“3 things I learned when I signed up to Selena Gomez’s new mental health newsletter”

Selena Gomez’s new mental health newsletter is an honest and accessible source of information, writes Stylist’s Lauren Geall.

Selena Gomez isn’t one to shy away from conversations about mental health. Whether she’s sharing her tried-and-tested tips for anxiety or speaking out about her bipolar disorder diagnosis, Gomez is passionate about normalising discussion and making space for others to share their own experiences.

So, we weren’t surprised to learn that her latest venture – after the successful launch of Rare Beauty, of course – was mental health-related. 

Founded in partnership with her mum, Mandy Teefey (who was also the executive producer on 13 Reasons Why), and Newsette co-founder Daniella Pierson, Wondermind is a ‘mental fitness’ brand designed to help people take control of their wellbeing.

The brand is currently getting ready to release a podcast, but as stands, its main selling point is its free email newsletter, which delivers expert-led mental health advice straight to your inbox. Intrigued, I decided to sign-up to see what it was like – and over a week of emails later, I’m impressed.  

Wondermind’s website says the emails should arrive in your inbox daily, but so far I’ve only received three emails – on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each of the emails is split into a couple of sections, including segments for interviews, snippets of advice and mental health news.

As someone who writes about mental health for a living, I was also pleasantly surprised by how many new techniques I learned from the newsletter, especially because it’s all backed up by professionals.

So, to give you a taste of the kind of stuff you can expect when you sign up to Wondermind, I thought I’d share three of the things I’ve picked up from the newsletter so far.  

1. Reframing gratitude 

Using a gratitude prompt can make it easier to get started.

Practising gratitude has proven benefits for our mental health – but sitting down and trying to come up with all the things you’re thankful for without any prompt can be harder than you might think. As such, I loved the simplicity of the gratitude prompt in one of Wondermind’s first newsletters.

“Take a minute to appreciate the things that don’t need to be fixed or solved in your life,” it read. “Write them down for a little gratitude practice.”

While it’s nothing fancy, thinking about the things that don’t need to be fixed is a great way to shift your thinking towards the things that are going right in your life. It’s all too easy to get caught up on the negatives – but taking some time to reflect on a prompt like this can make a real difference. 

2. Dealing with unavoidable stress

Every once in a while, you come face-to-face with one of those big, overwhelming tasks that are completely unavoidable, like moving house or sorting out your taxes. However just because they seem stressful, it doesn’t mean they have to leave you feeling burnt out.

“All life transitions cause stress, so if you’re feeling anxious or irritable or you’re losing sleep, keep in mind that these are totally understandable reactions to what you’re going through,” Emily Hu, a licensed clinical psychologist at Thrive Psychology in Los Angeles, California, explained in a recent edition of Wondermind.

“Still, you can make big moments like this easier to navigate (logistically and emotionally) by pacing yourself. Try breaking down everything that needs to get done into smaller, more doable chunks. Then pick one or two tasks to focus on each day.” 

Hu continues: “For instance, if you’re moving, maybe day one is finding a moving company, day two is about gathering supplies, day three is about tackling the black hole that is your closet, and so on. Or if you just started a new job, try picking one or two responsibilities to master each week – or asking your boss for a list of priorities so you know what to handle first.

“You’ll feel much less overwhelmed when you can focus on one thing at a time, rather than thinking about everything that’s ahead of you.” 

3. Fighting perfectionism 

Taking time to challenge any perfectionist thoughts can help you feel less stressed out.

If you’re a perfectionist, you’ll know how easy it is to let your toxic habit take control of your thoughts before you even realise it. As such, making a conscious effort to challenge the urge to make things ‘perfect’ is incredibly important – and that’s where a recent question in Wondermind comes in.

Included as part of the email’s ‘think on this’ section, the prompt read: “What’s something that doesn’t have to be perfect today? Your outfit, how many ounces of water you drink and your response to that very attractive person you just matched with on a dating app are all acceptable answers.”

It’s a great way to start unpicking your perfectionism because it’s not forcing you to let go of every perfectionistic urge you have – instead, it just gives you space to challenge some of the thoughts that might be contributing to your stress and anxiety levels. 

You can sign up to Wondermind on the website.

Images: Getty

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