Our busy lives require a lot of energy and mental strength. We sacrifice for work, friends and family. But more and more people are realizing that a fulfilling life is, above all, about loving and giving yourself the time you need to take care of yourself.
As these messages spread across social media and everyday life, a new genre of tattoos about self-care has been born. Displaying these images proudly, or having them inked in a place only you can see, is a powerful call to make space and time to take care of yourself.
These ideas can be a great starting point for working with an artist to create a self-love tattoo design that will be a personal and universal reminder to love yourself and make self-care a priority.
Simple messages and inspirational quotes
Text plays a big role in the world of self-care tattoos. Quote tattoos can contain a simple message, a quote, or individual words that resonate with the wearer.
For first-time tattooers, a simple “I love myself” tattoo is a great entry point into the world of tattoos because it’s unobtrusive and takes up very little space on your body. Plus, you don’t need an entire paragraph to design a small tattoo and get your point across; a minimalist tattoo will do.
Here are some ideas to help you.
You are beautiful
These three little words mean much more than the sum of their parts.
Society and social media pressure us to meet the highest standards of beauty and achievement, make us compete with others, and constantly send the message that we’re not perfect. This fine line tattoo will remind you that you are beautiful and capable just the way you are.
Love yourself
This may seem obvious, but think about how often we blame ourselves and are our own harshest critics. The world is harsh enough without us adding our voice.
While there is no right or wrong placement for this small tattoo, some people choose to have it in a more visible location like their wrist, the side of their finger, their entire forearm, or even an ankle tattoo to remind them to be kind to themselves.
You can easily go for more elaborate designs, such as lettering inside a flower tattoo or horizontal letters inside a heart tattoo. These meaningful tattoos can make a difference in your mental health and self-esteem on a daily basis.
Breathe
In our non-stop culture, it can feel like we need to be “on” all the time. Social media, the news cycle, work, social obligations — the list of things competing for our attention can seem never-ending.
Sometimes self-care is as simple as slowing down for a moment and focusing on your breathing. Anyone who has meditated knows the importance of breathing and always returning to the cycle of “inhale, exhale, relax.” A simple tattoo with a reminder to “just breathe” can make a big difference.
Let go
We all have attachments to things that torment us: past events, attachments to things we can’t control, the negative messages we tell ourselves, etc. Even if we try, it can be hard to break out of these patterns.
The beauty of this tattoo lies in the simplicity of its message. These words may help you distance yourself from these thoughts and begin your journey to embracing yourself with love.
I am enough
If you’ve ever been on social media at any point in your life, or even been out in the world at all, you know what it’s like to be made to feel “less than.” From ads to algorithms, constantly performing and impressing can feel like an arduous task.
This tattoo can be an affirmation against the self-doubt and insecurities that can creep up and overwhelm us.
Still growing
We are all in a state of work in progress. In fact, that’s one of the biggest messages of the self-care movement. We all want quick success, but self-care is a lifelong journey.
This tattoo can be simple with just text or can be incorporated into a larger design. Common design elements for more decorative tattoos include plants, flowers, silhouettes of people, and watering cans.
This too shall pass
When things are hard, especially when you’re not prioritizing taking care of yourself, it can feel like things will never get better.
This classic quote from Persian poetry is a powerful self-care reminder that everything is fluid and bad times don’t last forever.
Line art
Like text tattoos in the self-care genre, line art derives its power from its simplicity: it remains delicately on the skin, making it another great option for first-time tattoo clients and a great way to communicate a message of self-care.
These are just a few of the many amazing images to choose from.
Self Hug
What could be easier to convey affection and care than the physical gesture of a hug? Using just a few lines, an artist can paint a self-portrait or an image of someone hugging themselves.
This design is a great starting point as it has plenty of opportunity to make it your own by incorporating text elements and other images.
Meditation pose
An important part of self-care is taking the time to hit the stop button on the fast-paced treadmill of life, and many people turn to meditation as a powerful practice to tune out the noise of daily life and focus on the present moment.
These tattoos usually depict a person sitting in a lotus position with a calm demeanor, sometimes accompanied by a word of affirmation.
Body Positive Silhouette
Accepting who we are can be difficult, especially in the face of society’s unrealistic beauty expectations, but we are all beautiful just the way we are.
Body positive silhouettes are often designed as self-portraits to celebrate an individual’s beauty.
Body with flowers
This is a popular self-care tattoo with endless possibilities for making it unique and personal. One of the most common motifs is a simple outline silhouette of a body with flowers growing out of the head.
Whether you’re using roses, peonies, chrysanthemums, or any other flower, you can’t go wrong with this format.
Watering can and plant
Spinning off of the “still growing” text tattoo, it’s a fun opportunity to paint a unique image. There are as many variations as there are people you’re attracted to, but these tattoos all have one design element in common.
Usually paired with a plant or flower and a watering can to water it, the message behind this image is simple: properly watered plants are happy.
Self Love Club
A Self Love Club tattoo can show your solidarity with the self-care movement, and even a simple text tattoo is a good choice.
But for a bolder statement, center your lettering inside a heart, next to a star, or surrounded by botanicals like laurel or lavender. Your message of self-love will be loud and clear.
Shaded tattoo
The shaded tattoos stand out boldly against the skin and catch the eye of the viewer, combining the power of self-care messages with the design languages of American traditional tattoos and other tattoo styles.
Some tattoo newbies might feel less comfortable diving right into this kind of design than more experienced clients, but those who are ready can highlight the core message of self-care.
Here are some typical starting points:
heart
Hearts are a motif used throughout traditional American tattoo styles. They are often chosen to honor a friend, family member, or loved one, and also make a great base for a self-care tattoo.
Many of the text tattoos in this article can be paired perfectly with hearts, whether they are inscribed to the side of the heart, in the middle, or flowing into a scroll that encases the heart.
flower
Flowers aren’t just for Valentine’s Day, and they don’t have to come from someone else either. Self-care is about having the courage to show yourself some love.
A vase of flowers, a bouquet of flowers, a bunch of herbs, a single rose – all are beautiful images and each has its own meaning. You deserve to give yourself this gift!
butterfly
Before becoming a butterfly, a butterfly begins as a caterpillar. As we go through the twists and turns of life, we may blame ourselves for not being where we want to be.
Butterfly tattoos remind us to be patient and give ourselves love and care on the journey to our final form.
Self-care: Don’t forget to take care of your ink
On a life journey that is often filled with chaos and confusion, prioritizing self-care can feel like a monumental task.
Even the most focused people have a hard time achieving this, but self-care tattoos can serve as a physical reminder to give your best. We hope these self-love tattoo ideas inspire you to love yourself more every day. After all, the relationship you have with yourself is the most important thing in life.
Mad Rabbit’s aftercare products will help you throughout the entire tattooing process. Our tattoo numbing cream will make your tattoo more comfortable for first-time and experienced clients alike. When applied an hour before your treatment, it will reduce the response of your pain receptors during the procedure.
After your tattoo procedure is complete and the ink has healed, our tattoo balm and daily lotion will help maintain a strong moisture barrier and help maintain the first day vibrancy of your new self-applied tattoo.
source:
5 Popular Self-Care Trends | AMTA
Meditation Overview | Mayo Clinic
Our Activities | Body Positive Institute
