100+ Inspirational Quotes for Depression

Read to find some inspirational quotes for depression and anxiety that can hopefully incite a positive attitude or leave you feeling less alone.

By Katee Fletcher

Updated 4 years ago, January 21, 2021

silhouette of man standing on mountain — Julentto Photography

Depression is found to affect over 7% of the U.S.’s 18 or older population per year. The known struggle of overwhelming apathy and sadness that comes with depression can disrupt someone’s life by persistently clouding them in negative thoughts. While we know this mental health issue cannot be solved solely by reading depression quotes or anxiety quotes, we know that connecting with others’ words and finding bits of positivity in your day contributes to lifting your spirit. Continue reading below to find some inspirational quotes for depression and anxiety that can hopefully incite a positive attitude or leave you feeling less alone.

Positive Quotes to Live By

“Don’t let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was.”

-Richard L. Evans

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

-Confucius

“In three words, I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. It goes on.”

-Robert Frost

“I think that little by little, I’ll be able to solve my problems and survive.”

-Frida Kahlo

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”

-Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

“Happiness comes as a result of conflict, resolution, and growth — as the result of having to work at something.”

-Chrissy Stockton

“Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.”

–Jacques Prevert

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”

–Will Rogers

“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

“Good humor is a tonic for mind and body. It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens human burdens. It is the direct route to serenity and contentment.”

-Greenville Kleisser

“There are moments when I wish I could roll back the clock and take all the sadness away, but I have the feeling that if I did, the joy would be gone as well.”

-Nicholas Sparks

“In times of pain, when the future is too terrifying to contemplate and the past too painful to remember, I have learned to pay attention to right now. The precise moment I was in was always the only safe place for me.”

-Julia Cameron

“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”

-Dolly Parton

“You can’t live the life you owe yourself without living it loudly, boldly, and without apology.”

-Natalia Vela

“I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all.”

-Simone Biles

“You don’t just wake up one day and find that everything has worked itself out. You must get out of bed, morning after morning, and make a conscious effort to control the circumstances of that given day.”

–Jordan

“Some days are just bad days, that’s all. You have to experience sadness to know happiness, and I remind myself that not every day is going to be a good day; that’s just the way it is!”

–Dita Von Teese

“A pearl is a beautiful thing that is produced by an injured life. It is the tear from the injury of the oyster. The treasure of our being in this world is also produced by an injured life. If we had not been wounded, if we had not been injured, then we will not produce the pearl.”

–Stephan Hoeller

“If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”

–Fred Rogers

“You are allowed to take your time to grow in your own beautiful way.”

–Dhiman

Bible Quotes to Provoke Inner Tranquility

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 34:18

“The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”

Psalm 9:9

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have troubles. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

“The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.”

Psalm 34:17

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.'”

Matthew 11:28

“The Lord will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession.”

Psalm 94:14

“But you, oh Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.”

Psalm 3:3

“I can do all things through him that strengthens me.”

Phillippians 4:13

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.”

Psalm 23:1

“I will not abandon you as orphans–I will come to you.”

John 14:18

Inspiring Quotes that Enact Self-Love

“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

“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are an entire ocean in a drop.”

–Rumi

“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.”

-Sophia Loren

“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

“Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.”

-Brené Brown

“Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.”

-Stephen Covey

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

-Buddha

“Even on your worst days, you are always worth love and respect. Don’t ever settle for anything less.”

-Hannah Irelan

“Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.”

-Christopher Germer

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.”

-Maya Angelou

“Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners.”

-William Shakespeare

“Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The more you love yourself, the less nonsense you’ll tolerate.”

-Anonymous

Hope Quotes to Soothe Your Anxiety & Inspire Positivity

“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.”

-John Green

“You say you’re ‘depressed’ – all I see is resilience. You are allowed to feel messed up and inside out. It doesn’t mean you’re defective – it just means you’re human.”

-David Mitchell

“We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.”

-Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’…”

-Alfred Lord Tennyson

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

”It’s always something, to know you’ve done the most you could. But, don’t leave off hoping, or it’s of no use doing anything. Hope, hope to the last.”

-Charles Dickens

“Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.”

-Robert H. Schuller

“Hope fills the holes of my frustration in my heart.”

-Emanuel Cleaver

“Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers.”

-Robert Green Ingersoll

“Suffering has been stronger than all other teachings and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape.”

-Charles Dickens

“Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever.”

-Roy T. Bennett

“There is a saying in Tibetan, ‘Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.’ No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful our experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.”

-Dalai Lama XIV

“Shoot for the moon; even if you fail, you’ll land among the stars.”

