We’d like to make one thing abundantly clear: There is nothing wrong, shameful, or embarrassing about taking time off for your mental health.
About 1 in 5 adult Americans struggle with mental health conditions each year, per the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). That’s approximately 43.8 million people. Despite their prevalence, mental health issues are still highly stigmatized in our modern world. These negative cultural attitudes, coupled with our country’s inequitable, bias-ridden healthcare infrastructure, cause many people to delay seeking treatment — or worse, push through their symptoms to point of exhaustion, burnout, or breakdowns.
Hence the importance of taking mental-health breaks. Even a day or two can do wonders for a person who’s experiencing depression, anxiety, or any mental illness that affects their ability to function normally.
If you have the resources to comfortably take time off for your mental health, consider doing so. This applies even if you aren’t experiencing an acute mental-health crisis. In fact, tools like therapy are often particularly effective even when you aren’t in crisis mode.
But don’t just take it from us. Below, read up on nine celebrities who have spoken out about taking time off to prioritize their mental health, from former royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, to Game of Thrones star Kit Harington, to singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle
Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle, a.k.a. the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have long had a complicated relationship with the British monarchy. In February 2020, after taking an extended break, the couple formally stepped down from their positions as working royals, per People.
Later, in their tell-all 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan and Harry spoke candidly about the intense pressures they faced during their time as royals. Both parties expressed feeling “trapped” in an outdated institution. In her darkest moments, Meghan even experienced suicidal ideation.
“I was ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry. But I knew that if I didn’t say it — then I would do it. I just didn’t want to be alive anymore,” she shared. She contacted the royal palace about seeking mental-health treatment and was told there was “nothing [they] could do to protect [her]” because she wasn’t a paid employee.
These negative experiences all informed Meghan and Harry’s decision to step away from the monarchy — and later, to leave it altogether.
Chrissy Teigen
In 2020, Chrissy Teigen took a hiatus from social media after her therapist suggested it. At the time, posting on her socials was a huge part of her job as an author and media mogul.
“I’m barely online anymore, and that was at the request of my therapist,” she told Marie Claire during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “People think I’m tough, but I’m such an empath, and I take on other people’s pain and sadness as my own. And when I let people down, I’m hyperaware of it. Sometimes I feel like people aren’t going to be as hard on me as I am on myself. So it’s good for me to take a break.”
She’s since returned to social media, sharing photos of her family and her recipes to her 42.3 millon Instagram followers.
Kit Harington
Although Game of Thrones made Kit Harington a star, the project wasn’t great for his psyche.
“I went through some mental health difficulties after Thrones, and during the end of Thrones, to be honest,” the English actor said in a podcast interview in 2021, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I think it was directly due to the [violent] nature of the show and what I had been doing for years.”
After the popular series concluded in 2019, Harington opted to take a year off from acting to look after himself. He checked himself into rehab, got sober, and addressed his mental health struggles — all decisions he later said he was “really happy” he’d made.
Shawn Mendes
In 2022, Shawn Mendes canceled the remaining dates of his Wonder world tour, citing his mental wellbeing. “The truth is that even with so much success I still find it hard to feel like I’m not failing,” the singer-songwriter confessed in a candid tweet. “The truth is I’m overwhelmed and overstimulated.”
Reflecting on the “very difficult decision” in 2023, Mendes was ultimately happy with his choice.
“I think the last year and a half has been the most eye-opening and growing and beautiful and just healing process of my life,” he told WSJ. Magazine. “I’m also really grateful for all the people that were so accepting and loving and kind and understanding. And it just really made me see how culture is really starting to get to a place where mental health is really becoming a priority.”
Selena Gomez
In 2016, Selena Gomez canceled her Revival World Tour to focus on her mental and physical health. At the time, she was battling “anxiety, panic attacks, and depression” as a result of her struggle with lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease.
“I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off,” she said in a statement. “Thank you to all my fans for your support. … I know I am not alone by sharing this, I hope others will be encouraged to address their own issues.”
Gomez has continued to be a vocal advocate for mental health awareness, speaking publicly about everything from her bipolar disorder diagnosis to her body image struggles. She’s also taken social media breaks on and off.
Simone Biles
Champion gymnast Simone Biles surprised the world in 2021 by withdrawing from the women’s team events at the Tokyo Olympics. She felt incredibly stressed, both by the high-stakes nature of her job and by ongoing pandemic-related lockdowns.
“Today was really stressful,” she told TIME magazine at the time. “The workout this morning went okay, it was just the 5.5 hour wait — I was shaking, and barely napped. I’ve never felt like this going into a competition before. I tried to go out, have fun and after warming up in the back I felt a little better, but once I came out here, I felt, no, the mental is not there. I need to let the girls do it and focus on myself.”
Gabby Douglas
In 2022, fellow gymnast Gabby Douglas stepped back from social media to work on herself and “focus on [her] mental health.”
“My life has never been smooth or easy. I have carried a heavy weight on my back for quite some time, and it has weighed me down, physically, mentally, and emotionally,” she wrote in an emotional post to her 1.4 million Instagram followers. “So many things and people have tried to crush and break me. I refuse to be defeated by this weight, I refuse to be hardened by this weight. I want to feel light and happy again.”
Tom Holland
Spider-Man star Tom Holland announced that he was taking a social media hiatus in 2022.
“I have taken a break from social media for my mental health, because I find Instagram and Twitter to be overstimulating, to be overwhelming,” he said, per Variety. “I get caught up and I spiral when I read things about me online. And ultimately, it’s very detrimental to my mental state.”
Ariana Grande
In 2017, an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, U.K. was the site of deadly terrorist attack. The horrific incident traumatized Grande and her fans alike, and the singer-songwriter opted to cancel a number of subsequent shows for her safety and mental health.
After some much-needed time off, she resumed the tour. “First show back tonight. Thinking of our angels every step of the way,” she wrote at the time, per Entertainment Tonight. “I love you with all my heart. Grateful for and incredibly proud of my band, dancers and entire crew. I love you I love you.”
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