Prioritizing Your Mental Health
- Singer Shawn Mendes, 24, has struggled with mental health challenges.
- When things get “intense” for him, he said he takes time to rest and go into nature – two things that are life-changing when he’s having bad anxiety.
- Prioritizing your mental health is so important, especially if you’re going through a health challenge like cancer.
- Seeking professional help if you are struggling, trying therapy, seeking medication, making lifestyle changes and practicing mindfulness/meditation are ways to cope.
- Try not to bottle your emotions. One cancer survivor told us, “If you keep all of the emotions in, the way I see it, is that stuff is going to eat you up inside.”
Mendes has achieved a lot of success in his 24 years of life. His rise to fame began at 15 when his first release, “Life Of The Party” made him the youngest artist with a debut single in the Top 25, and now he’s a certified star.
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“Honestly sometimes when i'm having bad anxiety doing things like Meditation, journaling & breath work feels really hard to do,” he recently wrote on Instagram. “Sometimes i just need REST & go into nature for a little bit.
“i've found my spots around town that i can escape to for an hour or so when things feel intense & it's really changed my life. Nature kinda effortlessly heals us 💙🌳🌿 i hope you're doing okay #mentalhealthmonth”
Shawn Mendes Talks Mental Health
Shawn Mendes has always been bravely vocal about his mental health struggles. Just last summer, he stepped away from his Wonder tour just one week in to focus on his mental health.
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"After speaking more with my team and working with an incredible group of health professionals, it has become more clear that I need to take the time I've never taken personally, to ground myself and come back stronger," he wrote on Instagram in July 2022. “I promise I will be back as soon as I’ve taken the right time to heal.”
Expert Mental Health Resources
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Thankfully, Mendes has seemingly been doing much better since then. He’s done a lot of therapy, leaned on people for help and established boundaries within relationships.
Feeling grateful for how "accepting and loving" people have been during his struggles, Mendes said he was ready to start making some songs.
“The last year and a half has been the most eye-opening and growing and beautiful and just healing process of my life,” he said in February 2023. "It just really made me see how culture is really starting to get to a place where mental health is really becoming a priority."
Taking Care of Your Mental Health
Your mental well-being is an important part of your overall health. So, it’s crucial for people to look inward and pay attention to how they’re feeling.
"If we can combine our actions in the world with reflective self inquiry, love and compassion, and a state of secure, stable, ornamental, peaceful being without the addictions that humans have, then we can begin our journey of healing," Dr. Deepak Chopra, pioneer of the mindfulness movement, told SurvivorNet.
But doing so is often easier said than done, and sometimes you need help. The National Institute of Mental Health says you should seek a professional help if you are experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted two weeks or more, such as:
- Trouble sleeping
- Changes in appetite
- Struggling to leave bed in the morning because of your mood
- Trouble concentrating
- Loss of interest in things you normally enjoy
- Inability to perform normal daily functions and responsibilities
The National Institute of Mental Health also emphasizes the role of self-care in maintaining your mental health. They advice people to try to make the following acts of self-care a part of their daily lives:
- Regularly exercising
- Eating healthy, regular meals
- Staying hydrated
- Prioritizing sleep
- Exploring relaxation programs or techniques
- Setting goals/priorities
- Staying positive
- Connecting with others
Aside from changing lifestyle habits, others mental health treatments can include talk therapy, medications and support groups, among other things. No matter what, know there are people out there who can you and it’s okay to let out your feelings. Take it from cancer survivor Evelyn Reyes-Beato.
"You have to let it out," she says. "Your mental and your emotional help your psychical get in line. If you keep all of the emotions in, the way I see it, is that stuff is going to eat you up inside and it's not going to let you heal."
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