Selena Gomez shares the unconventional tools she uses to help her mental health — now that she’s ‘properly medicated’

Selena Gomez is sharing the tools she uses for help during physical and mental health flare-ups.

The actress – who has been diagnosed with lupus and bipolar disorder – revealed her go-to remedies in a new interview with Vanity Fair, admitting that her mind “was not right and chemically imbalanced” when she suffered a public breakdown in 2018.

Gomez told the outlet that she’s now been “properly medicated” and also uses temperature, which can include cold water and space heaters, as a “healing mechanism.”

Selena Gomez opened up to Vanity Fair about her mental health tools in an interview published Monday. Selena Gomez/Instagram The actress said she uses temperature as a “healing mechanism” to cope with her flare-ups. Emma Summerton / Vanity Fair The pop star noted that space heaters and cold water can be “soothing at different times.” Emma Summerton / Vanity Fair

Depending on her needs, the pop star finds varying temperatures “soothing at different times.”

Temperature can often play a key role in boosting one’s mood and has been proven to have health benefits. According to a study done by researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in 2007, cold showers a couple of times a week, for example, can reduce depression symptoms.

Aside from external tools, Gomez also told Variety that she uses various mental exercises when she isn’t feeling her best.

The Disney Channel alum revealed that her mind “was not right and chemically imbalanced” just a couple of years ago. selenagomez/Instagram These days, Gomez uses mental health tools to “ground” herself into the “present.” selenagomez/Instagram

“I remind myself that I’m OK. I ground myself for a moment,” the singer, 32, explained. “’Where am I? I’m sitting down in the office. Everybody that I love is out there. There’s food. I can get something to eat. I can take a nap here before I leave.’ I put myself into the present.”

Gomez was diagnosed with lupus in 2013 but chose not to reveal it to the public until 2015. She received a bipolar disorder diagnosis years later in 2018.

In 2022, the “Only Murders in the Building” gave fans an inside look at her ongoing health struggles in an intimate documentary titled “My Mind & Me.”

Gomez was diagnosed with lupus in 2013 and was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2018. Getty Images for Vanity Fair “I’m ready for it all — it’s just now I’m properly medicated,” she told VF during the interview. selenagomez/Instagram

Gomez admitted in the new Variety interview that she got cold feet a few weeks before it was set to be released, causing a downward spiral.

“I asked my team if it was possible to pull out. Lawyers got involved, but we never took it to Apple because everything was locked,” she recalled. “When the movie came out, I didn’t look at anything for a few days, and then I was scared to leave the house.”

However, Gomez feels she’s become a lot stronger mentally in recent years, telling the outlet, “That is definitely nowhere close to where I am now.”

“I just survived a lot,” she also said during the interview. “There isn’t a part of me that wants anyone to feel sorry for me.” Deadline via Getty Images The Rare Beauty founder also shared that she is unable “to carry” her own children due to her medical struggles. Getty Images for Netflix

“It was really difficult. People were calling me a victim,” she confessed. “That frustrates me, because being vulnerable is actually one of the strongest things you can do.”

The Rare Beauty founder added that she’s “grateful” every day and doesn’t see herself as a victim – despite the backlash she’s received from some critics online.

“I have my days like everyone else, but I’m no victim. I just survived a lot,” she shared. “There isn’t a part of me that wants anyone to feel sorry for me.”

Amid the new interview dropping, Gomez attended TIFF 2024 this week. Getty Images Gomez sparkled in a floor-length black gown while walking the red carpet Monday night. FilmMagic

Elsewhere in the new Variety profile, published Monday, the newly-minted billionaire revealed that she is unable to carry her own children.

“I have a lot of medical issues that would put my life and the baby’s in jeopardy,” she explained. “That was something I had to grieve for a while.”

However, Gomez is still hopeful about having adoption and surrogacy as potential options in the future.

Gomez also gushed over her boyfriend, Benny Blanco, during the interview. Selena Gomez/Instagram Blanco and his leading lady have been linked since December 2023. Selena Gomez/Instagram

The singer gave a sweet shout-out to boyfriend Benny Blanco for being a major support system in all areas of her life.

“I’ve never been loved this way,” she said of the music producer. “He’s just been a light. A complete light in my life. He’s my best friend. I love telling him everything.”

Gomez has been dating Blanco, 36, since December 2023 after previously collaborating together on music projects. The two recently sparked engagement rumors when Gomez appeared to be hiding a ring on that finger in a photo shared to her Instagram Stories.