Quotes from celebrities about mental health
the relax is Yahoo Life’s wellness series where experts, influencers and celebrities share their insights on wellness and mental healthfrom self-care rituals to setting healthy boundaries to the mantras that keep you afloat.
Celebrities are just like us. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five American adults are living with mental illness, which means your favorite actors, athletes, musicians, TikTok stars, and influencers are struggling too. And how studies show, the more influential the figures who open up and share their own mental health journeys, the more they can help remove the stigma that it’s okay to not be okay. That’s the premise behind the Yahoo Life interview series. the relax — or have candid conversations with public figures about what they may be dealing with in private and reveal the resources they have in their toolboxes to help them cope. From setting boundaries on social media to walking barefoot in nature to feeling grounded, we’ve learned what helps keep people grounded. So before 2022 ends the stage, here are some of the mindful moments your favorite stars have shared with us this year.
About the start of therapy and meditation.
“If I didn’t have therapy right now, I’d probably be doing therapy on these streets. I’d probably be talking to a lot of people about things I don’t need to talk to them about.”—tiffany haddish
“The therapy is great. Talking to my therapist and being able to open up so I don’t just go with my partner or my siblings or friends who probably don’t need to hear this. It’s nice to talk to someone, a professional.”— Joe Jonas
“It is about deserving peace and happiness. I chose myself, my peace of mind. I am very proud of myself because a few years ago I was neglecting my mental health and a good friend of mine told me that I needed therapy,” she said. He says. “One of my friends told me the importance of therapy for about four or five years. I [made excuses not to go] but it was persistent. I give him a lot of credit for his advice, and for letting me see the importance and guiding me in the right direction. [of therapy].”— Aunt Mowry
I had to go to therapy, it really wasn’t my choice,” he tells Yahoo Life. “I tried to go to several different therapists and couldn’t trust any of them. And then the only therapist I trusted was the one who asked me, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ And I said, ‘Well, I’m an actress. That’s what I want to do. That is what I am.'”- odelya halevi
That’s why I swear transcendental meditation. It has changed my life, it has changed my state of mind. Every time I meditate, whether it’s once or twice a day, I feel like I found an extra two hours in the day that came out of nowhere, or that I had a two-hour nap, but only had a 20-minute meditative time.”— Katy Perry
On setting boundaries with social media
“It’s a battle, it’s important to keep in mind what’s real and what’s not. Because when you’re on Instagram and you scroll, and you know, this person has this, or this person booked this job, and we’re judging, or we’re judging ourselves, we’re comparing ourselves and I had to stop that,” says Tran. “Rarely do people post their bad days or what they’re going through. So everyone’s life looks like glitter and gold.” —Karrueche Tran
“Social media is so taken care of that people think you’re supposed to be happy all the time,” he says of talking about his feelings on his platform. “And it’s like, if you’re not happy all the time, why would you show that? But it’s like people act like they don’t cry. People act like they’re not upset about things. And the fact that I choose showing it is, for me, useful. If it’s happening to me online, I want to solve it online too, you know. It’s not like a cry for help and it’s not to be pitied. It’s more to just, normalize it. So it’s useful for I figure things out on the Internet, and I love to figure things out in my craft and through my creativity. — lizzo
“I realized that social media…for me is very mentally unhealthy,” he tells Yahoo Life. “I don’t know about other people, but my brain isn’t built to look at thousands of responses to me. Even if they’re all positive, it’s really overwhelming. So I’d say something and then you have pages and pages and pages of responses and there will be like a hundred good ones.” and one negative. The only one I would remember would be the negative, but even all the positive ones would make me feel jarring, out of control, and really out of my depth. And so I realized that social media for me in general has been a negative.” kumail nanjiani
On the importance of physical activity for your mental well-being
“I’ll build anything, I don’t care if it’s popsicle sticks,” the father of four adds with a laugh. “Just something to distract me from the outside world, because we face so much ridicule and judgment and so many questions. At what point do you get away from that and just take care of yourself? So I use those things to kind of take care of my mental [health].” – anthony mackie
