Hilary Swank, Lizzo, Tiffany Haddish, and Joe Jonas shared some of their top mental health tips with Yahoo this year. (Photos: Getty; designed by Quinn Lemmers)
The Unwind is Yahoo Life’s wellness series where experts, influencers and celebrities share their approaches to wellness and mental health, from self-care rituals to setting healthy boundaries to the mantras that keep them afloat.
Celebrities, they’re just like us. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five US adults is living with a mental illness — which means your favorite actors, athletes, musicians, TikTok stars, and influencers are struggling too. And as studies show, the more influential figures open up and share their own mental health journeys, the more they can help destigmatize that it’s okay not to be okay. That’s the premise behind Yahoo Life’s The Unwind interview series – to have candid conversations with public figures about what they may be dealing with privately, and to uncover the resources they have in their toolboxes that help them deal with it . From setting boundaries on social media to walking barefoot in nature to feel connected to the earth, we’ve learned what helps people stay grounded. Before 2022 takes the stage, here are some of the mindful moments your favorite stars shared with us this year.
At the beginning of therapy and meditation
“If I didn’t have therapy now, I’d probably be going into therapy on these streets. I’d probably be talking to a whole bunch of people about things I don’t need to talk to them about.”—Tiffany Hadish
“The therapy is great. Talking to my therapist and being able to open up, so I’m not just going to my partner or my brothers or friends who probably don’t need to hear that. It’s nice to talk to someone, a professional.”— Joe Jonas
“It’s about earning peace and happiness. I chose myself, my peace of mind. I’m very proud of myself because a few years ago I neglected my mental health and a good friend told me I needed therapy,” she says. “A friend of mine told me about the importance of therapy about four or five years ago. Me [made excuses not to go] but he was persistent. I appreciate him very much for his advice – and for allowing me to see the importance and guiding me in the right direction [of therapy].”— Tia Mowry
The story goes on
I had to go to therapy – it wasn’t really my choice,” she tells Yahoo Life. “I tried going to a few different therapists, but I couldn’t trust any of them. And then the only therapist I trusted was the one who just asked me, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ And I said, ‘Well, I’m an actress. I want to do that. This is me.'”- Odelya Halevi
That’s why I swear by Transcendental Meditation. It changed my life, it changed my mood. Whenever I meditate, whether it’s once a day or twice a day, it feels like I’ve found an extra two hours in the day that came out of nowhere, or like I’ve taken a two-hour nap—but I only had 20-minute meditation.”— Katy Perry
About setting boundaries with social media
“It’s a struggle, it’s important to pay attention to what’s real and what’s not. Because when you’re on Instagram and you’re scrolling and you know, this person booked that or this person booked this job, and we’re reassessing them, or we’re reassessing ourselves, we’re comparing ourselves, and I had to let that go,” 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 curated that people think you should be happy all the time,” she says, as she opens up about her feelings on her platform. “And it’s like, if you’re not happy all the time, why would you show that? But it’s like, people pretend not to cry. People act like they’re not upset about things. And the fact that I have to show that it’s helpful to me. If it happens to me online, I kind of want to sort it out online, you know? It’s not like a cry for help and it’s not meant to evoke pity. It’s more like just normalize it. So it’s helpful for me to work things out on the internet and I love working things out in my craft and through my creativity.” — Lizzo
“I realized that social media … is very unhealthy for me mentally,” he tells Yahoo Life. “I don’t know about other people, but my brain isn’t made for looking at thousands of replies to me. Even if they’re all positive, it’s really overwhelming. So I would say something and then you have pages and pages and pages of answers and there will be about a hundred good ones and one negative. The only one I would remember was the one negative one, but even all the positive ones left me jangling and out of control and really outside of myself. And so I realized that social media was largely negative for me. Kumail Nanjiani
On the importance of physical activity for their mental well-being
“I build everything – I don’t care about popsicles,” adds the father of four with a laugh. “Just something to take my mind off the outside world because we’re facing so much ridicule and judgment and so many questions. At what point do you step away from that and only concern yourself with yourself? So I use these things to kind of take care of my psyche [health].” — Anthony Mackie
