Britney Spears' Hack For Coping With Anxiety Is Truly Unique

Britney Spears is no stranger to anxiety. Back in 2008, Spears was placed under a conservatorship with her father, Jamie Spears, acting as her primary conservator. Conservatorships are usually reserved for very special circumstances — like if an adult child needs to gain legal control over an ill or aging parent's assets. It's relatively rare for a parent to oversee a conservatorship for their child, which is why Spears' case has fascinated so many, per The Wall Street Journal.

Spears always maintained she didn't need to be placed under a conservatorship, protesting she was fully capable of taking care of herself. She repeatedly pointed out as much during a court deposition in June 2021, which she underwent in an effort to have the conservatorship dissolved. According to Spears' own account, the pop star worked full time during the 13 years that Jamie ruled as her conservator — a period in which she released numerous albums and headlined a Vegas residency, per The New York Times. It all came to a head in 2021, when Spears was able to contest the arrangement in court and won the right to end the conservatorship in November of that year.

Unfortunately, Spears was allegedly under a tremendous amount of stress while under Jamie's rule. To this day, Spears still battles anxiety, but she's found a self-soothing coping method for it in a pretty surprising place.

While under her conservatorship, Britney Spears didn't have control over much. Her father, Jamie Spears, controlled her income, schedule, and ability to drive, visit doctors, and even leave the house, per Glamour. However, according to an Instagram post Spears uploaded on March 7, there was at least one thing she could control: her nails. 

In the caption accompanying the photo, the pop star opened up about the social anxiety she's suffered for years — and how getting manicures gives her confidence. "I've felt ghosted most of my life," Spears wrote under her pic of a fresh manicure, complete with little bows and butterflies glued to her nails. "If you feel somewhat not acknowledged enough in life or have confidence problems, I swear these charms do in fact change your perspective!" she added. 

Spears went on to explain that her social anxiety usually makes her feel shy and scared to talk to strangers, but the flashy new manicure gave her the confidence to strike up a conversation with her manicurist. "I looked at my hands, saw these charms and I exploded with conversation ... not scared at all to talk," she wrote. It's a good thing Spears has found a new way to cope with anxiety, considering as she's got some big projects planned. Among them including a tell-all book about life under the conservatorship, per Page Six.

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.