Every year on October 10th, World Mental Health Day is full of acknowledging that our mental health is an important part of our overall health. The world is having more candid conversations around mental health, but it’s also true that we could always use more open takes — especially in the fertility community where the focus is so heavily placed on physical well-being.
Below are a handful of quotes that speak openly about mental and emotional well-being.
20 World Mental Health Day quotes to inspire you
On managing a new diagnosis…
“There is no standard normal. Normal is subjective. There are seven billion versions of normal on this planet.” — Matt Haig, Reasons To Stay Alive
“I struggled with the world inside my head for a long time, and I felt lost and I felt hopeless at times. And in 2020, I received my diagnosis of bipolar disorder. And to be honest, everything quickly changed. With that knowledge, I could seek out the support I needed to be myself, to find my joy again.” — Selena Gomez.
“I'm not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” — A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh.
"I think it's really important to take the stigma away from mental health. My brain and my heart are really important to me. I don't know why I wouldn't seek help to have those things be as healthy as my teeth. I go to the dentist. So why wouldn't I go to a shrink?" — Kerry Washington
"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." — JK Rowling
"Mental health problems don’t define who you are. They are something you experience. You walk in the rain and you feel the rain, but, importantly, you are not the rain." — Matt Haig
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“Sometimes we must edit the stories we tell ourselves." — Emory Hall
“It’s possible to live well, feel well, and also find happiness with bipolar disorder or any other mental illness [you’re] struggling with.” — Demi Lovato
On seeking peace…
“Life is waiting for you. You might be stuck here for a while, but the world isn’t going anywhere. Hang on in there if you can. Life is always worth it.” — Matt Haig, Reasons To Stay Alive
“When struggling with infertility, it can seem like you’re alone in your struggles and no one else knows what you’re going through, but there are support groups with many people who have gone through similar trauma and dealt with physical, emotional and mental health struggles as well,” — Elizabeth Grill
“Self-advocacy plays a significant role in surviving infertility, and the more adept we become at staying true to ourselves, the better off we are in all matters of life.” — Abbe Feder
“Schedule dates to talk with your support system about your journey. These scheduled times should be where you can allow yourself to feel your feelings, honor, and validate them. Put these dates and times in your calendar. If you don’t have an “appointment” to talk about it, tell yourself this isn’t the time, and try and distract yourself with something else.” — Rena Gower, LCSW
"Nobody will protect you from your suffering. You can't cry it away or eat it away or starve it away or walk it away or punch it away or even therapy it away. It's just there, and you have to survive it. You have to endure it. You have to live through it and love it and move on and be better for it and run as far as you can in the direction of your best and happiest dreams across the bridge that was built by your own desire to heal.” ― Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar
On acknowledging your feelings…
“Don’t judge your feelings; notice them. Use them as your map. Don’t be afraid of the truth.” — Lori Gottlieb, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
“Just being out in the world can feel like a series of micro-griefs—a pregnant woman in line at Starbucks, a friend posts pictures of her baby's first birthday, or of a baby shower. When people isolate in hard feelings it is easier to believe the feelings are facts. ‘I'm afraid I won't have a baby’ can become ‘I'll never have a baby’ pretty quickly. It helps to have interaction with friends sensitive to grief, but also encouraging of life.” — Meghan Riordan, MA, LICSW Trauma informed psychotherapist.
“You want to make sure you are allowing yourself to feel your feelings and express them. If you are feeling overwhelmed and consumed with your thoughts, sit down and write them out; see where it takes you.” — Rena Gower, LCSW
"You will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp." — Anne Lamott
On asking for help…
“Your people want to show up for you, and will likely welcome an invitation. Help is a complete sentence and friends will show up with imperfect love, which is usually good enough.” — Meghan Riordan, MA, LICSW Trauma informed psychotherapist.
“I’m here. I love you. I don’t care if you need to stay up crying all night long, I will stay with you.” — Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love
“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.” — John Green
Vivian Nunez is a writer, content creator, and host of Happy To Be Here podcast. Her award-winning Instagram community has created pathways for speaking on traditionally taboo topics, like mental health and grief. You can find Vivian @vivnunez on Instagram/TikTok and her writing on both Medium and her blog, vivnunez.com.