Sometimes a tattoo is just a beautiful piece of art; other times body art is deeply personal and related to mental health struggles.
According to Forbes, anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions in the world, with around 301 million people dealing with it.
In order to pay tribute to their mental health journeys and remind themselves of their inner strength, many people look to body art and anxiety tattoo designs.
Getting a tattoo can be a therapeutic experience for a lot of people. Psychology Today points out that getting tattooed can be a powerful way to address trauma.
“A central experience of trauma is feeling the loss of control. Thus, the decision to get a tattoo can itself be a reclamation, in which the survivor takes back control over physical or emotional injury.”
What Tattoo Is Good For Overcoming Struggle?
When it comes to tattoos that represent overcoming struggle and difficult times, transformation tattoos come out on top.
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Anxiety Butterfly Tattoo
The butterfly goes through a metamorphosis to become the beautiful winged insects we love. They have to go from caterpillar to chrysalis before eventually emerging.
So, a butterfly tattoo can be a powerful reminder that going through challenging times can help us transform and come out better than before.
Moth Tattoo
Similar to the butterfly, moths go through a four-stage process from being in an egg to hatching into larvae before spinning a cocoon and then finally emerging as an adult.
Because of this metamorphosis, a moth tattoo can symbolize the transformation in a person’s life and commemorate getting through difficult times in ink.
Lotus Tattoo
“In general, the flower is believed to represent rising above temptation and becoming a better person. In Hindu belief, lotus flowers are referred to as Padma and symbolize beauty, purity, and spiritual awakening,”
Byrdie
This flower has to rise through the mud to eventually blossom in the light, making it a powerful symbol of overcoming struggle and rising above challenges.
Here are more anxiety mental health tattoo ideas to consider for a meaningful tattoo design:
Is There An Anxiety Awareness Symbol?
No, while there are no specific symbols for anxiety, the green ribbon does represent mental health awareness. However, there are a variety of ways to go about anxiety tattoo designs for females and for guys.
What Tattoos Represent Anxiety?
Anxiety Molecule Tattoo
Serotonin is a chemical in our bodies that regulates our moods. A lack of this chemical is viewed as a contributing factor to anxiety and depression.
“The serotonin molecule tattoo is a way to promote healing and to show that even if you have struggled with mental health issues, there is hope for healing,”
Certified Tattoo
This is usually a fine-line tattoo design featuring hexagons to make up the molecule. However, you can make it more detailed with added elements such as flowers or scenes in the hexagons.
Anxiety Breathe Tattoo
The simplest thing we can do when anxiety starts taking over and our minds are racing is to breathe. This may seem silly – of course you need to breathe – but when you experience anxiety your breathing often becomes more rapid and your heart rate increases.
Doing a breathing exercise or simply taking slow, deep breaths can calm the nervous system.
The word ‘Breathe’ is a popular tattoo choice among people who struggle with anxiety, as it serves as a simple reminder to come back to the breath and to relax.
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Anxiety Brain Tattoo
What sometimes triggers anxiety is overthinking. Thoughts going a million miles a second and thinking about the worst possible outcome to a situation can make you extremely anxious.
An anxiety brain tattoo can symbolize this overthinking. This can be depicted as a bunch of squiggly lines representing the chaos of thoughts, or a pull between the heart and the mind as a reminder to sometimes switch off your brain.
Worry Doll Tattoo
Worry dolls are small dolls from Guatemala that are handmade as a remedy for worrying.
If something is keeping you up at night, you’re meant to tell your worries to the doll and then place it underneath your pillow. During the night, the doll is meant to absorb these worries helping you to sleep more peacefully.
Semicolon Tattoo
The semicolon tattoo is one of the most popular mental health tattoos.
According to the mental health organization, Project Semicolon, a semicolon can be symbolic of mental health struggles because instead of ending a sentence, you use a semicolon and choose to carry on.
A semicolon tattoo can be a powerful inked reminder to not allow anxiety to win – that you can get through it.
This can be the perfect tattoo choice for those who are looking for a minimalist tattoo. If you want more details or to make the semicolon more personalized, there are many ways to go about this.
For example, you could create a semicolon butterfly tattoo with the body of the butterfly as the semicolon, or choose a different image for the upper dot like a heart or a cat’s face.
Anxiety can be debilitating. If you’re struggling with your mental health and anxiety is impacting your quality of life, it’s important to see a therapist or mental health professional.
Once you’ve done this and have the positive coping mechanisms you need to overcome anxiety, a tattoo can be a powerful way to pay tribute to your strength and your journey towards better mental health.
