Ryan Reynolds is “not always great” at managing his mental health. The 46-year-old actor admitted he sometimes feels like he’s spinning “out of control,” and his ability to deal with it depends on the moment.
Appearing at the annual Revels and Revelations Gala for Bring Change to Mind – a mental health nonprofit founded by Glenn Close – he was asked how he is at managing his own mental health. He told PageSix: “Not always great, to be honest.
“I certainly have my own little rituals and those kinds of things that help me stay grounded and keep my mind from spinning out of control…Sometimes I’m really good at it, sometimes I’m not.” The ‘Deadpool’ star explained that he focuses on meditation as a way to “take time” for himself.
He added: “I tend to overbook myself when I’m spiraling that way. I’m sort of aware of that stuff, and I manage it as well as you can.” In the past, Ryan has been candid about his struggles with anxiety, which he has dealt with since childhood.
He previously told ‘CBS Sunday Mornings’: “I’ve had anxiety my whole life really. And you know, I feel like I have two parts of my personality, one takes over when that happens.” He explained that the confident and outgoing persona people are used to seeing on screen is a sudden shift from his actual self.
He said: “When I would go out on, like, Letterman, back in the day, I was nervous. But I remember I’d be standing backstage before the curtain would open, and I would think to myself, ‘I’m gonna die. I’m literally gonna die here. The curtain’s gonna open and I’m just gonna be, I’m just gonna be a symphony of vomit,’ just, like, something horrible’s gonna happen!
“But as soon as that curtain opens — and this happens in my work a lot too — it’s like this little guy takes over. And he’s like, ‘I got this. You’re cool.’
“I feel, like, my heart rate drop, and my breathing calm, and I just sort of go out, and I’m this different person. And I leave that interview going, ‘God, I’d love to be that guy!’ “