Shawn Mendes Says He’s Working Through ‘Extreme Anxiety & Fear’ On His Mental Health Journey

Pop singer Shawn Mendes, 25, has opened up about the challenges that he faced in 2023.

On January 2, the musician posted on his Instagram that his biggest takeaway from the past year was to “accept and welcome the lows of life,” as well as “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.”

Mendes shared that last year was a year of self-discovery through “moments of extreme anxiety or fear.”

He also stated that music was one of the only things that would help, explaining that singing would encourage him to accept himself more and more.

“If I sat down with my harmonium and allowed myself with full trust to sing whatever came out it would often ease the pain,” he reflected.

The pop artist released his last album Wonder in 2020 but canceled the tour due to mental health concerns in July 2022.

Mendes posted a black-and-white video of himself singing and playing the keyboard at the end of 2023. He rounded out his year in the tropics of Costa Rica and shared a few pictures from his holiday adventures.

The artist is grateful for a fresh start in 2024 and believes that it will be better than his previous year.