Zendaya talks tackling anxiety: “I have to really be intentional about taking care of myself”

Zendaya is actively working on her ongoing anxiety, a struggle she speaks of during an interview with Vogue, and one many don’t know she deals with.

“I think sometimes people assume that because of what they see of me, maybe I’m a certain way. But when I’m not working, I tend to isolate myself. My therapist, family, and friends will tell me, ‘You need to get up and get out,’ and I never want to—but when I make myself do it, I realize it’s actually kind of nice. I’m less anxious,” she explains. “I have to really be intentional about taking care of myself. I’m learning to be more responsible for myself and for my own body and looking after it all.”

The actress currently tends to her mental health by walking her dog and completing little challenges she’s set for herself. “Sometimes it’s just getting out of bed, telling myself, ‘We’re facing the day: we’re taking a shower, we’re putting on real clothes, we’re seeing some sunshine,'” Zendaya says.

She’s also recently gotten into breathwork and meditation, noting, “I’ve been living on a set and working since I was a kid, but it’s never been something that was accessible to me. I was just going, going, going, going, going. I feel like I’ve been holding my breath for a very long time.”