MY LIFE IN WELLNESS
The singer, 32, on breaking up with body ideals, perfectionism and pausing therapy sessions to help her ‘feel’ again
SOOTHE
Healthy to me means having a healthy mind. My struggles with my brain started when I was 16 and then I was diagnosed with ADHD. I manage my symptoms by building Lego – I’ve got a whole town in my house. I started therapy during lockdown, when I was feeling numb and rubbish. I went weekly for two years.
MOVE
I have always had a hard relationship with the gym. I can do sport all day, every day. Like karate [Anne-Marie is black-belt level] or in school, where I did basketball and athletics. When I [stopped doing] karate, I struggled with working out, but by being on stage, I’ve moved so much.
CONSERVE
Therapy was a slow but amazing journey. I have compassion for myself now, but before therapy, I had none whatsoever. I was basically empty because I felt so much for other people that I gave them everything – leaving nothing for myself. But then I realised that when you are selfish and look after yourself, you can look after other people more.
FEEL
I’d learned so much about how to deal with emotions logically that, recently, I felt how I did when I started therapy: a bit numb. I wasn’t depressed like before. But I hadn’t been ecstatically happy in ages or very angry or cried my eyes out.
I stopped for a while and let those feelings come back. When I write music, it’s all about my emotions and situations that I’ve been in. So, if I’m numb, I’m not going to have a song for you.
BELIEVE
Since I was young, I’ve had major confidence issues. Even though I c
