Last Updated on April 11, 2023
Learning to treat ourselves with kindness and compassion, especially in difficult times, can be more challenging than it seems. However, practicing songs of self-compassion can be a helpful way to cultivate self-compassion and soothe our inner critic.
Music, a universal language of comfort, support, and solace, is a great tool for uplifting us. With some good tunes in our ears, we can be reminded to embrace every part of who we are while being gentle and kind to ourselves.
So, in this article, I have put together some of the best songs on self-compassion to help to make your self-care go a bit smoother.
1. “Staying Alive” By Bee’gees
This disco song has a fun vibe that gets you in a celebratory mode but also has an important message of individual encouragement and compassion.
It references the struggles and insecurities that can plague a person’s mind, but it prompts you to appreciate your own strength in staying alive and battling it all, as that in itself is no small feat.
2. “Try” By Colbie Caillat
As women, we are often pressured by the world around us to fit and conform to numerous different standards. Well, this song tells you to kick all that social pressure to the curb and fill your mind with self-admiration.
The lyrics remind women everywhere that we do not need to change who we are or obsess about perfection. All we need to do is simply try to be kind to ourselves.
3. “Love Myself” By Hailee Steinfeld
Hailee Steinfeld drives home a message of self-love and compassion with this beautiful song about caring for yourself. It encourages us all to learn to cater to our needs and not be afraid to indulge in what makes us truly happy.
4. “Beautiful” By Christina Aguilera
Insecurities about our physical appearance are perhaps one of the biggest deterrents to self-compassion, as it can be hard to treat yourself with kindness when you look at some flaw that instantly puts you in a bad mood.
However, this song urges us to fall deeply in love with every aspect of our being from the inside out. As the singer tells herself she is beautiful in every single way, no matter what people say, your thoughts will resonate with the message of self-admiration that overpowers any insecurities.
5. “Scars To Your Beautiful” By Alessia Cara
Learning to see the value in your flaws is one of the best ways to practice self-compassion. Doing so reminds you that there is beauty in imperfections, and this song is one of the best ways I try to incorporate that message into my daily life.
It is an empowering and flawlessly performed track about embracing your body, your fears, and all the things about you that the world may not deem suitable.
6. “Special” By Lizzo
If you’re finding it hard to see the value and beauty in who you are, then this song might just be what you need to have in your ear at all times.
Lizzo’s soulful voice sends a reminder to everyone who may be filled with self-doubt or hatred that they are beyond special. She fills us all with a deep self-appreciation we often forget to give ourselves.
7. “Brave” By Sara Bareilles
Self-compassion sometimes requires a certain level of bravery and confidence, as it is not often easy to fully believe in yourself and treat yourself with kindness.
This song is an inspirational and heartfelt encouragement to us all to be a little daring when doing things that will bring us comfort and joy.
8. “I Am Light” By India.Arie
There is something incredibly soothing and ethereal about this song, and for moments where you need to sit in a meditative state and give yourself some empathy and kindness, this is definitely the song to have in your ear.
The singer sends a generous message to herself about how light and divine her soul is despite all the negative things the world may perceive about her.
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9. “Who Says” By Selena Gomez
This is another beautiful song that reminds everyone listening of their self-worth and value. The singer nudges you toward self-love and compassion as she tells you that you are beautiful and perfect regardless of what people say.
The song has a cheesy, almost teenage vibe, but the message will resonate with just about anyone listening.
10. “Born This Way” By Lady Gaga
For many people who do not fit into the norm of what society expects, self-loathing is an all too common feeling, and that is very unfortunate.
However, this song is a bold encouragement to appreciate yourself for all your quirks and preferences. It sends a universal message to everyone that no matter who, they are perfect and deserve love.
11. “True Colors” By Cyndi Lauper
This heartwarming song has an undeniable message of self-compassion and the importance of having friends to help you reinforce a deep appreciation for yourself.
The singer talks about people whose lives are filled with sadness and self-doubt and urges them to learn to love their true colors. The message of embracing your true self and being kind to it resonates so well with anyone who listens to this track.
12. “Superwoman” By Alicia Keys
This is another encouraging anthem of kindness and compassion for women.
Alicia Keys sings about the imperfections women tend to see in themselves and steers everyone listening in the direction of self-admiration by finishing off the song with a sounding reminder that our imperfections are not a weakness but a sign of strength and power.
13.”Strong Enough” By Cher
Liberating yourself from total dependence on someone who does nothing but hurt you is a major sign of self-compassion, but it is not always easy to do.
