Motivational Quotes for Mums: 30 Genuine Picks for Hard Days

Updated May 2026 — refreshed with new themed sections covering tiredness, mum guilt, body image, and self-worth. The original five favourites are still here, plus 25 more I keep coming back to.

I love a good motivational quote. I have done since I was about fourteen, scribbling them in the back of school exercise books. The difference now is that the ones I find useful look completely different. The “rise and grind” stuff doesn’t land anymore. The “girlboss” stuff has aged badly. What actually helps these days is shorter, quieter, and usually a bit darker.

This post is a collection of motivational quotes for mums — and honestly, for any woman who’s working through a hard stretch and needs something to read that isn’t pure cringe. Some are from famous people. Some are from someone I once read in a Reddit thread and can’t credit properly. Some are mine. The five originals from the older version of this post are still in here, because they’re still my favourites a decade on.

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Why motivational quotes actually help (when they’re the right ones)

Quotes get a bad rap because so many of them are surface-level platitudes plastered over a beach photo. Believe in yourself. Live, laugh, love. You’ve got this, mama. None of that helps when you’re three days into a stomach bug, haven’t washed your hair, and your toddler has just done something unspeakable to the sofa.

The quotes that actually help are the ones that meet you where you are. They acknowledge that things are hard. They remind you that the way you feel about yourself is not the truth about yourself. They give you a sentence to hold onto when your brain is doing its worst at 3am.

Below are the ones I’ve collected over years of looking for them — first for myself, now for anyone else who needs them. Pick out the ones that land. Ignore the ones that don’t. There’s no rule about which quote should fix you.

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My top 5 motivational quotes (the originals)

These five are the same five I had on this post when I first wrote it. A decade on, they still work. Each one comes with the honest reason it landed for me.

1. “Never stop being your best just because someone doesn’t give you credit.”

I am the type of person who thrives on praise and quivers under criticism. This means that if I work hard but get no recognition, I can often feel like I’ve wasted my time. If I’m given some negative feedback, you’ve lost me and I’m likely to take my ball and go home.

It’s not the way I wish to be. I should always put my all into everything, even when nobody can see what I’ve achieved. This quote is the one I read on the days I want to give up because nobody noticed the effort.

2. “Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone else’s inability to see your worth.”

It can be interesting but also scary to see what can happen if we let other people’s feelings towards us get to us. Especially if we think highly of someone. It can be hard to forget that not everyone will realise how awesome we are. It doesn’t mean we’re not worth something.

This one is particularly useful for the school-gate years, where comparison creeps in everywhere.

3. “What other people think is none of my business.”

When you think too much about what other people think, you can drive yourself insane. You can’t change what people think or feel. It’s a waste of energy to try to change the mindset of someone. Being your best you is what you should aim for. No matter what anyone else thinks.

4. “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.” — Kurt Vonnegut

I love this quote so much. A lot of people see themselves as someone who puts on an act — acts happier, more confident, more outgoing in front of people. I always wonder where the line is between acting who you are and being who you are. Surely if you can act confident, then you are confident? I think we are more of the person we pretend to be than we think.

5. “My only regret is that I didn’t tell enough people to fuck off.”

Oh man. If I could go back to school. The boy who used to sit in front of me in geography and call me ugly every single day for two years. The girls who would laugh at me and make a joke out of me constantly. That girl who emotionally manipulated me and controlled me. The group of friends that weren’t really friends. That girl who called me fat. That boy who told me to go home because everyone hated me.

Oh man oh man, what a field day I would have.

This is still my actual favourite of the five. Use it sparingly. Use it joyfully.

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Motivational quotes for tired mums and hard days

These are for the days when motherhood is just exhausting and the platitudes don’t cut it.

“There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one.” — Jill Churchill

The one I send to friends in the first year. Doesn’t fix anything, but reminds you the framework you’re using to judge yourself is wrong.

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” — Anne Lamott

This one is for when you’ve been “on” for too long and you can feel the wheels coming off. Sometimes the answer really is sit down, eat a biscuit, look at nothing for ten minutes.

“Take care of yourself: when you don’t sleep, eat crap, don’t exercise, and are living off adrenaline for too long, your performance suffers. Your decisions suffer. Your company suffers.” — Arianna Huffington

Made me actually go to bed once.

“Mothers are like buttons. They hold everything together.” — (origin unclear, but said by my mum more than once)

A nice one to put on the fridge.

“Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.” — Brené Brown

The bar is genuinely that low some days, and that’s okay.

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Quotes about being your own person, not just a mum

The part of motherhood nobody warns you about: losing your sense of who you were before. These quotes are about getting yourself back.

“You are still you. You are not just someone’s mum.” — every mum friend I’ve ever cried to

Worth pinning above your mirror.

“Be the woman you needed when you were younger.” — often attributed to Nyki Mack

This one is more useful than it sounds. Whatever you were missing as a girl — kindness, safety, encouragement — be that.

“I am not my body. I am not my hair. I am not what people say I am.” — paraphrased from a hundred different places

A useful reminder when the postpartum body confusion kicks in (more on that section below).

