122 Anxiety Quotes to Help You Feel Less Overwhelmed

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Feeling overwhelmed? Read this list of comforting (and relatable) anxiety quotes to slow down your racing heart, slow down your breathing and calm your mind.

If you’re dealing with chronic depression, take a look at these depression quotes or these mental health quotes.

Anxiety Quotes

“You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens.” – Mandy Hale

“Some days, doing ‘the best we can’ may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do, but life isn’t perfect—on any front—and doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else.” – Fred Rogers

“Keep walking through the storm. Your rainbow is waiting on the other side.” – Heather Stillufsen

You may also like: Uplifting and Positive Quotes

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – William James

“I know what it’s like to be afraid of your own mind.” – Dr.Reid

“Stress is an ignorant state. It believes everything is an emergency.” – Natalie Goldberg

Learn more: How to Relieve Stress When You’re Seriously Stressed Out

“Everything you have ever wanted, is sitting on the other side of fear.” – George Addair

“It ain’t no use putting up your umbrella till it rains!” – Alice Caldwell Rice

“We all have anxiety about things. We all have little insecurities, but eventually, you have to face your fears if you want to be successful, and everybody has some fear of failure.” – Nick Saban

Related: 33 Never Give Up Quotes

“It’s not time to worry yet.” – Harper Lee

“Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.” – Kahlil Gibran

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” – Psalm 94:19

“I’m just suggesting that when you’re faced with fear and anxiety, don’t medicate. Meditate instead.” – Russell Simmons

“Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.” – Charles Spurgeon (For more on this topic, here is a collection of depression quotes.)

“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.” – Deepak Chopra

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” – Olin Miller

“Our stresses, anxieties, pains, and problems arise because we do not see the world, others, or even ourselves as worthy of love.” – Prem Prakash

“Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.” – Norman Vincent Peale

“For fast acting relief, try slowing down.” – Lily Tomlin

“Today’s a perfect day for a whole new start. Let go of fear and free your mind. It’s time to open your heart.” – Chris Butler

“If you’re going through hell keep going.” – Winston Churchill

“There are these moments you think you won’t survive. And then you survive.” – David Levithan

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

“He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.” – Shannon L. Alder

“Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.” – Søren Kierkegaard

“Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.” – William James

“Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.” – Sonia Ricotte

“Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.” – Erma Bombeck

“Never fear shadows. They simply mean there’s a light shining somewhere nearby.” – Ruth E. Renkel

“In order to move on, you must understand why you felt what you did and why you no longer need to feel it.” – Mitch Albom

“Hey you, keep living. It won’t always be this overwhelming.” – Jacqueline Whitney

“We live only a few conscious decades, and we fret ourselves enough for several lifetimes.” – Christopher Hitchens

“There are far, far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.” – C. S. Lewis

“While fear depletes power, faith gives wings for the soul’s elevation.” – T.F. Hodge

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7

“Worry a little bit every day and in a lifetime you will lose a couple of years. If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything.” – Mary Hemingway

“Flowers grow back even after the harshest winters. You will too.” – Jennae Cecilia

“Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.” – Kahil Gibran

“Do not let your difficulties fill you with anxiety; after all, it is only in the darkest nights that stars shine more brightly.” – Ali Ibn Abi Talib

“When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.” – Winston Churchill

“Nothing is permanent in this wicked world — not even our troubles.” – Charlie Chaplin

“The largest part of what we call ‘personality’ is determined by how we’ve opted to defend ourselves against anxiety and sadness.” – Alain de Botton

“By being yourself, you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.” – Edwin Elliot

“Neither comprehension nor learning can take place in an atmosphere of anxiety.” – Rose Kennedy

“I believe a lot of disease comes from anxiety, loneliness.” – Tom Cochrane

“Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety nor doubt.” – Saint Francis de Sales

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf. —Jon Kabat” – Zinn

“Anxiety is love’s greatest killer. It makes others feel as you might when a drowning man holds on to you. You want to save him, but you know he will strangle you with his panic.” – Anaïs Nin

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6

“You don’t have to control your thoughts; you just have to stop letting them control you.” – Dan Millman

“You are the biggest enemy of your own sleep.” – Pawan Mishra

“We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell

“Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. The best is yet to come.” – Zig Ziglar

“The way you tell your story to yourself matters.” – Amy Cuddy

“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside of you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson

“When I don’t have something to worry about, I worry. Nothing comes so naturally to a human being as anxiety and worry.” – Brian Richardson

“Don’t waste your time in anger, regrets, worries, and grudges. Life is too short to be unhappy.” – Roy T. Bennett

“Anxiety’s like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far.” – Jodi Picoult

