Kelsea Ballerini talks mental health under lockdown: ‘I used to think “me time” was narcissistic but now I realize it’s necessary’
Kelsea Ballerini has gotten in incredible shape in the past year under lockdown.
And the 27-year-old country singer showed off her trim shape when on the April cover of Shape magazine which was released on Friday.
During her interview with the publication, the Love Me Like You Mean It songwriter remarked that she has learned to take time to prioritize her mental health, and noted that she ‘used to think “me time” was so narcissistic, but now I realize it’s necessary.’
High profile: Kelsea Ballerini graces the cover of the newest issue of Shape, on sale March 12
Trying something new: The hitmaker also told the publication that she has started to work routines into her lifestyle in order to create a semblance of order and structure
Ballerini also stated that she ‘can show up in a more present way when I’m taking time for myself too.’
The hitmaker also spoke about how she has begun to incorporate a daily routine into her lifestyle and expressed that she has done so in order to feel more balanced and healthy.
The singer remarked that, although she was initially apprehensive of coming up with a daily routine for herself, ‘now it’s something that helps me feel like I’m in control of my life.’
She added, ‘I’m building that into my life, and it’s not boring at all. It’s really helping me feel that ownership of my life that I need.
Previous opinion: The country singer ‘used to think “me time” was so narcissistic’ but eventually learned to take time to prioritize her mental well-being
Ballerini then discussed how she had started to take her health very seriously over the past few months, although she did express that she was taking fitness at her own pace.
She explained, ‘I show a lot of grace to myself…I don’t ever want working out to feel like a punishment — like I’m doing this because I didn’t do something else right.’
The singer also noted that beginning a fitness routine had been very beneficial for not only her physical condition but also for her mental well-being.
‘It’s been really good for me in understanding that exercise isn’t necessarily for the way I look; it’s also about the way I feel,’ she said.
Doing alright: The musician also spoke about her recent musical output and noted that she was ‘more confident in my art than I have been in a long time’; she is pictured during the 2020 CMT Awards
The musician went on to speak about her newest album Ballerini, which was a stripped-down and re-recorded of her third album Kelsea; both projects were released in 2020.
‘I’m more confident in my art than I have been in a long time…A lot of artists and public people have a persona that they step into, but I can’t do that. I don’t want any surprises. I just want it all to be out there,’ she said.
Ballerini also elaborated on the meaning behind her first tattoo and told the publication that she received it on the day before her first professional photo shoot.
The singer remarked, ‘It was just this youthfully innocent way of saying, “I’ve got to be who I am from the beginning of this.”‘