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If you’re feeling depressed or anxious, musician J Balvin has a pretty easy suggestion: Put your phone down.
“Disconnect for a bit,” the reggaeton star, 40, tells PEOPLE. “Put the phone down, step away from social media. It really distorts things, makes it feel like everyone else has it all figured out, and that can mess with your head. You start comparing and lose sight of your own path.”
He continues, “My advice would be to focus on the real things, like being able to get on a call with your mom, or grabbing dinner with a friend. Those everyday moments ground you. The more you notice them, the more they start to matter.”
Balvin, who has been open about his mental health issues in the past, says being a celebrity made it almost harder to be honest about what he was going through.
“For a long time, especially as an artist, there was pressure to always look strong, like life was perfect. But that’s not real,” he says. “We’re all human, we all go through it. My advice, don’t keep it in. When you’re dealing with anxiety or depression, it can feel like you’re alone or like you’re a burden, but you’re not. The people who love you want to help, so give them a chance. Just being honest about how you feel can change everything.”
Balvin, who is partnering with Equinox gyms nationwide on Friday, Oct. 10 for mental health day (the initiative encourages members to check their phones in at the front desk, “creating an intentional pause to focus on self, strength, and shared connection), has been open about his mental health struggles in the past.
“Before I even got diagnosed with depression and anxiety, things were dark,” he says. “I didn’t even know what was going on in my head. Getting that diagnosis was actually a relief, because it gave me a name for what I was fighting.”
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He says connecting with family, and son Rio, 4, give him the most joy these days.
“My mom, [girlfriend] Valentina, my son Rio — they give me the reason and the strength to keep going, to be disciplined, to fight for my health and come back stronger.” Balvin also makes sure to keep moving, noting that exercise helps him mentally.
“A big part of managing anxiety is realizing that mental and physical health go hand in hand,” he says. “You really can’t have one without the other. Being active is an outlet for me; it helps release a lot of the stress I’m carrying. I try to stay consistent with movement, and that’s played a big role in keeping me balanced mentally. So this partnership with Equinox felt natural, and honestly, really exciting.”
Balvin says music is also a great “escape.”
“It’s a way to say what I can’t always put into words,” he says. “I try to make music that reflects me, not just the artist, but the human behind it. And if someone connects with that, feels seen or less alone, then that’s the most powerful part.”