“For me, I deal with anxiety and stress through physical activity – I know that’s an easy, fortunate solution and not everyone is so lucky – but I know that if I can sweat every day, it takes the strain off significantly.” reduces how much anxiety or stress I feel. I also think that prioritizing sleep really helps me,” says Nash. “A few days or a week of poor sleep makes me more prone to stress or anxiety affecting my days. For me, exercise — especially the Things I enjoy doing and I love playing soccer and tennis – my mood, limits my anxiety. It gives me energy!”— Steve Nash
About breaking harmful stigmas
“As a young man, it’s increasingly difficult to express yourself in this way because of the taboo and stigma. As young men, we are taught a different way of communicating that actually hinders our development and progression,” he says. “I think men or boys hear the word ‘vulnerable’ and see it as a weakness. Whereas finding out what’s bothering you and where fear lies can be a superpower.” — kevin love
“I think for that long, especially black women always hold up everyone else and we forget about ourselves. And so I think when women in the sorority tell each other that it’s okay to let go for a while, there’s something about it, to give someone permission.” —Tika Sumpter
“I never thought in a million years that I would be in front of a camera [in my underwear], but I let it happen,” she explains the shoot. “It happened. I checked it out and realized it’s beautiful. I am beautiful. And I should always see myself like this when I look at myself, whether it’s a reflection, on a screen, or when I look at myself in the mirror. So that was one of the biggest moments for me in terms of vulnerability. I think I made a big step… It was great.”—Michaela Jae Rodriguez
About the importance of going outside
“A really important technique is grounding, where you can just be barefoot in nature and really connect with the earth and the vibrations,” she says. “I know it sounds really ‘woo woo’ but I think it’s so important to connect with where we are, who we are and just close your entire brain except for your senses. How are you? do you feel the ground what do you hear in the air what do you smell What can you see?”-Sarah Hyland
“I’m grateful to live in Colorado where I have nature at my back door,” adds the actress. “I can picture a really busy day with meetings and stuff and these computers and these devices. It’s great because we can get a lot done and really productive, but relaxing and stepping back takes a walk. I like to just go for a walk, and I like to meander through the trees or into an open field. I like feeling my feet on the ground. I like to lie on my back and look up and see the clouds floating. I like to absorb the energy of the earth into my body and vice versa.” —Hillary Swank
“I have my regular check-ups, they are on the calendar at least six months in advance. I eat very well. I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat a lot of good fish and very little meat. I eat amazing 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 veggies and make a green juice that is absolutely delicious and really helps maintain good skin, hair, and strong bones.”—Martha Stewart
Giving yourself grace and time to rest
“That little consent form — as soon as I saw it, I wrote ‘forgiveness’ because I need to work on that,” Phelps, who lives in Arizona, told Yahoo Life. “I need to be more myself. I have to take care of myself more often. Those little things, when you write that – when you write something down – it’s so much more powerful than we can even imagine.” —Michael Phelps
“Actually, I love saying no 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 about saying no: no to family, no to friends, no to a project, no to an opportunity… . If I don’t invest the time in my family or spend it wisely, then the answer is no.” —Eva Longoria
“I’d rather have one day off and one day crazy planned than two moderately planned days,” Parker says firmly. “If I enjoy the day off, I can reflect and [appreciate] the reward of a crazy day. I also like knowing what’s going on. A few years ago I started relying heavily on my calendar – so now I can prepare for the crazy day. I know it’s coming!” — candace parker
About the importance of mindset changes
“You have to be ready,” she says as she prepares for a match. “I’ve worked my whole life for these moments. … I’m not all successful, but at the end of the day I have to think I’m good enough.” — Serena Williams
“I can be overwhelmed, but I’m trying to remind myself that there are so many worse things in the world right now, and they’re small, tiny things that don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.” —Rachel Bilson
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