Mental Health Tattoo
Fashion

10 Mental Health Tattoo Ideas To Inspire Your Next Look

When you ink a tattoo on your skin, most often, it is because there is a meaning behind it or the tattoo has some significance to your life as well.

So there are many such moments in our lives that stand out more than others. So it is obvious that you would like to make that moment a signifying and ink on our skin.

But what about the moments that made us question certain decisions in our lives, like mental health trauma, physical health trauma, and many other such things?

These were difficult times in our lives that were hurdles in our lives, so we should not forget about them but rather commemorate that we overcame these things.

According to tattoo artist Jaz Paulino,

“Tattooing in itself is a therapeutic medium to some. I have clients who have gone through terrible experiences in their lives that have left both mental and physical marks behind, but, through getting tattooed, they have regained a sense of power within themselves as they cover their scars with something beautiful.”

Getting yourself inked is a way of expressing your feelings and emotions towards that, it works like an outlet for certain people.

So if you wanna know about such tattoos, then this is the moment in this article right here. Now keep on scrolling through this article to learn everything you wanna know.

10 Mental Health Tattoo Ideas

1. Be Still

Be Still tattoo

When it comes to mental health tattoos, it is always better to keep it simple and minimalistic. More often, tattoos are like something motivational that would be some kind of a statement that you live by or follow. That can be as simple as Be Still, you don’t need it to be complicated.

2. Semicolon

A simple semicolon tattoo has a lot of significance attached to it, and in general, it means solidarity and is connected to mental health.

 semicolon tattoo

Tattoo artist Joanna Roman says, “Semicolons are a very traditional, very popular mental health tattoo, and they represent that it’s not the end. People use a semicolon to send the message that their story is still being written.”

3. New Beginnings

new beginning tattoo

When you need a new beginning and a new start, it is usually shown by burning sage and other incense to get rid of the toxic and bad energy in your environment. So to show a change and a new beginning in your life, you can get the same tattooed on you as well.

4. Ability To Change

Symbolically, a butterfly is what you use to signify change or transformation, well, for obvious reasons. So if your mental health tattoos are about changing something about yourself, then you should get a butterfly tattoo to signify that change in you.

colorful insect tatoo

That way, the tattoo is going to be bright and vibrant, and just like the colorful insect, you will also have the ability to change and evolve into a better version of yourself.

5. Growing Pains

We all have suffered some form of pain and suffering in our life, and we overcame that as well, but that doesn’t mean we should forget all about it.

pain and suffering tattoo

The best way to make us remember is by tattooing a beautiful quote on yourself. Consider the words, “Every flower must grow through dirt.” These lines are deeper than you think.

6. Florals And Fortitude

Tattoo artist Crys said, “I have done a lot of florals on a variety of clients that are indicative of regrowth, mental fortitude, and strength.”

7. Climb Your Everest

There are beautiful mental health tattoos that symbolize frustration and the urge to prove yourself. So the best tattoo to denote that is by drawing the outlines of Everest. Climbing Mount Everest is like overcoming the challenge in your life as well.

Mount Everest tattoo

Roman said,

“When people overcome their mental health disorder, or even if they‘re still struggling through it, these permanent reminders are a way of either coping with it or slightly getting over it. Most people have stories behind their tattoos.”

8. Making Waves

Waves tatoo

The tattoo of a crescent moon and waves is a very popular mental health tattoo. It is like a constant reminder that in a constantly changing world, it is important to find the much needed peace within yourself.

9. Rise Up

Rise Up tattoo

Roman said,

“Tattoos traditionally have been used to grieve or let go of something or overcoming a struggle. The topic of mental health is becoming less and less taboo, it’s not like it once was, and our generation is a lot more open with sharing our struggles with one another because we find so much comfort in numbers, in community.”

The tattoo of “I’ll rise up” is all about reminding ourselves that it is absolutely okay to fall down or stumble, but it is important to rise up once again.

10. Keep The Faith

Faith tattoo

When you are dealing with mental health, it is quite common to fall back on religion and faith. So if you are a Catholic, it is quite common to get beautiful rosary beads inked on you. These beads are a symbol of grace, blessings, and good fortune upon you.

11. Something Beautiful 

Tattoo artist Paulina said, “Sometimes the therapy of tattoos isn’t exactly the design itself but the act of taking of your pain and turning it into something beautiful.” 

She further said, “The rose tattoo on a day that was very difficult for me as I had just learn’t that someone very dear to me hasd passed away. And sp for my mental health, I channeled that energy and chose to create something beautifull. So whether it’s for my mental health as an artist, or for the client, I feel like tattoos, in general, are a great way to pay homage to a time or memory in a way that’s therapeutic, challenging and positive.”

