Top athletes, singers, and actors are surrounded by noise all the time. Which can create havoc in their lives, stripping them of any sort of sanity. And for the longest time, enduring this unfair treatment was seen as a sign of courage. However, these celebs are now changing the rules by taking much-deserved breaks, setting examples for all to follow.

1. Simone Biles

The greatest gymnast of all time announced mid-Olympics that she wouldn’t be participating because the pressure was just too much for her mental well-being. In doing so, the 24-year-old set a brilliant example for people that even the apparent ‘superhumans’ need breaks and people should do what’s best for them, even if they are at the peak of their careers.

2. Naomi Osaka

Osaka had it rough. She is the most relevant tennis player in the world right now, so her decision to not attend post-match press conferences did not sit well with the French Open authorities. As a result, a fine was levied on her, and she ended up withdrawing from the tournament. However, she did and continues to stand by her opinion that the media needs to be gentler with the athletes, and for that, the entire fraternity should be grateful to her.

3. Selena Gomez

Selena has taken multiple breaks off social media to focus on her mental health in the past. In 2019, she also took a career break, to deal with the side of lupus, which included depression and anxiety. With regards to this, she told PEOPLE:

I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off. Thank you to all my fans for your support. 

4. Anuska Sharma

After her last film, Zero, Anushka Sharma took a sabbatical to find a “purpose” and “live a little outside of the movie sets and promotional tours, and dresses and heels, and have authentic exchanges with people”. She also said that she made choices in the past that weren’t healthy, which resulted in her getting overworked.

5. R Madhavan

In 2012, R Madhavan announced that he will be taking a sabbatical from movies, which he called “delayed and deserved”. We couldn’t agree more.

6. Demi Lovato

An advocate of mental health, Lovato said she wasn’t “meant for his business and the media” in 2017, and decided to take some time off. The same year, she had announced that she will take a social media detox but returned to Instagram a day later.

7. Emma Watson

Emma Watson took a break from acting in 2016 and was quoted as saying, “It almost feels like the chemistry and the structure of my brain is changing so rapidly sometimes. It feels as if sometimes I’m struggling to keep up with myself. It’s a really cool period of time for me”.

8. Ben Stokes

The English cricket icon said that he will be taking an “indefinite break” from all forms of cricket to focus on his mental health. A decision like this is quite uncommon in the sport, and Stokes was appropriately appreciated for choosing what’s best for him.

9. Deepika Padukone

Going against the tide of keeping mental health issues a secret, Deepika Padukone opened up about her struggles, to inform people about what she has been going through. In the process, she also gave courage to others to do the same. 

10. Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber cancelled a part of ‘Purpose’ tour in 2017, to put his mental well-being first. He mentioned this to his fans in an open letter that you can read, here.

11. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

In a recent interview given to Oprah, Meghan admitted that she had suicidal thoughts while living with the royal family and hence she and her husband took a joint decision to live separately. Prince Harry has also shared that he has struggled with these issues in the past and that was the reason why he gave up on royal duties.

Saubhaya

True role models.