'I Started To Say No': 12 Celebrity Women On How They Manage Stress

Stress is universal. Statistics Canada reports that 73 percent of all working adults aged 20 to 64 have reported some level of stress. (In this regard, celebrities are #JustLikeUs.) We all need to find a way to cope — and what works for one person might not be the solution for another. From running to deep breathing to dancing with dogs, here’s what 12 celebs do to manage the stress in their lives.

Gina Rodriguez: Focus on the moment

“Stress/worry are brought on by your brilliant brain. If you are doing either you aren’t being present. Focus on studying not the outcome,” Twitter, 2017.

Demi Lovato: Express yourself

“Exercising is [one] way I deal with anxiety. Painting, and writing music and expressing myself through art are other ways that I can release emotions. Meditation is another one. Whatever it is, it’s important to find what works for you,” Women's Health, 2017. 

Giada De Laurentiis: Take a deep breath

“I do a deep-breathing exercise. It’s the closest I can get to meditating! I lay on my back with my hands by my sides with my knees bent, then take deep breaths in and out while counting to 10,” The Chalkboard Mag, 2016.

Christina Ricci: Go ahead, be goofy

“I put on music and dance with my dogs, which is quite embarrassing and I try not to get caught by anybody,” Redbook Mag.

Janelle Monae: Find your centre

“Before I go out of the house, I’m like, ‘Am I centered? Am I grounded?’ You know, ‘How am I feeling? Let me check in with my feelings.’ Those are the most valuable things: Your peace, your kindness, your love, your confidence, your intelligence, all those things are things that you can’t quantify and also things you can’t touch. You can pack them up — not in a suitcase — you can pack them in your body, and that’s what I do,” The New York Times, 2018.

Adele: Channel Beyoncé

Adele’s known for her extreme stage fright and performance anxiety. Once in Amsterdam, she said she was so nervous that she escaped from the fire exit, and even projectile vomited on someone in Brussels. But, she’s developed a secret weapon whenever she needs a burst of confidence — Sasha Carter. A composite of Beyoncé’s Sasha Fierce and June Carter: “I was about to meet Beyoncé and I had a full-blown anxiety attack. Then she popped in looking gorgeous, and said, ‘You’re amazing! When I listen to you I feel like I’m listening to God.’ Can you believe she said that?...[later], I went out on the balcony crying hysterically, and I said, ‘What would Sasha Fierce do?’ That’s when Sasha Carter was born,” Rolling Stone, 2011.

Lady Gaga: Just say no

“I started to say no. ‘I’m not doing that.’ ‘I don’t want to do that.’ ‘I’m not taking that picture, I’m not going to that event, I’m not standing by that because that's not what I stand for.' And slowly but surely, I remembered who I am. And then you go home, and you look in the mirror, and you're like, ‘Yes. I can go to bed with you every night. Because that person, I know that person. That person has balls, that person has integrity, that person has an opinion. That person just doesn’t say yes,’” Emotion Revolution summit, October 2015

Tessa Virtue: Hug it out

“In stressful situations it’s nice to feel you’re in control of something. Now, Scott and I talk through our program bit by bit, sharing verbal cues and focuses, and we hug! The hug allows us to synchronize our breathing, and ensures connectivity and unison,” HELLO Magazine, 2018.

Shonda Rhimes: Close up shop

“I do not answer phone calls or emails after 7 p.m. I do not work on the weekends, which I have to tell you is incredibly difficult. I mean, I write. I just don’t answer phone calls or emails,” Fast Company, 2016.

Mindy Kaling: Get sweaty

“I love exercise, but not for weight-loss reasons (I eat far too much for working out to make a dent in my weight!). I do it because I love the endorphins I get once I work out. So I try to get an endorphin rush before something I’m nervous about by going for a run,” POPSUGAR, 2018.

Meghan Markle: Take an hour to decompress

“I give myself the luxury of downtime. We are all so incredibly busy and juggling so many things but I always take an hour to just decompress, watch mindless TV, snuggle with my dogs and enjoy a glass of wine. That’s all part of the investment. It’s a balance,” Women's Health, 2018. 

Manjit Minha: It’s OK to vent

“When I’m stressed, I’m not so nice. But I don’t think many people have seen that part of me because I do handle stress in a very controlled way. I don’t like to take on too many things. I do have a nice outlet when it comes to being stressful and it’s usually my brother and a 10-minute conversation when I can call, I can vent about the things I’m frustrated about and I just sometimes need somebody to hear it, sometimes for some feedback,” True Calling Media, 2017.