‘To my younger self’: Kristen Bell’s advice on how to deal with anxiety

Kristen Bell has always been open about her struggle with mental health. 

Having previously spoken publicly about the depression she suffered as a teenager and the ongoing battles that followed, the actress is determined to break the stigma that surrounds the issue. 

In a new video for the Child Mind Institute, the 37-year-old shared the advice she would have given to her younger self. 

“What I would say to my younger self is don’t be fooled by this game of perfection that humans play,” she said. 

“Because Instagram and magazines and TV shows, they strive for a certain aesthetic, everything looks so beautiful, and people seem like they don’t have problems, but everyone’s human.”

She went on to stress the importance of self-love and care, even when we are at our lowest points. 

“You deserve to feel just as beautiful on the days you wear no makeup, and the days you don’t shower, and the days you feel like you’re depressed,” she said. 

“You have an obligation to take care of yourself from the inside out, because that’s how you can truly feel beautiful.”

Urging those suffering with mental health issues to seek help, Kristen assured viewers that they are never alone. 

“There are resources out there, if you’re feeling anxious, of people to talk to and doctors to interact with and there are tons of solutions out there for you,” she said. 

“You are not alone. Never feel embarrassed or ashamed about who you are.

“Never feel embarrassed or ashamed about the uniqueness that is you, because there are people out there to help and we’re all just human, and you can do it.”