Self-love and self-care are synonymous. Minding your mental health has a direct correlation to how many f*cks you give about your happiness and that's why This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown makes time in his schedule to get his mind in alignment every damn day.
Between yoga, cardio, and regular trips to his therapist, Sterling says he has no shame in his self-care game and in a recent interview with PEOPLE, he opened up about how mental self-care has helped him to manage his ongoing struggle with anxiety. He explained:
"It's nice to be able to take care of yourself when you need to. It's nice to be able to have things that you can go to in a pinch that help to soothe you, but that shouldn't mean that you can't also explore help from a professional."
Sterling says that although working on his fitness has proven to be a quick fix for minor stressors, he has ultimately learned that there are some problems that you have to take to the professionals:
"What I've found in my own personal life by seeking therapy is that it doesn't diminish me in any way. You know how to take care of yourself in one particular way that has served you to this point in life. Now, be open to the possibility of learning new ways of self-care that may expand you. Therapy doesn't diminish you in any way. It can only expand your arsenal, your tools for living your best life."
While the actor has experienced his share of success over the last decade––earning more than 20 nominations and 12 awards for his work on-screen––Sterling told Good Housekeeping that he is not immune to the pressures that come with being the successful one in the family. He explained:
"I'm not immune to having placed a great deal of pressure on myself to be something for not just me––but for everybody else. The expectations of family, of community, you feel people supporting and wanting to see you win. And so, you're doing it for you, but you're also doing it for them and you feel as if you can let everybody down if things don't work out the way that you want them to."
In the past, Sterling has been transparent about his struggles with mental health, a quality he does not share with his on-screen character, Randall Pearson. We can always count on This Is Us to touch on a number of relevant AF, Black AF issues, including but not limited to mental health (or lack thereof) in the Black community, a battle that Sterling's character, Randall has grappled with since adolescence.
Sterling revealed that if he could give one piece of advice to his character, it would be this:
"Me, who attends therapy with regularity and has no shame in saying so, hopes that Randall is able to let go of whatever it is that's keeping him from moving forward and recognize that there are benefits in talking to someone about what's going on in your life."
Featured image courtesy of MICHAEL TRAN/GETTY IMAGES.