Unusual Things Celebs Do When They Get Stressed Out

Working in Hollywood and constantly being in the public eye can put pressure on an A-list star. However, many celebrities swear by meditation to reduce anxiety and stress, which has helped successfully lead them to achieve a Zen state of mind. While there are many forms of meditation and ways to clear the mind from stressors, celebs including Chloë Grace Moretz agree that relying on these rituals has helped them live calmer and more relaxing lives. Moretz once told Us Weekly, "Meditation is really wonderful. Therapy is really wonderful. Working out is great. I think it's important to check in with yourself and keep an open dialogue with your heart and mind." 

Several celebs use meditation and breathing exercises to keep their stresses at bay. "Truth Hurts" hitmaker Lizzo has even hosted Instagram Lives to encourage fans to join her in her meditation practices. (Watching Lizzo play the flute with a platter of crystals in front of her is a must-see.) Then there are those stars who have spoken about the unusual tactics they use to ease their anxiety. While many of them are far from meditating, these not-so-common methods have helped these celebs keep calm and cope with any stressors they may be facing. 

Zendaya's rise to fame may have started on Disney Channel's "Shake It Up!," but she's come a long way from the kid-friendly series. Her performance in the HBO teen drama "Euphoria" scored her an Emmy award for best actress, and she has won the hearts of Marvel fanatics as MJ in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and its sequels. 

The actor has a jam-packed schedule, but she makes sure to take time out for herself and her mental health. In 2018, Zendaya shared on Twitter how she likes to unwind when she is dealing with stress, and while it isn't totally unusual, she did reveal that she has an entire space dedicated to her helpful hobby: coloring. Many people have given coloring a try because of its health benefits, but Zendaya proved that she's especially fond of the practice by posting a photo of an entire cabinet filled with coloring materials. Calling it her "coloring station," Zendaya showed fans how she likes to cope with her anxiety using colored pencils, crayons, and a variety of coloring books, including one featuring Disney princesses. 

In 2021, Zendaya opened up about how important it is to prioritize her well-being above all else in an interview with British Vogue. She shared, "Of course, I go to therapy. ... I think it's a beautiful thing. There's nothing wrong with working on yourself and dealing with those things with someone who can help you, someone who can talk to you, who's not your mom or whatever." 

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's marriage was officially over in 2019, however, the former Hollywood couple's split wasn't a clean one — they remained in a messy custody battle over their children, per The U.S. Sun. Although the actors weren't on amicable terms when they decided to divorce, Jolie shared with The Guardian that she wants her family to "heal." She stated, "And I want everyone to move forward — all of us, including [her kids'] dad. I want us to heal and be peaceful. We'll always be a family."

Though her divorce still hasn't been finalized at the time of this writing, Jolie previously shared with Stylist (via Elle Australia) how she manages to stay stress-free, and it has a lot to do with her six kids: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne. "I find meditation in sitting on the floor with the kids coloring for an hour, or going on the trampoline," she shared, adding, "You do what you love, that makes you happy, and that gives you your meditation."

According to Goop, jumping on a trampoline, also called rebounding, is not only a great workout but is a terrific de-stressor because it releases endorphins, which create a positive feeling in our bodies. It also makes you feel like a kid again, and that can easily put a smile on anyone's face. 

Justin Bieber has been in the public eye since he was a teen, landing his first hit, "One Time," at 15 years old and becoming an international pop star overnight. With the mounting pressures of Hollywood, he has opened up about his struggles and the technique he uses to ease his anxiety and stress. 

In an episode of Justin's YouTube docuseries, "Seasons," his health coach, Dr. Buzz Mingin, and Justin's wife, Hailey Bieber, shared the steps the singer takes when he feels overwhelmed, and fans got to witness him performing them on the set of his music video for the song "Yummy." Describing the unique technique, called "havening," Dr. Mingin shared, "Havening is a psycho sensory technique that actually raises the feel-good chemicals in your brain on demand." In the episode, Justin is seen hunched over as he continuously rubs his face and head with his hands. Hailey went on to describe havening as "a self-soothing thing" and added, "It's like when you're a little kid and you suck your thumb to soothe yourself when you're starting to feel really stressed out or just to keep yourself calm."

Justin has also kept his fans in the loop about his mental health on Instagram. In a 2019 post, he wrote, "Been struggling a lot. Just feeling super disconnected and weird ... I always bounce back so I'm not worried just wanted to reach out and ask for you guys to pray for me."

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Actor Emma Stone has been extremely transparent about suffering from anxiety. In 2017, she told Stephen Colbert on "The Late Show," "I had a lot of panic attacks," and though she's been in therapy since age 7, she admitted to still suffering from "anxiety to this day."

Stone has shared how she manages her anxiety and stress by doing a few certain things that people may find unusual. Unlike most stars, who enjoy taking time off from their busy schedules to relax, Stone revealed that acting helps to combat her frequent panic attacks, which for most people, would put them on edge. The "La La Land" actor told WSJ Magazine, "There's something about the immediacy of acting. You can't afford to think about a million things. You have to think about the task at hand. Acting forces me to sort of be like a Zen master: What is happening right at this moment?"

Besides easing her anxiety by going to work, Stone previously shared that she loves to dance and write. She said in a #WeThriveInside video, "Any exercise at all really seems to help me, but dance is my very favorite. And I just get very silly and very loose, and that seems to work for me." The actor also does what she calls a "brain dump," explaining, "I just write and write and write, and I don't think about it. I don't read it back, and I usually do this before bed so it doesn't interfere with my sleep."