“Whatever happens to you belongs to you. Make it yours. Feed it to yourself even if it feels impossible to swallow. Let it nurture you because it will.” – Cheryl Strayed

“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“There is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” – Epictetus

“Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.” – Henry Ward Beecher

“[Slow breathing] is like an anchor in the midst of an emotional storm: The anchor won’t make the storm go away, but it will hold you steady until it passes.” – Russ Harris

“When you feel overwhelmed, remember: A little at a time is how it gets done. One thing, one task, one moment at a time.” – Anonymous

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“Just because I can’t explain the feelings causing my anxiety, doesn’t make them less valid.” – Lauren Elizabeth

“I promise you nothing is as chaotic as it seems. Nothing is worth diminishing your health. Nothing is worth poisoning yourself into stress, anxiety, and fear.” – Steve Maraboli

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” – John 14:1

“Don’t let your mind bully your body into believing it must carry the burden of its worries.” – Astrid Alauda

“It’s OKAY to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave.” – Mandy Hale

“If it’s not going to matter in five years, don’t spend five minutes being upset about it.” – Unknown

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” – Steven Hayes

“Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.” – Arthur Somers Roche

“The pleasure of living and the pleasure of the orgasm are identical. Extreme orgasm anxiety forms the basis of the general fear of life.” – Wilhelm Reich

“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.” – Grenville Kleiser

“Worrying is like walking around with an umbrella waiting for the rain.” – Unknown

“Rule number one is, don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it’s all small stuff.” – Robert Eliot

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” – Solomon

“Life is 10% of what you experience and 90% of how you respond to it.” – Dorothy M. Neddermeyer

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Henry Stanley Haskins

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

“You can’t always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.” – Wayne Dyer

“P.S. You’re not going to die. Here’s the white-hot truth: if you go bankrupt, you’ll still be okay. If you lose the gig, the lover, the house, you’ll still be okay. If you sing off-key, get beat by the competition, have your heart shattered, get fired…it’s not going to kill you. Ask anyone who’s been through it.” – Danielle LaPorte

“Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.” – William S. Burroughs

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” – Amit Ray

“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest taken between two deep breaths.” – Etty Hillesum

“Anxiety was born in the very same moment as mankind. And since we will never be able to master it, we will have to learn to live with it—just as we have learned to live with storms.” – Paulo Coelho

“Whatever is going to happen will happen, whether we worry or not.” – Ana Monnar

“Rule number one: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule number two: It’s all small stuff.” – Robert S. Eliot

“How can a person deal with anxiety? You might try what one fellow did. He worried so much that he decided to hire someone to do his worrying for him. He found a man who agreed to be his hired worrier for a salary of $200,000 per year. After the man accepted the job, his first question to his boss was, Where are you going to get $200,000 per year? To which the man responded, That’s your worry.” – Max Lucado

“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.” – Madeleine L’Engle

“Once you choose hope, anything is possible.” – Christopher Reeve

“A positive attitude gives you power over your circumstances instead of your circumstances having power over you.” – Joyce Meyer

“Don’t worry if people think you’re crazy. You are crazy. You have that kind of intoxicating insanity that lets other people dream outside of the lines and become who they’re destined to be.” – Jennifer Elisabeth

“Anxiety is the handmaiden of contemporary ambition.” – Alain de Botton

“If you can’t fly then run; if you can’t run then walk; if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“Whoever has learned to be anxious in the right way has learned the ultimate.” – Søren Kierkegaard

“Of all your troubles, great and small, the greatest are the ones that don’t happen at all.” – Thomas Carlyle

“How much pain have cost us the evils which have never happened.” – Thomas Jefferson

“Oh, how great peace and quietness would he possess who should cut off all vain anxiety and place all his confidence in God.” – Thomas a Kempis

“Each moment of worry, anxiety or stress represents lack of faith in miracles, for they never cease.” – T.F. Hodge

“Everyone must imagine his own snakes because no one else’s snakes can ever be as awful.” – Tove Jansson

“Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action.” – Walter Anderson

“Although anxiety is part of life, never let it control you.” – Paulo Coelho

“Act the way that you want to feel.” – Gretchen Rubin

“If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.” – Pema Chodron

“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“Living a life somewhere else in your mind is nothing more than being a prisoner where you are.” – Shannon L. Alder

“Worry in the dark can make it even darker.” – Camron Wright

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” – Mother Teresa

“Present fears are less than horrible imaginings.” – William Shakespeare

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I want to be.” – Lao Tzu

“Now is the age of anxiety.” – W. H. Auden

“It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” – Hans Selye

“Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.” – Marcus Aurelius