In this song, Cher speaks about her appreciation of her self-worth by declaring she is strong enough to love herself as she cuts off the lover who betrays her.
14. “I Love Me” By Demi Lovato
Self-love and self-compassion are two practices that go almost hand in hand, and like Demi Lovato suggests with this song, loving yourself is the only way to find true happiness.
The singer’s powerful vocals flawlessly deliver an emotional message as she questions the ways in which she tends to criticize and hate on herself. However, she emphasizes that learning to love herself will bring more satisfaction instead.
15. “Thank U, Next” By Ariana Grande
This breakup song sees Ariana Grande sending gratitude to all her exes, but in doing so, the lyrics also establish a message of compassion and appreciation towards herself.
By thanking her exes, the singer also learns not to be so harsh on herself for these failed relationships. She simply learns to see each as a unique experience that brought her joy and compassion.
16. “Self Care” By Mac Miller
Mac Miller speaks about the many hardships we all pass through in life in this rap song, but he also sends the important message that learning to be self-aware and kind to yourself is the only way to move forward from your regrets.
The rapper alludes to certain mistakes and challenges in his life, but he points out the role of self-compassion in helping him overcome the effects of such obstacles.
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17. “I’m Still Standing” By Elton John
This song is known as an anthem of perseverance and resilience, but in many ways, it is also about self-compassion. The singer talks about staying firm and refusing to let mistakes and challenges pull him down.
The message reminds us of the importance of encouraging ourselves to keep going in moments of difficulty instead of talking down on ourselves.
18. “Alive” By Sia
Alive is an inspiring song about a person who has had a difficult childhood filled with pain and mistakes, but through it all,l they still manage to keep breathing.
It has a powerful message of appreciation and empathy for who we become despite all the trials and tribulations we go through in life.
19. “I Am Enough” By Daphne Willis
In this song, Daphne Willis points out that we are often our own harshest critics.
The singer talks about the moments when she has looked at herself with doubt and loathing, but as she sings out the song’s chorus, she lets out a beautiful rallying cry of compassion by reminding herself of her self-worth and humanity.
20. “You Gotta Be” By Des’ree
This song urges us all to be all the things we forget to appreciate about ourselves.
The singer talks about how life goes by so fast we barely feel it spinning and speaks to the importance of learning to appreciate your boldness, wisdom, and strength right now when you still have the chance to do so.
Those qualities are crucial, but we often forget to appreciate the moments we display them, and this song reminds everyone listening that do so.
21. “I Am Woman” By Helen Reddy
This is another song that celebrates the strength and uniqueness of women. It has an empowering appreciation, compassion, and respect towards womanhood and all it entails.
Many women often forget to love every aspect of the female experience, and this song just lets us all enjoy the feeling and be more kind to ourselves.
22. “Good As Hell” By Lizzo
Lizzo delivers a message of self-care and self-compassion with this feel-good anthem. As the name suggests, the song is about viewing yourself in the best light and feeling good about yourself.
It is a motivational track that encourages us all to practice self-admiration instead of letting insecurities and other harmful thoughts we may have about ourselves take over.
23. “Rise” By Katy Perry
Katy Perry sings about an appreciation for her confidence and self-worth in this song about a person who chooses to rise towards greater heights despite all the people around her who doubt her.
The song has a catchy beat that will have you moving along to the lyrics, but it will also let you learn the value of believing in yourself.
24. “Warrior” By Demi Lovato
Giving yourself affirmations of confidence and strength is a great way to start to treat yourself with compassion, especially after you’ve been hurt by someone who made you doubt yourself.
If you’re looking for a song that captures that feeling, this powerful song about taking control of your life and appreciating yourself for who you are is a great track to add to your playlist.
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25. “Shake It Off” By Taylor Swift
Sometimes all you need to keep you from falling into a place where you judge and criticize yourself is fell good pop song that tells you to shake off all your fears, self-doubt, and loathing.
This song does all of those things and more. It tells you not to let anything negative get to you, and it is so fun and catchy you’ll have it on repeat for several days.
26. “One Day At A Time” By Gloria Estefan
This song is very hard to resist once you get into a habit of appreciating the message. It is about being empathetic towards yourself in every situation in life. The singer talks about the fleeting nature of life and reminds us all that we only have one life to live.
So, instead of spending it worrying and being harsh to ourselves, we should take it one day at a time and show appreciation for every action and every second we get to enjoy.
27. “Beautifully Made” By Leah Smith
Beautifully Made is an amazing song about the value of being compassionate and appreciative of our physical body. The singer talks about insecurities and the all too familiar feeling of looking in the mirror and not liking what you see.