“For me, the way I deal with anxiety and stress is through physical activity. I know it’s a lucky and easy fix and not everyone is so lucky, but I know if I can sweat every day it decreases in A lot of the amount of anxiety or stress I feel. I also think that prioritizing sleep really helps me,” says Nash. “A few days or a week of bad sleep, I’m more open to stress or anxiety affecting my days. For me, exercising, particularly through the things I love to do and love to play soccer and tennis, changes my state. Mood. It limits my anxiety. It gives me energy!”— Steve Nash
On breaking harmful stigmas
“Being a young man, it’s always harder to express yourself that way because of the taboo and stigma behind it. As young men, we’re taught a different way of communicating that actually hinders our evolution and progress,” he says. “I think men or boys hear the word ‘vulnerable’ and see it as a weakness. While identifying what’s bothering you and where your anxiety is, it can actually be a superpower.” — kevin love
“I think for a long time, black women especially, we always held each other up and forgot about ourselves. So, I think when women in sorority tell each other that it’s okay to let go for a while, there’s something about giving it permission to someone.” —tika sink
“I never thought in a million years that I’d be on camera. [in my underwear], but I let it happen”, he explains about the filming. “Happened. I looked at it and realized, this is beautiful. I am beautiful. And I must always see myself like this when I look at myself, whether it is a reflection, on a screen, or if I look at myself in the mirror. That was one of the biggest moments for me, regarding vulnerability. I think I’ve taken a big step… It was great.”—Michaela Jae Rodriguez
On the importance of going out
“A really important technique is to do some grounding work, where you’re barefoot in nature and you can really connect with the Earth and the vibrations,” she says. “I know it sounds really ‘woo woo’, but I think it’s really important to reconnect with where we are, who we are, and just shut down your entire brain other than your senses. How can you feel the ground? What do you hear in the air? what do you smell? what can you see?sarah hyland
“Grateful to live in Colorado, where I have nature at my back door,” adds the actress. “I can have a really busy day of meetings and those computers and these devices always right under our noses. It’s great because we get a lot done and we can be really productive, but for me, relaxing and getting away is taking a walk. I like just taking a walk , and I like to meander through the trees or in an open field. I like to feel my feet on the ground. I like to lie on my back and look up and watch the clouds float by. I like to absorb the energy of the earth in my body and vice versa. —Hillary Swank
“I have my regular checkups; they are on the calendar at least six months in advance. I eat very well. I am not a vegetarian, but I do eat a lot of good fish and very little meat. I eat fantastic vegetables that I grow myself, and delicious eggs straight from my chicken coop I live on a farm which I think is one of the healthiest lifestyles because when I get up in the morning I can go outside and breathe fresh air I can plant some flowers or pick some vegetables and make a green juice that it’s absolutely delicious, that it really helps maintain good skin, good hair, and strong bones.”—Martha Stewart
In giving you grace and time to rest
“This little permission slip — as soon as I saw it, I instantly wrote ‘sorry’ because it’s something I still have to work on,” Phelps, who lives in Arizona, tells Yahoo Life. “I need to be more myself. I need to take care of myself more often. Those little things, when you write that, when you write something, it’s so much more powerful than we can imagine.” —Michael Phelps
“I love saying no, actually, more than yes,” she shares. “I say no to a lot of things and I’m okay with that. You know, some people are very nervous to say no: no to family, no to friends, no to a project, no to an opportunity… If not Am I spending time on my family or not spending it wisely, then the answer is no.” —Eva Longoria
“I’d rather have one day off and one day that’s crazy scheduled than two moderately scheduled days,” Parker says decisively. “For me, when I’m enjoying the day off, I can reflect and [appreciate] the reward of a crazy day. I also like to know what’s going on. A couple of years ago, I started to rely a lot on my calendar, so now I can prepare myself for the crazy day. I know it’s coming!” — Candace Parker
On the importance of mentality changes
“You have to be ready,” she says of getting psyched up for a game. “I’ve worked my whole life for these moments… I don’t succeed in all of them, but at the end of the day, I have to think I’m good enough.” — Serena Williams
“I can feel overwhelmed, but I try to remind myself that there are a lot worse things in the world right now, and these are little things that don’t matter in the big picture.” —Rachel Bilson
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