Shawn Mendes Opens Up About His Mental Health Journey

Shawn Mendes discussed what has helped “ease the pain” of his anxiety over the last year, as well as how he’s learned to “welcome the lows of life” while dealing with mental health issues.

While ringing in the new year, the “Mercy” singer thought on some of the hardships he experienced in 2023 and the lessons he learnt.

“The biggest lesson for me this year has been to accept and welcome the lows of life,” Shawn said in an Instagram post on Jan. 1, “not to constantly need to change or fix something in order to feel high again, because i know if i really slow down and listen when i’m low there’s always something to hear.”

Music helped the 25-year-old learn to accept and appreciate the flaws in life.

“I found that in moments of extreme anxiety or fear,” he went on to say, “if i sat down with my harmonium and allowed myself with full trust to sing whatever came out it would often ease the pain.”

Although it was challenging at first to sing out loud without perfect pitch, Shawn said he gradually came to embrace himself.

“After a while i actually started to fall in love with the dance between the ‘right’ and the ‘wrong’ notes,” he said. “I realized there were only blissful and euphoric moments from the ‘right’ notes BECAUSE of the ‘wrong’ notes.” “I can only sing in key because I’ve learned to listen.”

Shawn, who released his most recent album Wonder in 2020 but postponed his tour in July 2022 owing to mental health issues, uploaded the statement alongside a black-and-white video of himself playing the keyboard and sharing his raw voice to ring in the new year.