It's very easy to forget how important it is to take care of ourselves. This can be something as simple as allowing ourselves a moment of quiet time to relax, treating ourselves to a new pair of shoes, or spending as little as 15 minutes of your day doing something which is just for you.
The act of self care is so worth the effort, putting that little bit of time and energy back into yourself to recharge your batteries. We can only give so much, you have to put back in at least now and again. And despite what you think, in order to be fully present in our relationships, we must invest in ourselves too.
So, to help inspire your self care, we've taken some inspiration from some of the most influential and inspiring voices from past and present day to bring you our favourite 30 self-care quotes to live by.
Self care quotes
"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure." — Oprah Winfrey
"If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete."— Jack Kornfield
"A healthy self-love means we have no compulsion to justify to ourselves or others why we take vacations, why we sleep late, why we buy new shoes, why we spoil ourselves from time to time. We feel comfortable doing things which add quality and beauty to life." — Andrew Matthews
"Love yourself first, and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world."- Lucille Ball
"Be who you are and say how you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."— Dr. Seuss
"If you feel 'burnout' setting in, if you feel demoralised and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself."-Dalai Lama
"Self-care is not a waste of time; self-care makes your use of time more sustainable." — Jackie Viramontez
"To accept ourselves as we are means to value our imperfections as much as our perfections."-Sandra Bierig
"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
"To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance."— Oscar Wilde
"When I loved myself enough, I began leaving whatever wasn't healthy. This meant people, jobs, my own beliefs and habits – anything that kept me small. My judgement called it disloyal. Now I see it as self-loving." — Kim McMillen
"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you."-Annie Lamot
"The challenge is not to be perfect — it is to be whole." — Jane Fonda
"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
"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." — Dolly Parton
"If you don't love yourself, nobody will. Not only that, you won't be good at loving anyone else. Loving starts with the self." — Wayne Dyer
"Self-care means giving yourself permission to pause."-Cecilia Tran
"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
"You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection." — Buddha
"Every one of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves."-Princess Diana
"It's not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It's necessary."— Mandy Hale
"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
"Every small positive change we make in ourselves repays us in confidence in the future."-Alice Walker
"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." — Sydney J. Harris
"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
"As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others."-Maya Angelou
"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
"Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one."— Eleanor Roosevelt
"Self-care equals success. You're going to be more successful if you take care of yourself and you're healthy."-Beth Behrs
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