While it’s easy to feel very different and removed from them most days, celebrities do indeed deal with many of the same challenges as everyone else—including the need to stop and care for themselves so they can be better able to care for others. Below are some insights and advice from various celebrities to help you on your self-care journey while you serve as a caregiver.
“Especially with women, we are usually the caretakers of everyone except for ourselves. If I don’t take care of myself and I’m taking care of my daughter or my husband or whatever—I’m running on fumes. I have nothing left to give. Nothing. But when I take the time to take care of myself, to go to the doctor, go to a spa, get a deep tissue massage, get adjusted by chiropractor … I feel like I can face life with a renewed vigor and renewed passion.”
Viola Davis
“Over the years I’ve recognized something important: Whether it was going to the gym at the crack of dawn or finding an extra moment to unwind in my favorite chair, in order for me to be at my best for others around me, I needed to find some time for myself.”
Michelle Obama
“You’re not the first to go through it; you’re not going to be the last to go through it. And oftentimes – it happens – you just feel like you’re alone. You feel like it’s only you. You’re in your bubble. And I wish I had someone at that time who could just pull me aside and [say], ‘Hey, it’s gonna be OK. It’ll be OK.'”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
“It’s okay to do nothing if you can once in a while. It’s okay to not be perfect, to not get it all done… take care of yourself. Do what recharges you.”
Leah Remini
“Sometimes, when we’re feeling challenged in life, we feel a pull to isolate, and for me part of the joy of being a wife, a mother and in a cast of friends is allowing myself to be in spaces of love. So being open to that love. Then, for me, self-love is like: Am I sleeping enough? Eating well? Not: Am I eating well to be able to fit into my skinny jeans? But: Am I eating well to be healthy and strong? And to acknowledge the good because there is always a lot of good.”
Kerry Washington
“It’s not about perfection. It’s about purpose. We have to care about our bodies and what we put in them. Women have to take the time to focus on our mental health—take time for self, for the spiritual, without feeling guilty or selfish. The world will see you the way you see you, and treat you the way you treat yourself.”
Beyoncé
“Exercise helps make my body strong enough to do what I set my heart and mind to. I carry myself differently when I feel strong. I’ve always worked out and been active, and it’s one of the ways I care for myself, along with meditation, baths, eating beautiful things that make me happy, being silent, and being with friends and family. Self-care is one of the active ways that I love myself. When you can and as you can, in ways that feel loving, make time and space for yourself.”
Tracy Ellis Ross
“Maybe go outside for a few and feel the sunshine, or do a gorgeous mask, maybe treat yourself to the shoe you’ve been wanting. We have so much to rush for, so many things to fix and problems to solve; with all of that happening I’m trying to remind myself of self-care every day.”
Jonathan Van Ness
“I noticed every time I felt overwhelmed I would hold my breath. I had to learn to stop, relax and take long deep breaths, and within seconds I would feel more clear and ready to deal with the situation in a more loving way. Meditation also has been a wonderful tool. I notice that when I don’t take the time to do it, I am not as centered, patient or clear.”
Gisele Bündchen
“It is so important to take care of yourself. I drink a lot of water, eat mostly fresh fruit and vegetables, and do yoga once a week and go hiking every chance that I get. It is so important to take time for yourself and find clarity. The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself.”
Diane von Furstenberg
