Written by Amy Beecham
The singer expertly explained how the expectation to “be everything, for everyone, all the time” can lead to burnout.
Camila Cabello has opened up how the pressure to “be everything, for everyone, all the time” left her with crippling anxiety and her mental health at an “all time low”.
The singer was honoured on 5 May at Variety’s Power of Women event, presented for her charity work with the Movement Voter Fund to launch the Healing Justice Project.
In a candid declaration, she said at the height of her fame in girl group Fifth Harmony, she was silently struggling with “anxiety that at points felt crippling”.
Her struggles played out throughout her late teens and early twenties, where she shared her “mental health was at an all time low”.
“I didn’t have space for anything else because my own struggle to just be okay was consuming it all,” she shared.
After her mother encouraged her to seek therapy, she says the treatment that changed her life.
“Throughout my treatment, a lot of which happened during the pandemic and after, I discovered I suddenly had space for creativity again, for intimate friendships, for new hobbies, for activism. And those things made me feel more connected, grounded, and more myself than ever.
“I realised I can’t pour from an empty cup — I can’t be present for my career or my family or my community if I don’t find the space to heal myself. It was a difficult lesson to learn, because as women, we’re often expected to be everything, for everyone, all the time.”
Paying tribute to the women who “often feel the weight of the world on their shoulders, every day, organizers on the frontlines — especially women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and others with marginalized identities,” she said: “It’s often unrecognised, thankless work, and it comes with long hours, too few resources, and tons of emotional — and often traumatic — experiences.”
“My mental health journey showed me that no matter who you are, no matter how much you love what you do, you can’t keep going if you don’t have the resources, time, space and tools to heal. I realised the importance of taking care of myself, but even more so, I realised that I need to help others do the same…”
In the powerful speech, Cabello also took the opportunity to talk about the ongoing debate over abortion rights – after it was leaked earlier this week that the United States Supreme Court has privately voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, striking down the case that has guaranteed basic abortion rights in the US since 1973.
Describing it as a “moment when women’s rights in America face greater threats than at any time in the last 50 years,” Cabello noted: “We’re here together tonight not just to celebrate the power of women, but to strengthen it for the many fights ahead.”
“It’s atrocious,” she told the audience. “Obviously it’s going to affect poor women the most, because women that have resources – even like me – will be able to handle things if they’re needed. The idea of having one moment transform the course of a woman’s life is tragic. And it’s tragic [that] the people affected are not having a say.”
Calling for action, Cabello encouraged women to “get involved … voting at the local level so that we have state and local legislators that are representing our interest is really important. Obviously, donating can make a difference. And also being loud and angry about it.”
Images: Getty
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