-Cecelia Ahern

“Once you choose hope, anything is possible.”

-Christopher Reeve

“This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mental Health Quotes to Connect With

“Getting better from depression demands a lifelong commitment. I’ve made that commitment for my life’s sake and for the sake of those who love me.”

-Susan Polis Schutz

“Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not, and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.”

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“Don’t get frustrated with yourself over how long it’s taking you to heal. It might take months. It might take years. That is okay. Everyone’s timeline is different.”

-Holly Riordan

“I’m tired of people telling me to ‘stop thinking negatively’ and to ‘just let it go’ and ‘stop trying to control everything’ because I can’t. People need to understand that anxiety is a mental health disorder, and it can’t just be turned off.”

-Elizabeth Weinberger

“Keep yourself busy if you want to avoid depression. For me, inactivity is the enemy.”

-Matt Lucas

“But emotional experience is as real and as valid as physical experience.”

-John Green

“Recognize that even though you may feel like you aren’t doing anything, you are fighting an extraordinary battle, and it can be exhausting.”

-Sara Huggins

“You are not your illness. You have an individual story to tell. You have a name, a history, a personality. Staying yourself is part of the battle.”

-Julian Seifter

“I will accept any amount of monsters my mind wants to give to me, but I will not become a monster myself.”

-Marissa Meyer

“We must understand that sadness is an ocean, and sometimes we drown, while other days we are forced to swim.”

-R.M. Drake

“We’re all damaged in our own way. Nobody’s perfect. I think we are all somewhat screwy, every single one of us.”

-Johnny Depp

“I don’t think people understand how stressful it is to explain what’s going on in your head when you don’t even understand it yourself.”

-Sara Quin

“Fear can paralyze you. Or it can fuel you. Let it do the latter, my friends. Good luck and keep at it.”

-Harlan Coben

Motivational Quotes to Get You Through Hard Times

“Fight for your dreams, and your dreams will fight for you.”

-Paulo Coelho

“Sometimes, you have to choose between planting roots or growing wings.”

-Unknown

“Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way.”

-Leroy Satchel Paige

“Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it.”

-William Hazlitt

“But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

“If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.”

-Mary Engelbreit

“There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.”

-J.R.R. Tolkien

“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.”

-Madeleine L’Engle

“Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.”

-Victor Kiam

“I’ve learned that everything happens for a reason, every event has a why and all adversity teaches us a lesson… Never regret your past. Accept it as the teacher that it is.”

-Robin Sharma

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

-Michael Jordan

“Sadness is but a wall between two gardens.”

-Kahlil Gibran

“You’re going to be so glad that you kept going.”

-Bianca Sparacino

“Yes, you can. End of story.”

-Miss Moore

“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.”

-Margaret Thatcher

“It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed.”

-Doe Zantamata

“In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.”

-Lee Iacocca

“Sadness flies away on the wings of time.”

-Jean de La Fontaine

“Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or a greater benefit.”

-Napoleon Hill

“The best way to get rid of the pain is to feel the pain. And when you feel the pain and go beyond it, you’ll see there’s a very intense love that is wanting to awaken itself.”

-Deepak Chopra

“We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.”

-Kenji Miyazawa

“Rocks in my path, I keep them all. With them, I shall build my castle.”

-Nemo Nox

“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.”

-Rikki Rogers

“There are far, far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.”

-C. S. Lewis

Resources For a Depressed Person or Their Loved Ones

Overcoming depression is a difficult battle to conquer. It involves many ups and downs that inspirational depression quotes can help but not solve. Clinical depression or major depression stimulates a lot of mental pain and physical pain in a person’s daily life. This pain can lead to overwhelming sadness, low self-esteem, apathy towards life, changes in sleep, changes in appetite, and lack of concentration. Deep depression is more than just a temporary bad mood; it’s a mental illness that can alter someone’s whole personality and life. The worst thing you can do for yourself or your loved one is not seek help. You are not alone in this battle, and you deserve to be on this planet as much as anyone else. Here are some free and confidential resources below for your convenience and well being.

Find a Therapist in Your Area

Call Centers

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)
Suicide Prevention Lifeline for Hearing Impaired: 1-800-799-4889
The Samaritans: (877) 870-4673 (HOPE)
Trevor Project Lifeline – Hotline for LGBT youth, (866) 488-7386
Child Help USA National Hotline – For youth who are suffering from child abuse, 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)
Boys Town National Hotline – Serving all at-risk teens and children, (800) 448-3000
National Teen Dating Violence Hotline – Concerns about dating relationships, 1-866-331-9474 (or text “loveis” to 22522)