When the name Selena Gomez surfaces, we most likely think of her decorated career as an actress and singer. 

In the world of acting, 30 year old Gomez is a winner of an American Latino Media Arts Award, a Gracie Award, and three Teen Choice Awards. As a singer, she has a total of 39 chart entries on the US Billboard Hot 100, including a number-one song and eight top-ten hits. 

With all these accomplishments, Gomez has risen to become one of the biggest celebrities on the planet, amassing 358 million followers on Instagram and becoming the fourth-most followed individual on the app.

As a philanthropist, Gomez is an ambassador for Unicef and is heavily involved with the Make-a-Wish Foundation. She is also a former winner of The Chris Greicius Celebrity Award  for her “unwavering support for granting wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.” 

Gomez continues to inspire others through a documentary film that explores her personal struggles with mental health.

“Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me,'' produced by Lighthouse Media & Management, hit Apple TV on November 4, 2022. The documentary covers a six-year span in which Gomez experiences both career and personal highs and lows. 

We meet two versions of Selena Gomez throughout the documentary, one made for the public eye and one only seen around family and friends. 

Gomez, the celebrity, is set for a career resurgence as she hits the road for the “Revival Tour,” while Gomez, the person, experiences extreme turbulence as she struggles with Lupus, a medical condition which led to a kidney transplant. 

The contrast between these two “versions” of Gomez offer a valuable lesson: mental health struggles exist despite fame, money or Instagram followers, in fact they can even be the cause of them.

In this article, tlk magazine examines a few of the themes from Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me and explores the importance of applying those themes in our daily lives.

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Prioritize Mental Health:

In August 2016, Gomez canceled the remainder of her Revival tour, citing anxiety and depression as the reasons.

Gomez’s decision, despite the potential consequences, shows that prioritizing mental health can and should be a priority if possible. She became aware that her regimented schedule was not beneficial to her mental health and made a decision to change this. 

Taking steps to improve our mental health, however small and realistic these steps may be, will be beneficial in the long-term. 

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Find a Support System: 

One of the most prominent parts of the documentary was the introduction to Gomez's support team. The relationship between Gomez and Theresa Mingus, a close friend and former assistant, stood out the most.

Mingus supported Gomez’s decision to cancel the Revival Tour, which some saw as a huge financial risk.

In the documentary, Mingus recounts being told the following from Gomez,  “I don’t want to be alive right now." 

Despite the financial warnings, Mingus saw the negative impact the tour was having on Gomez and decided to look out for her as a friend, not a celebrity.

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It's ok to not be ok: 

In the documentary, Gomez texted friends saying, “I think I’m ready to just say I’m sad.” 

In less than an hour after sending that text, Gomez says she went on to write her hit song “Lose You To Love Me,” which charted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

By admitting that we need help, changes can be made to create a future in which we feel in better control of our mental health.

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If you have not done so yet, do yourself a favor and watch “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me,” now streaming on Apple TV.