80+ Depression Quotes to Help You Through Tough Times

Depression can feel like a heavy cloak, obscuring the sunshine and casting shadows on even the brightest moments. But within the darkness, there are embers of hope waiting to be rekindled. These 80+ depression quotes, carefully chosen from diverse voices, offer solace, strength, and reminders that you are not alone in this journey.

Facing the darkness

• “Even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise.” — Victor Hugo
• “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” — Maya Angelou
• “You cannot control the waves, but you can learn to surf.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn
• “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” — Roy T. Bennett
• “Great things happen to those who don’t stop believing, trying, learning, and being grateful.” — Roy T. Bennett
• “‘What day is it?’ asked Pooh.
  ‘It’s today,’ squeaked Piglet.
  ‘My favorite day,’ said Pooh.” — A.A. Milne
• “Life has no remote....get up and change it yourself!” — Mark A. Cooper
• “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” — Alphonse Karr
• “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down.” — Charlie Chaplin
• “When the going gets tough, put one foot in front of the other and just keep going. Don’t give up.” — Roy T. Bennett
• “I’m not much, but I’m all I have.” — Philip K Dick
• “The longest way must have its close — the gloomiest night will wear on to a morning.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe
• “But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” ― Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” — William Faulkner
• “It is not so much about what life hands you, but what you do with what you get.” — Idowu Koyenikan
• “If happy I can be I will, if suffer I must I can.” — William Faulkner
• “A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.” — Hugh Downs
• “When I look at the future, it’s so bright it burns my eyes!” — Oprah Winfrey

You’re pushing through the dark, friend. The world feels heavy, the days blurry, and even the sun seems dimmed. You know that pit in your stomach, the whisper that tells you things will never get better.

But hold on, because here’s the truth taken from these depression quotes: this darkness won’t last forever. Victor Hugo whispers it in the wind, “Even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise.” Maya Angelou throws you a lifeline, reminding you, “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

This section isn’t about sugarcoating pain. It’s about acknowledging it, staring it down, and saying, “I see you, but I’m stronger.” It’s about learning to “surf the waves” with Jon Kabat-Zinn, not letting them drag you under. It’s about remembering Pooh’s simple wisdom: “It’s today,” the best day to start building your own sunshine.

Remember, you’re not alone in this storm. Mark Twain said, “The man who does nothing has trouble enough.” Don’t wait for some magical remote to change things — grab the reins and rewrite your story. Find the roses among the thorns, like Alphonse Karr suggests. Embrace the present moment, the small joys, the “best day in the year” Emerson spoke of.

Even when the path seems endless, even when you can’t see the horizon, remember Charlie Chaplin’s words: “You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down.” Take a deep breath, put one foot in front of the other, and keep going. You are stronger than you think, and brighter days are waiting for you, just beyond the storm.

This is your journey, and these quotes are your companions. Let them be your light, your strength, your reminder that even in the darkest night, the stars are always there, waiting to shine.

Finding strength

• “Having courage does not mean that we are unafraid. Having courage and showing courage means we face our fears.” — Maya Angelou
• “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Oliver Goldsmith
• “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 have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
• “Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths.1 It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult—once we truly understand and accept it—then life is no longer difficult.
  Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters. Most do not fully see this truth that life is difficult. Instead, they moan more or less incessantly, noisily or subtly, about the enormity of their problems, their burdens, and their difficulties as if life were generally easy, as if life should be easy.” — M. Scott Peck
• “Rise up & attack the day with Passion. The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow.” — Napz Cherub Pellazo
• “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” — Ernest Hemingway
• “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” — Aristotle
• “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” — Jimmy Johnson
• “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” — Louisa May Alcott
• “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” — Mahatma Gandhi
• “The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of the world but those who fight and win battles that others do not know anything about.” — Jonathan Harnisch
• “Being a hero doesn’t mean you’re invincible. It just means that you’re brave enough to stand up and do what’s needed.” — Rick Riordan
• “The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it.” — C.C. Scott
• “Our strength grows out of our weaknesses.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart...I’ll always be with you.” -Carter Crocker
• “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Lao Tzu
• “I am my own biggest critic. Before anyone else has criticized me, I have already criticized myself. But for the rest of my life, I am going to be with me and I don’t want to spend my life with someone who is always critical. So I am going to stop being my own critic. It’s high time that I accept all the great things about me.” — C. JoyBell C.
• “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Nelson Mandela
• “A single rose can be my garden; a single friend, my world.” — Leo Buscaglia
• “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Deep within you lies a wellspring of strength waiting to be tapped, according to these depression quotes. Maya Angelou reminds us, courage isn’t about being fearless, it’s about facing those fears head-on. And remember, every stumble, every fall, is a stepping stone, as Oliver Goldsmith reminds us. We rise stronger, more resilient, each time we pick ourselves up.

