This week is Mental Health Awareness Week (14-20 May), and singer Liam Payne spoke to KISS FM about how he personally deals with emotional pressures. The honest and open interview follows the star’s pledge to support ‘Where’s Your Head At?’ – KISS FM’s campaign that aims to drive a vital mission: break the stigma attached to talking about mental health and make it a legal requirement for every work place or college in the UK to have a mental health first aider.
Speaking about how he copes with being in the public eye, Liam Payne shared his technique:
“Laugh it off and remember it will become a story one day. And will seem funny.”
On dealing with stress. Liam shared:
“I’m brutally honest about it. I speak to a lot of people who are in the same position as me because I have grown up in the public eye. I was 14 which is so young to start in that process. I love my life, it’s been fantastic but there have been a lot of struggles to get to this point. It’s about having good people around you. They don’t have to be a psychologist - just people who are friendly, someone to talk to.”
On who to go to for emotional support -
“People who I know will be brutally honest and I always try and go for logic over emotion. Listen to your body and what it’s telling you, not just what you are thinking.”
On his hardest battle that he’s fought emotionally -
“I’ve had a few, there have been some tough times. When the band (One Direction) started our break I struggled with the idea of becoming famous again, it scared the living daylights out of me. Because the last time it nearly killed me, frankly. So I had to figure out a way to make it work for me - rather than me work for it.”
On what advice he would offer to his younger self -
“I would say lighten up a bit. But I don’t regret anything and wouldn’t change it. There have been a lot of ups and downs but often the downs are what make it worthwhile - so if you are feeling a bit down just know that when you are up it will feel great.”
KISS FM’s ‘Where’s Your Head At?’ campaign aims to drive signatures for a petition to get a mental health first aider in every workplace or college. The campaign has garnered support from a number of celebrities including: Liam Payne, Jamie Laing, Charlotte Crosby, Megan McKenna and Kem Cetinay who have all spoken openly about their personal struggles with mental health.
Speaking about the campaign, Liam commented:
“It’s all very well going to the gym and looking after your body but people often forget that you must also look after your mind and that’s why I’m supporting this petition to get a mental health first aider in every workplace or college.”
To add your signature to the petition, go to
www.wheresyourheadat.org #wheresyourheadat