12. Choose Yourself 

“Don’t let anxiety and self-doubt silence your dreams. Quiet the hamster wheel of negative self-talk by replacing the harmful chatter with healthy, confident affirmation like – Choose Youurself.”

Tattoo artist Roman said, “Even though (my client’s experiences) may have been emotionally draining, they just want a reminder about what it meant, how it changed them, and maybe broke them down. But also made them realize what was really important and shift their focus on what they value.”

13. Miles To Go

“This soft, feminine script acknowledges both what has been – moments of pain and struggle – and what is yet to come. It’s a reminder to honor life’s entire journey by choosing to look ahead and refusing to stay struck.”

14. Don’t Stop Healing

“This mental health tattoo is the most empowering commitment one can make for herself. Of course, healing is not linear, and there may be twists and turns. But aas long as you don’t give up, you will be there.”

15. See The Good

“Moth represents passion and change in spiritual terms. In a world of darkness, a moth will find its way towards the light. S moth tattoo is a reminder that ther’s always hope despite the struggles one is going through.”

16. It’s OK

“It’s OK to feel, to learn, to make mistakes and to start again, This cute tattoo leaves the blank to fill in.”

17. Open Heart, Open Mind

“Keep your mind and heart open. And you will invite good vibes and positivity to life.”

18. Losing Control

“Sometimes the more you try to control everything, the less you can actually control. But when you learn to let go, you stress less. And you allow your creativity to flow. This illustrative conceptional tattoo puts the idea perfectly on the skin.”

19. Go With Your Heart

“Your instinct, your gut feelings are more powerful than you may imagine. Trusting your intuitions is trusting yourself. When finding yourself overthinking or overanalyzing, why not go back to the basics and listen to your heart?”

20. It’s OK To Not Be Fine

“In this ignorant style tattoo, the heart is stabbed in a dozen different spots and bleeding. But it still says, “I’m fine.” This is what people with mental diseases often do – hiding their problems and pretending to be ok.”

“But you can’t heal by hiding your wound. So talk about it with a professional or someone you trust. This could be the first step of your healing journey.”

21. Koi Fish Tattoo For Mental Health

If you are inspired by Japanese and Chinese culture, you must be already aware of the Koi fish, a mythical creature in those cultures.

This mythical creature is known to swim against the swift current of the Yellow River. So, it has become synonymous with persistence and zeal to overcome oddities. If you feel mental blocks or there is a feeling of getting stuck, consider getting this tattoo for yourself.

If you think that you are lacking balance mentally, you can go for an inking with two Koi fishes. Two Koi fishes represent Yin and Yang, two opposite but essential forces of life. 

Koi fish tattoos can be inked with bold black ink, or you can make it as colorful as you want. 

Place these tattoos on your arms or at the back so that you have a broader canvas for flaunting these tattoos.

22. Phoenix Tattoo For Mental Health 

Do you feel that you are left behind in life, or do you just lack the motivation to rise and shine again? You can get rid of this metal blockage by getting a phoenix tattoo.

This mythological bird has been associated with resurrection for the longest time. Even if the bird is burnt to ashes, it takes rebirth to start a new cycle of life.

So, often in our lives, we may fail to acknowledge or work on the need for a new beginning. Phoenix works as an inspiration and says that new beginnings are important to move ahead in life.

A phoenix tattoo also depicts that only you can begin or end the story of your life, and a new beginning is possible if you want it.

23. Caterpillar And Butterfly Tattoo Design

A caterpillar and butterfly tattoo is another design that can boost a new beginning in your life, keeping the blockages and shortcomings in stride. 

The combination of caterpillars and butterflies can be packed with meanings. You can perceive this as a process of transition or metamorphosis. It encourages you to be a better version of yourself every day. So, if you think that you are not good at something, you can always make a new beginning and evolve.

Caterpillars and butterflies are also associated with rebirth. So, getting these tattoos done can be your much-needed motivation for overcoming obstacles and making new beginnings.

These tattoos can be experimental, and you can be as creative as you want with the colors. So, you can get a dainty one for your arm or an elaborate one on your back.

Wrapping Up!

So if you have gone through all the mental health tattoos and properly understand what they mean, then you can get them depending on your preference and state of mind. But if you liked this article about mental health tattoos, then give this article a like and comment down below.

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sibashree bhattacharya
Sibashree has been into SEO and eCommerce content writing for more than 9 years. She loves reading books and is a huge fan of those over-the-top period dramas. Her favorite niches are fashion, lifestyle, beauty, traveling, relationships, women's interests, and movies. The strength of her writing lies in thorough research backing and an understanding of readers’ pain points.

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