Pop star Zayn Malik has learned to contain his severe anxiety by simply ignoring the way he's perceived in the public eye.
The former One Direction star had to pull out of a series of solo gigs last year (16) as he grappled with the condition, but he previously revealed writing, whether in the form of a song or in a diary, has served as a form of therapy.
Zayn has continued to use the creative outlet to ease his troubles, which he has largely conquered by also deciding to pay no attention to certain ideals expected of him by society.
"For me, personally, I don't ever try to dwell so deep on labels and boxes and places that people want to put you," he tells VMAN magazine. "I believe that we as individuals are in charge of the way people perceive us. There are negative and positive sides to every human on this planet. That's the way it is. You just have to accept that. If I were to overthink that, it would affect me."
Zayn, who is dating supermodel Gigi Hadid, has also found being honest with his fans is the best way to deal with any personal struggles he has: "When people don't always fit that grain, it's very confusing for the public eye that's watching because they don't understand the full ins-and-outs of every emotion that that individual is going through," the singer says. "I think the anxiety comes from the frustration of not being able to explain that to people.
"Since I explained that I have anxiety, I've diminished it because I dealt with what was giving me anxiety: feeling the need to uphold all of these f**king pressures and these things that people want from you. Once you let that go, the anxiety diminishes. It doesn't really exist anymore because you only care about what it is that you want to give to people.
"Whether they perceive that in the right or wrong way is ultimately not your choice. It's out of your control. You can't always control it, and you just accept that. With that goes the anxiety. Anxiety comes from not being able to control every aspect."