Madonna has always been unconventional and true to herself. In 2007, she told British Elle (via People) that screaming at the top of her lungs is a great coping method when it comes to combating stress and anxiety. 

The songstress said, "I scream a lot! Sometimes I handle [stress] well, sometimes I don't. I take a deep breath or sometimes it's nice to run really fast on a treadmill for half an hour and get out all my aggression. And I'm surrounded by very efficient people who remind me that it's just a job and I'm going to be okay." In 2020, while keeping indoors due to the coronavirus pandemic, Madonna shared on Instagram the way she unwinds in her home. With the pandemic causing many to feel overwhelmed and stressed, she used a video montage to demonstrate one way to engage in some much-needed self-care. She was shown reading while surrounded by crystals, burning sage, and practicing sound bath meditation, which has been a popular healing practice among celebrities, including Kendall Jenner. 

According to a 2016 study, sound bath meditation is effective. It uses instruments like bowls and gongs to create soothing sounds and vibrations that can help with anxiety and bring about a positive feeling. This ancient technique of healing has helped people relax and decrease tension for thousands of years.

Besides being a well-known actor, Gwyneth Paltrow is a wellness queen thanks to her Goop website, where she shares advice from doctors and other professionals on living your best life. Although some of her wellness tips, like reducing anxiety using body stickers made from what was erroneously identified as the same material as astronauts' spacesuits (which NASA called her out on, per CNN Money) or using a vampire repellent to "banish psychic vampires," have been some of her more ridiculous ones.

The celeb has also shared a more personal ritual she engages in when she needs to find time to relax from her busy schedule. In 2018, she told People, "I take a bath every single night. I got really into taking them when I was 22 and shooting 'Emma' in London. I fell in love with the ritual of it — lighting a candle and having a cup of tea or a whiskey, depending on the day." Despite having to raise two children, Paltrow admitted that she needs her one-hour bath time no matter what. "It's non-negotiable. It's just like, I do it every night. My kids are welcome to come in and chat with me if they need to — it's not like I'm in a meditation or something. But I just need that time and so I just take it. It's really the only time I take for myself every single day regardless of what is going on," she shared.

Celebrities have several ways of reducing the stress in their life, whether it's using essential oils like Jenna Dewan or practicing self-care by cooking like Tracee Ellis Ross. However, for Brad Pitt, thinking about architecture is soothing, which means that the home of the "Inglorious Bastards" actor is always seeing subtle changes. 

Speaking to Parade in 2009, Pitt shared, "Architecture is like play to me. As a boy, you play with Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, Legos, and you get interested in how things are made, like cars and drills and all that. Years later you come back around to what interested you as a boy. Now if I have something that I'm dealing with that's causing me a lot of stress, my mind goes to architecture. I walk around the yard and start thinking about what I need to do to the house structurally. It's similar to puzzles in a way, like a crossword puzzle or anything else I can put my mind into. It's a relief to me."

When Pitt and Angelina Jolie divorced in 2017, he shared with GQ that he developed new creative hobbies, including sculpting, to find some sense of serenity in his life. "This house was always chaotic and crazy, voices and bangs coming from everywhere, and then, as you see, there are days like this: very ... very solemn. ... And so I've been going to a friend's sculpting studio, spending a lot of time over there."

Jennifer Aniston works hard to maintain her physique, which means exercising and having a well-balanced diet. Her trainer, Leyon Azubuike, once told Women's Health he likes his clients to eat foods like "avocados, coconut oil, salmon, fish oil — anything that's a good form of fat is great." Aniston also enjoys taking different workout classes, telling InStyle, "There's something about the mental aspect of boxing — the drills, your brain has to work, you're not just sitting on a bike. It's amazing"

The "Friends" star is fairly consistent when it comes to health and fitness, but sometimes she”ll cheat on her diet when she's feeling stressed or overwhelmed. However, she's not lying on her couch and eating out of a tub of ice cream or stuffing her face with salty snacks. Aniston revealed to InStyle that one single chip will do the trick. She shared, "A chip. Crunch, crunch, crunch." When asked, "Just one chip?" Aniston replied, "Usually. I'm good at that. I can have one M&M, one chip. I know, that's so annoying." Talk about taking self-control to a whole new level!

Besides snacking on one single potato chip, Aniston previously shared with Shape that like many celebs, she enjoys meditating. "I think you have to have a nice amount of 'me' time — whatever it is," she shared, adding that she is also a big fan of "an infrared sauna" as a wellness ritual and "noticed a real change in my energy, and my sleep, and my skin" after using it regularly.

To say that Keanu Reeves is one of the most generous celebrities in Hollywood would be an understatement. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the "Matrix" actor has a net worth of $380 million and is known for his charitable contributions to cancer research, even setting up his own cancer foundation. He shared with Ladies Home Journal (via Vogue), "I don't like to attach my name to it, I just let the foundation do what it does." According to Page Six, Reeves has also given extravagant gifts to coworkers, including $20,000 to a set worker and Harley-Davidson motorcycles to stuntmen. 

When the "John Wick" actor is feeling blue, he revealed that he de-stresses by giving his fortune away. He told World Entertainment News Network (via MSN), "Money doesn't mean anything to me. I've made a lot of money, but I want to enjoy life and not stress myself building my bank account. I give lots away and live simply, mostly out of a suitcase in hotels. We all know that good health is much more important."

There probably isn't another actor like Reeves out there, but he can clearly afford to be generous. He once told The Chicago Tribune, "Money is the last thing I think about. I could live on what I've already made for the next few centuries."