However, she delivers some positive words of affirmation by telling us all that we are beautiful, smart, and perfectly made in all the ways that truly matter.
When you fall into the habit of scrutinizing certain parts of yourself and looking at them with contempt, this song is all you need to return to a place of self-admiration and gratitude.
28. “Scars” By Tobymac
If you have gone through a difficult time or made a mistake and find it hard to forgive yourself for letting go of the pain, this song urges you not to be so hard on yourself.
The singer talks about the fact that everyone has gone through some kind of situation or has some internal battle that has left them with scars. However, he tells you to keep your head up and treat yourself with a little more compassion.
It drives home a message we all sometimes need to hear to be more appreciative of our strength, which is that you are not alone.
29. “Take Care Of Yourself” By Maise Peters
This song talks about the importance of self-care and self-compassion. The singer talks about the harmful effects of talking down on ourselves and carrying burdens that are more than we can bare, all in the name of trying to be brave.
The song reminds you to take care of yourself in every way possible. Whether being kinder in how you speak to yourself or simply learning that you do not have to be responsible for everyone around you, this song focuses on a single message of care and compassion for yourself.
30. “Be As You Are” By Mike Posner
This emotional ballad has the singer detailing all of the struggles he has gone through. As he analyzes the internal and external battles he fights, he offers himself some encouragement with a kind and compassionate message that tell him he is stronger than he thinks he is.
The piano-driven song reminds us all that we do not have to act tough or pretend to be so hard, we are perfectly alright being as strong as our mind allows. In moments where life throws you curve balls that seem almost impossible to take on, this song will give you the kindness to not be so hard on yourself.
31. “Courageous” By Megan Nicole
This song is about the courage required to battle self doubt and learn to be more caring and affectionate towards ourselves. The singer offers encouraging words of affirmation by talking about the beauty in each of us.
She reminds us of our strength, uniqueness, and lights since we often forget to appreciate those things about ourselves. It is a very empathetic song that will motivate and empower anyone struggling with self-doubt.
32. “Freckles” By Natasha Bedingfield
This beautiful song is about embracing all the parts of ourselves the world may view as a flaw and learning to love them.
In this song, Natasha Bedingfield talks about her freckles and how they often fill her with self-doubt and hatred for herself, but she reassures herself that her imperfections make her loveable and beautiful.
The message here is one we can all relate to, as we all have some little insecurity or quirk that we look at with harshness, but this song provides the encouragement we need to be more accepting of our so-called flaws and see the beauty in them.
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33. “Be Good To Yourself” By Journey
Journey emphasizes the value of cutting yourself some slack with this song about taking breaks and being forgiving of your mistakes.
The lyrics nudge you in the direction of kindness and compassion for yourself as they tell you to treat yourself as best as you possibly can because no one else probably will.
It is a catchy rock song with feel-good vibes that will make you view yourself with a newfound appreciation and love. This is the number one song on my playlist whenever I need time to relax and treat myself to some love and compassion.
34. “Be Kind To Yourself” By Andrew Peterson
This song has perhaps one of the most direct messages of self-compassion. From the title alone, you can tell the artist hopes to encourage us all not to be so self-deprecating when we think about ourselves.
The lyrics talk about the anger and shame we sometimes feel when we analyze certain aspects of ourselves, but it also reminds us that we cannot be at war with ourselves if we aim to be happy. So, the singer urges everyone listening to be kind and gentle to themselves.
35. “Skyscraper” By Demi Lovato
This empowering song is a great choice for anyone who needs a boost of confidence and encouragement to see their own self-worth. It is about a person who has been treated badly by the people around her to the point where she no longer sees her value in herself.
However, with a compassionate message of self-care and admiration, she starts to see that she is powerful enough to stand against whatever is thrown in her direction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Songs Make You Feel Good About Your Self?
The best song to make you feel good about yourself will typically vary with each person, but some good choices to add to your playlist include “Beautifully Made” by Leah Smith, “Good As Hell” by Lizzo, “Superwoman” by Alicia Keys, and “I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy.
What Are The Best Songs On Self-Care?
Some of the best songs for self-care include “ Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera, “ Born This Way” by Lady Gaga, and “Scars To Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara.
Can Music Make You Feel Better About Yourself?
Music is a great tool for boosting self-confidence and compassion. It can significantly improve your mood and make you feel better about yourself. Whether you’re in moments of self-doubt, fear, self-loathing, or feeling insecure, putting on an encouraging tune can act as a remedy to make you feel better.
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