Queen of relatability and self empowerment Selena Gomez has been a longtime advocate of mental health awareness, between establishing the Rare Impact Fund in 2020 to raise money and provide services and education to the youth (1% of all proceeds from her beloved cosmetics brand Rare Beauty go to the foundation) and openly sharing her own struggles with the world.

In a new exclusive interview with Wondermind, the "mental fitness" ecosystem co-founded by Selena and her mom Mandy Teefey, the star says that "listening and connecting" with others who resonate with her journey has been "the biggest gift" and the reason she shares in the first place.

"When I decided to be open about my mental health, people began to reach out and share their stories," Selena recalled. "Listening and connecting was the biggest gift because you feel less alone."

Even now, after years of work, Gomez admits that she still has more to learn, which means she's going to be honest with her fans about where she is mentally.

"I am not going to pretend I have it all figured out and I think it’s always going to be a work in progress. You have to learn to make the choices that are best for you," she told Wondermind, which is also collaborating with Self Care Is for Everyone (SCIFE) to release a "Check-In" sweatshirt with all proceeds benefitting the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) NYC.

Courtesy of Wondermind and Self-Care Is For Everyone

Gomez also doesn't like to dwell on her past or hold onto regrets, but rather likes to focus on creating a better future for anyone else struggling. "What I am happy about is that more people are opening up about their mental health," she says. "There are more resources out there, such as Wondermind, that I would have loved when I was younger.  I am happy anyone reading this right now has a place to connect."

Like all of us, Gomez still has hard days, but she leans on family in those moments, specifically her younger sister Gracie. "She’s so innocent and pure," she gushes. "She helps me keep perspective on life. It’s funny because she’s 10; I am 31, and even with such a big age gap, I love her advice.  She is very wise."

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As for her advice to anyone out there going through a similar thing? "I don’t love giving advice because I don’t have all of the answers," she admits. "I’d say, though, find a friend or a family member you feel comfortable talking with and open up about what you are feeling. It’s very freeing to open up to someone. There is so much strength in being vulnerable."

The hoodie is available for purchase now on selfcareisforeveryone.com.

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