During a recent chat with Audacy V-103’s Greg Street, Usher opened up about mental health, talking about therapy and the importance of preserving your headspace.

Sharing in what ways he believes talking about mental health helps him and can help others, Usher said, “being able to talk about any of the issues that we have is good. But who you choose to speak to, and rather they have the type of education and certification to be able to help you, is important.”

"The reality is sometimes when you're speaking with a professional, they're not there to tell you how to live, they're there for you to hear yourself and then evaluate how to better assess what you're thinking. So it's important, you know, when left to your own thoughts, sometimes it might get so cloudy that you need to be able to have a hired professional to be able to help you process it.”

Usher also went on to note, “I know it's against our culture to be able to assess some of the things that we, that we've went through. But you gotta, you gotta get it out, you have to get it out. And more than anything, you have to hear yourself and then you have to forgive yourself. A great deal of grief that we deal with in our life is the shame that we put on ourselves because we don't have the answers.”

“Sometimes the things that you may have experienced, are going through in your life, it may have not necessarily even being your fault. So to be able to process that and get that out is good for you.”

Sharing the tools he uses to help maintain his mental health, “having a therapist” being one of them, Usher expressed “every day, you know, I start by giving thanks to God and also to even having a personal time for myself. It’s meditation… not religious, it is more personal… not spiritual, but my mental capacity is based off of the space I give myself.”

“This is a thing that I always ask people,” Usher went on to share, “if you take a full bottle of wine, what helps to preserve the wine? Is it the bottle? Is it the juice or is it something else? What do you think it is, is it the cork? What do you think helps to preserve that wine that's in that bottle?"

Answering the conundrum, Usher said, “it's called headspace and that headspace you deserve to have for yourself.”

He continued, “the headspace, that little space that sits in between the cork and the actual juice in the bottle is the difference between that thing that is inside of it, being there for hundreds of years. So that's a metaphor for life. If you give yourself enough space every day, just give yourself a little space, you’d be better.”

Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Greg Street