Ellie Goulding is one pop star who radiates cool-girl vibes, so it's hard to imagine that the "Love Me Like You Do" singer has ever felt less than supremely confident. But we all know appearances can be deceiving — and celebrities are hardly immune to the self doubt that plagues so many of us, especially those with demanding careers. One of the reasons we may imagine stars as having the "perfect" life? The fact that not every famous person wants to talk about their struggles. That's why Goulding's new essay on Well And Good is a reminder that it's normal to face anxiety and stress — and to take steps to improve your mental health.
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In the essay, Goulding revealed that making her music dreams happen wasn't always the fairytale her fans may have assumed. She wrote:
"My life completely changed when my career started taking off in 2010. I was thrilled, of course — sharing my music with the world was a dream I’d been working toward for years — but it was a lot all at once. Suddenly, I was living alone in London and everything was happening so fast."
She added that things got particularly challenging when she began experiencing panic attacks. She pinpointed one reason why the seemingly random bouts of anxiety may have begun:
"I think part of what sparked my panic attacks was not feeling confident enough to believe in myself — I was scared I wasn’t as good of a singer as everyone thought I was. And as the stakes grew, I was afraid of letting everyone, including myself, down."
Goulding told the website that when she began kickboxing, the practice helped manage her anxiety, and that while she does feel "pangs...it's not as crippling as it used to be." It's awesome that the singer found something that worked for her.
Feeling out of control is never fun, especially when everyone around you wrongly assumes you've never been better. Goulding's reveal is a reminder that we really never know what's going on in someone else's life and mind — even the stars who always appear so put-together and glamorous.
If you are experiencing anxiety and are in need of crisis support, please call the Crisis Call Center’s 24-hour hotline at 1-775-784-8090.