Halle Bailey is about to be everywhere when the live-action version of The Little Mermaid comes out in May. She’s received a lot of support, but also a lot of racist vitriol since her casting because apparently mythical mermaids cannot be imagined as Black. Anyway, Halle caught up with Yahoo! Life for their series, “The Unwind,” about well-being and mental health. She shared a bit about her difficulties during the early stages of her career and how she learned to cope, which has helped her more recently.
As grateful as she is for the continued support she has received from her fans, Bailey is in the process of setting boundaries surrounding matters outside of her craft.
“It’s definitely been a learning experience for me. And the beautiful people that have supported me and stuck with me for a very long time, can continue to support what I do publicly in my business affairs, and I really appreciate that, but everything else is my business. And I have to make that priority,” she says.
In terms of managing her own mental health, Bailey has found solace in an unexpected craft.
“I like making jewelry. I make bracelets, beaded bracelets and earrings. It’s really calming for me,” she says.
She has also found getting out in nature to be a great form of self-regulation and a reminder of what’s truly important.
“I find that when the world gets overwhelming, or hectic, I’ll go to the beach, or I’ll go hiking, or I’ll just put my feet in the grass. And I’ll just remember that all of this is amazing. But none of it really matters. I’m just here to just give back this gift that I’ve been given,” she says.
Of course, she’d be remiss not to mention her first true love — music — as a means to cope with heavy feelings.
“Making music is like a really big therapy for me. Just to get out everything I’m feeling. [It] has been since I was younger. It’s one of my favorite ways to communicate and just get out everything on a page,” she says.
But even with all the tools in the world, Bailey knows that low moments are often inevitable, and she has no problem opening up about not feeling 100% all the time.
“I’m at like a seven and a half, eight, mentally. And that’s like, you know, a good day, because especially when you’re moving super fast and busy all the time, schedules get crazy and hectic, it’s hard sometimes to really check on how you’re doing mentally,” she says.
I really like that Halle listed a few things that help her manage her mental health. I feel like sometimes the suggestions for taking a beat and taking care of yourself are sometimes pretty limited and focused on exercise and sleep and the like. And those don’t always work for everyone. Halle’s suggestions show that there are other things you can do to calm and center yourself, even though what works for one person may not work for everyone. Sometimes it’s keeping your hands busy or having a change of scenery. I definitely do the getting outside thing — I wish I had easy beach access, but I settle for my running path in the woods or walks by the river. I have been in the market for more of a busy hands hobby though, and I’m no artist, so her beaded jewelry-making sounds good to me. Fun and like it generates a cute and wearable result. It would be funny if Halle ended up having a secret Etsy shop with all her creations.
i’m so excited to be a gucci girl 🥰♥️debuting a new campaign for the iconic Gucci Horsebit 1955 handbag #GucciHorsebit1955 pic.twitter.com/JlIdPPJdla
— Halle (@HalleBailey) March 23, 2023
Photos credit: Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com, Getty and via Instagram and Twitter
I just saw a video of her holding and hugging one of her fans at Disney world and she genuinely looked and sounded like a Disney Princess. She seems so sweet, I hope this world doesn’t dull her shine.
That video made my whole week! Especially since a toddler latching on to you like that is just the cutest thing in the WORLD and then also because it is always my fave when you see kids who are clearly excited to see Disney Princesses who look like them.
Crafts, jewelry making, drawing, sculpting, painting, LEGOs, gardening are all fabulous outlets for bringing calm and releasing stress.
I’ve recently started learning to crochet. It’s a great busy hands activity and can be addictive – like just one more row then I’ll stop (turns and keeps going). I started with some woobles kits after Christmas bc they have training videos and have also made a ninja mask for my daughter and working on a blanket now. It’s fun to go look at all the pretty yarn too. I’ve also made a blanket with a loom which is super mindless
She’s an absolute doll!
I cannot wait for Little Mermaid. My parents took me to see the first animated film when I was little and bought me the vhs so I could watch it over and over again.
I already have a date with them to go see this version when it’s released.
I do adult coloring which is fantastic for my ADHD/anxiety because it is just engaging enough to keep be interested but still doesn’t require much skill or time investment.
I’m about to take a somewhat more in-depth intro to pottery course because I have a bit more space in our new place than I used to and I thought pottery would be another craft I could really get into.