“The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.” — Ben Stein

The boring practical version of motivation. Sometimes you don’t need inspiration, you need to actually decide.

“She remembered who she was, and the game changed.” — Lalah Delia

The one I think about when I’ve been doing the school run in leggings for three months straight and finally put a dress on for no reason.

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Quotes for when you’re doubting yourself

For the 2am wobbles, the comparison spirals, the moments you’ve convinced yourself everyone else has got their act together while you’ve got it least.

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” — Theodore Roosevelt

Said often, used rarely. Try it when you’re scrolling.

“Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.” — Brené Brown

The single most useful thing I’ve ever read about self-talk. If you wouldn’t say it to your kid, don’t say it to yourself.

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” — C.S. Lewis

For the regret spirals. Particularly useful in your 30s when you start realising how short life actually is.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Old-fashioned, but it’s been around this long for a reason.

“The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow.” — Robert Tew (or anonymous — gets attributed everywhere)

Annoying to read when you’re in the struggle. Useful afterwards, when you realise it was right.

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Quotes for ignoring everyone else’s opinion

You’ll spot the theme. These build on quote 3 from my top 5 — they’re for the days when you’re getting unsolicited advice from a stranger about how you’re feeding your child, or your mother-in-law has just sighed at your house, or a comment online has got under your skin.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

Easier said than done, but technically correct.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou

Cuts both ways. Useful when you’re worried you’ve upset someone; useful when someone’s upset you.

“If you’re not getting older, you’re dead.” — Tom Petty

For when someone makes a comment about your age. Particularly handy around birthdays in your 30s and 40s.

“Caring what other people think is the surest way to lose yourself.” — paraphrased from many sources

The honest version of “what other people think is none of my business” (quote 3 above).

“What other people think of you is none of your business.” — Rita Mae Brown

A slightly cleaner version of mine. Use whichever lands.

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Quotes about your body after kids

Specific section because the bodily side of motherhood is its own thing nobody warns you about. The clothes don’t fit. The shape is different. The hair sheds for nine months. The energy is unrecognisable. These quotes are for that.

“Your body is not an apology.” — Sonya Renee Taylor

Read the whole book if you have the time.

“Your body kept that baby alive. Be impressed, not appalled.” — paraphrased from somewhere on the internet

Genuinely changed how I look at my belly.

“I have no patience for women who measure and weigh themselves. As if a number on a scale could ever measure a woman’s worth.” — Diana, Princess of Wales

The fact that she said this whilst struggling with her own body makes it more powerful, not less.

“Wear the outfit.” — me, repeatedly

If you’ve read my dopamine dressing post you’ll know this one. It’s not technically a quote but it’s the one I tell myself most.

“Strong is the new skinny” is a stupid quote. Skinny was a stupid goal. Strong is also a stupid goal if it’s the only one. Just be a person.” — paraphrased and edited because I couldn’t find the original

The honest one I needed to hear.

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Final thoughts and how to actually use these

Reading motivational quotes is not a substitute for therapy, sleep, or telling someone they’ve upset you. They’re a small useful thing. They sit in your brain and pop up when you need them.

The trick is to keep a list. Mine is in the notes app on my phone, and I add to it whenever I read something that lands. I scroll back through it on hard days. It works better than scrolling Instagram in the same moment, which is generally what I’d otherwise be doing.

A few rules I’ve made for myself about what to keep:

• If it sounds like it could be on a Hobby Lobby canvas in 2014, skip it.
• If it acknowledges that things can be hard, keep it.
• If it makes you laugh, keep it twice.
• If it tells you to “just be positive,” delete it immediately.

You’ll build your own list. The ones above are mine. Steal whichever land and ignore the rest.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best motivational quotes for mums having a hard day?

The ones that work for me on hard days are the practical ones rather than the empowering-sounding ones. Anne Lamott’s “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you” is the one I come back to most often. Jill Churchill’s “There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one” is the other.

What’s a good motivational quote about losing yourself in motherhood?

“Be the woman you needed when you were younger” works for me, but the simplest one is honestly “You are still you. You are not just someone’s mum.” Stick that on the fridge.

Are there motivational quotes that aren’t cheesy?

Yes, but you have to filter for them. The cheesy ones are the ones designed to be screenshotted and shared. The useful ones are quieter and usually a bit awkward. Look for quotes from writers, therapists, and women who’ve been through something rather than from generic Instagram quote accounts.

What’s the most powerful motivational quote for women?

This is too personal to answer for anyone else. Mine is “My only regret is that I didn’t tell enough people to fuck off.” For other women it’s Brené Brown’s “Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.” Pick the one that makes you feel something.

Can motivational quotes actually help with mental health?

Not on their own. Quotes are not therapy and they don’t fix anything. But used alongside actual support — friends, family, a GP, a counsellor — a good quote can give you a sentence to hold onto when your brain is at its worst. That’s a small useful thing, not a magic cure.

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What’s your favourite motivational quote? I’m always adding to my list — drop yours in the comments and I might add it to the next refresh.

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