Beyoncé Opened Up About Her Journey to Realizing “Mental Health Is Self-Care Too”
"I felt as a young Black woman that I couldn't mess up."
In a new feature for Harper’s Bazaar, the one and only Beyoncé shared details about her journey from pre-teen member of the beloved girl group Destiny’s Child to one of the most influential women in both music and the world.
“I felt as a young Black woman that I couldn’t mess up,” she recalled in the interview published August 10th. “I felt the pressure from the outside and their eyes watching for me to trip or fail. I couldn’t let my family down after all the sacrifices they made for me and the girls.”
Now, as she approaches her 40th birthday, Queen Bey hasn’t slowed down—but she has made her mental health a priority, which wasn’t always the case.
“I think like many women, I have felt the pressure of being the backbone of my family and my company and didn’t realize how much that takes a toll on my mental and physical well-being,” Beyoncé told Harper’s.
Years of touring and performing in heels, heavy makeup, and perfectly styled hair has put stress on her muscles, skin, hair, and mind. Beyoncé has dealt with insomnia for years and said that she used to mistakenly think dieting and over-exercising were forms of self-care. Today, the 28-time Grammy winner focuses on rituals that improve her peace of mind.
“Mental health is self-care too. I’m learning to break the cycle of poor health and neglect, focusing my energy on my body and taking note of the subtle signs that it gives me,” Beyoncé said. “Your body tells you everything you need to know, but I’ve had to learn to listen. It’s a process to change habits and look past the bag of chips and the chaos everywhere!”
Leading by example, Beyoncé is already teaching her three children the importance of self-care rituals. In addition to using CBD to help with her anxiety and insomnia, she has also discovered that honey has healing properties that benefit both she and her children.
“I’m building a hemp and a honey farm. I’ve even got hives on my roof! And I’m so happy that my daughters will have the example of those rituals from me,” she said.
As an example, Beyoncé shared one of her most satisfying moments as a mom: finding 9-year-old Blue Ivy relaxing in a bath using blends created by Queen Bey and “taking time for herself to decompress and be at peace.”