Eleanor Roosevelt’s words echo loud and clear: true strength comes from confronting your fears, pushing past your comfort zone. M. Scott Peck dives deeper, challenging us to embrace life’s inherent difficulties, for it’s in accepting them that we truly transcend them.

Napz Cherub Pellazo ignites your fire, urging you to attack each day with passion, knowing the struggles you face today forge the strength you’ll need tomorrow. And just like Ernest Hemingway’s characters, even when broken, we can find strength in those very cracks, emerging even more beautiful and resilient.

Aristotle whispers wisdom: even in the darkest moments, there’s light to be found. It’s about shifting your perspective, as Jimmy Johnson says, that “little extra” that separates ordinary from extraordinary. Louisa May Alcott reminds us that we’re not victims of the storm, but capable sailors learning to navigate its waves.

Never forget, as Nelson Mandela echoes, the true glory lies not in avoiding falls, but in rising with renewed strength each time. Find your solace in a single rose, a single friend, as Leo Buscaglia suggests. Remember, the power to define who you are lies within you, as Ralph Waldo Emerson reminds us. So go forth, dear reader, and claim your strength. The world awaits your brilliance.

Embracing hope

• “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all.” — Emily Dickinson
• “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Nelson Mandela
• “Hope is an end unto itself, a renewable source of energy inside of each of us, a fragile thing that can be damaged with our darkest thoughts, dimmed almost to darkness, but never completely extinguished. And like our sun, when it returns, it brings life and energy to us.” — A.G. Riddle
• “This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “I like the night. Without the dark, we’d never see the stars.” — Stephenie Meyer
• “They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” — Tom Bodett
• “If pain must come, may it come quickly. Because I have a life to live, and I need to live it in the best way possible. If he has to make a choice, may he make it now. Then I will either wait for him or forget him.” — Paulo Coelho
• “Hope Smiles from the threshold of the year to come, Whispering ’it will be happier’...” - Alfred Lord Tennyson
• “Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever.” — Roy T. Bennett
• “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is like a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” — Langston Hughes
• “It’s amazing how a little tomorrow can make up for a whole lot of yesterday.” — John Guare
• “It’s not over if you’re still here.” — Patrick Rothfuss
• “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” — Audrey Hepburn
• “There is always something left to love.” — Lorraine Hansberry
• “Faith goes up the stairs that love has built and looks out the windows which hope has opened.” — Charles H. Spurgeon
• “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” — Hal Borland
• “Even in the mud and scum of things, something always, always sings.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” — Oprah Winfrey
• “But what we call our despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope.” — George Eliot
• “It is foolish to fear what we have yet to experience.” — Masashi Kishimoto
• “Hope is a force of nature. Don’t let anyone tell you different.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn
• “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” — Helen Keller
• “The difference between hope and despair is a different way of telling stories from the same facts.” — Alain de Botton
• “The struggles we endure today will be the ‘good old days’ we laugh about tomorrow.” — Aaron Lauritsen
• “Broken heart will turn into a stronger one within hope.” — Toba Beta
• “The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” — Paulo Coelho
• “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Stephen R. Covey
• “When you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong, and you’ll finally see the truth-that hero lies in you.” — Mariah Carey
• “There is a light at the end of every tunnel. Some tunnels just happen to be longer than others.” — Ada Adams
• “Remind yourself that you cannot fail at being yourself.” — Wayne W. Dyer
• “Hope is a passion for the possible.” — Søren Kierkegaard
• “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
• “Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ’I will try again tomorrow.’” - Mary Anne Radmacher
• “What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within out into the world, miracles happen.” — Henry Stanley Haskins
• “Believe you can, and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt

Even in the darkest corners, a flicker of hope remains, as these hopeful depression quotes say. Emily Dickinson’s words paint a perfect picture: hope, that tenacious little bird, perched on your soul, humming a melody of possibility. Remember, as Nelson Mandela reminds us, what seems impossible today can be your triumphant reality tomorrow.

