A celebrity may project an image of success and control, living an enviable lifestyle in the mainstream media. But even some global superstars, models, actors and sporting heroes suffer anxiety. They’re only people, after all.
Here are just a few famous names explaining what helps when they feel anxious.
1) Singer Adele always seems perfectly composed on stage, however she has suffered anxiety. “I’m scared of audiences,” she said. “One show in Amsterdam I was so nervous, I escaped out the fire exit. I’ve thrown up a couple of times. Once in Brussels, I projectile vomited on someone. I just gotta bear it. But I don’t like touring. I have anxiety attacks a lot.”
In a moment of fear, Adele asked herself, ” ’What would [Beyoncé’s alter ego] Sasha Fierce do?’ That’s when Sasha Carter was born.” It was a combination of Sasha Fierce country singer June Carter and Adele channels this whenever she needs to summon her courage and confidence. Who could you channel to give you strength and confidence when you need it most?
2) Lena Durnhan sings the praises of exercise for tackling anxiety. ‘It ain’t about the ass, it’s about the brain,‘ she wrote on social media recently. She continued ‘To those struggling with anxiety, OCD, depression: I know it’s mad annoying when people tell you to exercise, and it took me about 16 medicated years to listen. I’m glad I did.’
3) Jemma Kidd, make-up artist and sister to supermodel Jodie Kidd recommends distracting yourself when you start to feel anxious. ‘If I was driving and felt anxious, I turned the music up loud and sang along. If I was at a dinner party and thought I might have a panic attack, I turned to the person next to me and really concentrated on what they were saying.’
4) Actress Emma Stone has gone on the record about her anxiety issues, saying that she used to suffer panic attacks from a young age and was scared of ‘failing’. She says she used acting to ‘give her a sense of purpose’. She also recommends baking to help with anxiety; stating that it helped her to regain a sense of control, knowing that she could control how the cakes came out.
5) Amanda Seyfried takes time out of her schedule to take it easy and tries to focus on the positive things in her life to help her to manage anxiety and panic attacks. She also credits painting as helping her to relax and unwind.
6) Jennifer Lawrence has talked about her social anxiety issues claiming that acting helped her to feel ”capable whereas before I felt good for nothing”. Finding what you’re good at and what you love doing, like Jennifer did, could be a big help.
7) David Beckham says he plays with lego to calm himself down and control his anxiety, saying he find it ‘very therapeutic’. Anything carefree and childlike could help, or just something that engages your attention and distracts you away from anxiety.
8) Youtube star Zoella has often vlogged about her experiences with anxiety and works with the mental health charity MIND. She reminds everyone that they should ”feel ok to speak out, to talk to friends and family about what they’re going through, to ask for help”. Anxiety is extremely common but it’s not often talked about and reaching out to a friend or family member can really help.
People can appear very confident while feeling anxious or shy on the inside.
Check out some more anxiety tips, techniques and advice here on myndworks instagram page.
If you suffer with overwhelming anxiety and negative thoughts, book a free consultation and let me show you how to reduce and remove the burden.