Kristen Bell rightfully likes to keep some aspects of her life private. For example pictures of her kids - private, as for their bathing habits… not so much. Likewise, when it comes to sharing advice and details about her mental health journey, Kristen is an open book, and for that matter thoroughly advises for all to talk about their own as well.
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Whether it be when she’s at home with her family or working on one of her many projects, Kristen has ways of managing her anxiety and depression whenever it creeps up, which she detailed in a new interview with CNBC.
"I don't wait for those things to find me," she told the outlet. "I have a preoperative list to combat them because I know they're coming.”
During a past interview with Self Magazine, the Veronica Mars actress admitted she struggled to manage her anxiety and depression, both at home and in the workplace, ever her college days at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her first attempt at aiding it was by taking medication to help her deal. Which she further detailed in an op-ed for Time titled, “I’m Over Staying Silent About Depression,” in which she related her struggles to “dark clouds” hanging over her.
In the years since, Kristen has become an advocate for mental health transparency across, encouraging people to get mental health check-ins and open up about their struggles, which she, along with her husband Dax Shepard often do.
These days, as Kristen revealed, she deals with things differently. When she's struggling with her mental health, she turns to three things: exercise, talking about it and giving herself a timeout.
Exercise
Specifically for her mental health, Bell says she works out a couple of days a week. Typically, comprise of a combination of cardio, circuit training and Pilates.
“I notice a big difference when I do and when I don’t,” she wrote in an Instagram post last year. “When I don’t, I’m sad, irritable, anxious and lethargic. When I do, I’m content, motivated, peaceful and energetic.”
Talking about it
It took years for Kristen to be comfortable enough to open up about her mental health — fearing, she says, what other people would think of her.
“Now, after seeking help, I can see that those thoughts, of course, couldn’t have been more wrong,” Bell wrote in Time. “It’s important for me to be candid about this so people in a similar situation can realize that they are not worthless and that they do have something to offer.”
Now when speaking to CNBC her outlook is much different. “It's important to remember those feelings that you are having aren't 'your feelings,' but rather 'a feeling that is passing through you,'" she expressed. "Sometimes, with a mental health issue, you just got to let them live.”
Giving herself a timeout
Bell explained that when a stressful event starts to arise — whether it be when at work or at home with her family during, she immediately sets aside time for herself.
"I will go to my bedroom for 10 minutes, just to reset and regulate,” she shared. During which she revealed she'll sometimes use CBD-infused products to help relax her even more.
Additionally, Kristen revealed that she uses the same technique if she's on a work Zoom call, and will sign off early to recharge. "You don't have to give a reason," the actress simply put it, noting that it's the same concept as "putting on your gas mask first, and not being embarrassed about that."
Likewise to the second out Kristen’s three strategies, Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-273-8255.