A.G. Riddle beautifully captures the essence of hope as an ever-renewable source of energy, a fragile flame that can weather even the darkest storms. And like the rising sun, it brings warmth and vitality, urging you to embrace the new day with open arms, as Ralph Waldo Emerson suggests.

Embrace the night, for it is the canvas upon which the stars shine their brightest. Remember, Stephenie Meyer reminds us, that darkness only enhances the brilliance of hope. As Tom Bodett suggests, a fulfilling life rests on three pillars: love, purpose, and hope. Don’t let go of any of them, for they are the anchors that steady you through life’s tempests.

Remember, Wayne W. Dyer’s words hold power: the only way to fail is to abandon your authentic self. Embrace your uniqueness, and watch your spirit soar. Søren Kierkegaard defines hope as a passion for possibility. Ignite that passion within you, and set your dreams ablaze.

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s message is one of unwavering faith. Let doubt not hinder your progress, for your potential is limitless. And Mary Anne Radmacher’s words offer gentle encouragement: courage often whispers, urging you to rise again, one day at a time.

Remember, the greatest miracles unfold when you unleash your inner potential, as Henry Stanley Haskins suggests. And Theodore Roosevelt’s words serve as a final call to action: believe in yourself, and you’ve already conquered half the battle.

So go forth, dear reader, with hope as your compass and courage as your guide. The world awaits your brilliance, and the embers of possibility lie within you, waiting to be fanned into flames.

Welcoming vulnerability

• “What happens when people open their hearts?”
  “They get better.” — Haruki Murakami
• “To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.” — Criss Jami
• “When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability... To be alive is to be vulnerable.” — Madeleine L’Engle
• “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” — Brene Brown
• “Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.” — Brené Brown
• “The loner who looks fabulous is one of the most vulnerable loners of all.” — Anneli Rufus
• “Vulnerability is not knowing victory or defeat, it’s understanding the necessity of both; it’s engaging. It’s being all in.” — Brené Brown
• “We’re never so vulnerable than when we trust someone — but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy.” — Frank Crane
• “Emotional pain cannot kill you, but running from it can. Allow. Embrace. Let yourself feel. Let yourself heal.” — Vironika Tugaleva
• “Sometimes we must yield control to others and accept our vulnerability so we can be healed.” — Kathy Magliato
• “Vulnerability is for the brave.” — Lidia Longorio
• “Open hearts need tender care.” — Yung Pueblo
• “To find beauty in the hands of an unforgiving life, to sense your existence in a world that seems to reject you..to own unashamedly the vulnerability of your deep is to voyage into your soul and find the spirit of life even when the music dies.” — Jayita Bhattacharjee

Murakami’s poignant quote, “They get better,” captures the essence of what happens when we open our hearts. But what does “opening our hearts” truly mean?

It’s about embracing vulnerability, that raw and tender place within us often guarded by fear and walls. Criss Jami reminds us that sharing our vulnerability isn’t a weakness, but a display of strength and the foundation for true connection.

As Madeleine L’Engle suggests, vulnerability is inherent to being alive. To deny it is to deny life itself. Brené Brown, a champion of vulnerability research, goes further, calling it the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.

Opening our hearts doesn’t guarantee comfort, but it fosters truth and courage, as Brown emphasizes. It allows us to engage fully, to truly be “all in,” as she says.

Frank Crane highlights the paradox of vulnerability: it opens the door to both trust and pain, love and joy. While it’s scary to be vulnerable, it’s through this openness that we connect with others on a deeper level.

But opening our hearts can also be painful. As Vironika Tugaleva reminds us, emotional pain is inevitable, but running from it only prolongs the suffering. Embracing and feeling our emotions allows for healing.

Remember, opening your heart doesn’t mean naively exposing yourself to anyone. It’s about choosing safe spaces and trustworthy individuals with whom to share your vulnerability. It’s about taking risks, building connections, and allowing yourself to truly connect with the world and yourself.

The potential for growth, love, and joy that comes from opening your heart far outweighs the initial discomfort. So, take a deep breath, embrace your vulnerability, and see what happens when you let your heart bloom.

Depression may be a relentless companion, but it doesn’t define us. These depression quotes remind us that we’re part of a larger tapestry—a community of resilient souls who continue to rise, even when the world feels heavy. So, when the weight of depression threatens to overwhelm you, remember: that you’re not alone, and there’s hope beyond the horizon. Check out these morning quotes that will boost your energy better than any cup of coffee.