Selena Gomez is launching a mental health fitness site and media company called Wondermind. She co-founded it along with her mother, Mandy Teefey, and Daniella Pierson, a young entrepreneur and founder of The Newsette. Daniella interviewed Mandy and Selena over Zoom in 2020. Their conversation got deep and they connected, eventually forming this partnership. It sounds like the site will be free and that they’ll make money with corporate sponsorships and media deals, which is smart. I signed up for their email list as they sold me on the idea of mental health as something you practice daily, like exercise. It reminded me of how Jewel frames mental health, which resonated with me.
Selena recorded a recent video for Instagram where she answered the question “how do you take care of your mind.” She was a little nervous when she first started talking, which was endearing. She’s an actress but it felt raw like it was hard for her to open up. Selena has been open about seeking treatment for mental health and she’s taken repeated long breaks from social media because of how it affects her. It must have been hard for her to share this. Here’s what she said:
Question: “How do you take care of your mind?”
“Sometimes I’m not good at it. It just happens where I’ll wake up and I just struggle maybe sometimes just getting out of bed. What helps me, first and foremost, just picking up the phone and calling someone. I constantly try to fill myself of knowledge of what it is that I’m feeling and triggers that happen to me. What really helps me understand myself a bit more is that I can take a step back and think of all the tools I’ve learned and try to implement them in my everyday life. Also I suggest working out. I hate working out it is not fun, but I’ve been doing intense boxing classes recently and it has helped me get frustration [and] energy out. It feels so good.
[From Wondermind’s Instagram via People]
I went to some Zoom therapy sessions over the past few months to help with my anxiety. The tools and worksheets he gave me were so helpful at managing my anxiety, particularly my self talk and how I framed situations. It seemed deceptively simple, but I never would have found those resources on my own. This video from Selena is making me interested in trying out Wondermind when it’s available. Especially since it’s free and therapy costs $170 a session. It’s so expensive and should be more accessible. Also I love exercise and find it weird when people say they hate it. It’s true that it helps reset everything like she mentioned. Also taking a shower, doing my hair and makeup and getting dressed always helps me feel better.
This video from Selena also reminded me that she’s rumored to be dating Chris Evans. There’s only very scant circumstantial evidence of that or we would have covered it. Chris has been open about his anxiety for years and Selena is similarly vulnerable with the press. They’ve both struggled with mental health and are brave enough to admit that and to share what works for them. Now I’m kind of shipping them!
The whole Selena/Evans thing has been completely made up by fans.
They used old random pap photos and said they left the same place, and are seeing things on their SM that aren’t there.
It’s creepy how far some fans are taking these things and that other sites are writing about it like it’s facts. So many gossip sites fell for the fake pap sightings.
Life is already so hard and I can totally understand that being in the public eye can make it even worse for your mental health. Good for Selena for trying to help herself and others.
I just saw stuff about this on Instagram and I thought ” This is hijacking part of these peoples lives.” This is clearly a made up relationship for the fun of it. So creepy.
This initiative is a great idea and an important one for the community as a whole. Also, Selena’s cat eye in that photo is **chefs kiss** perfect.
I get saying two celebs would make a cute couple, but this is too much. What made it even worse as that so many websites spread it. Since when do fan accounts get exclusive pap pics?! I mean, c’mon!
Yes, the idea is great and I’m happy that it’s becoming more and more normal to talk about mental health! It wasn’t really when I was a teenager and that didn’t help my situation at all.
This sounds like a wonderful initiative and I’ll definitely be signing up — thank you for sharing!
2021 has been a rough year for me mentally. I was honestly doing great in 2020 — fortunate to be able to work from home, fortunate that my loved ones were healthy, and a super-introvert, so I thrived with all that time at home and felt like I reached a wonderful place mentally. But the social pressure to “get back to normal” in 2021 has wreaked havoc on my brain. I’ve only started to come out of my mental slump in the past month or so, and yes, things like yoga keep me on the right track. So Wondermind sounds like a fantastic resource!
Eh… I dunno. I love that it’s free, but what if you don’t have anyone around you that’s truly “receptive” to that type of call and will pick up the phone and be a comfort to you more than once?
@Case. I feel the exact same way. And we’re not back to any kind of normal (in the U.S.). I’ve been trying to exercise more, drink less wine but it’s challenging. I still can’t attend any get together where there are more than 5 people.
This is wonderful!