowly, through this process, we also attain self-love, self-confidence, self-worth, and more. So, the next time you feel drained, reread this list and be encouraged to take a pause and breathe!