Kendall Jenner Opens Up About Her Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Depression

Kendall Jenner, of the Kardashian family of personalities, recently opened up about her mental health struggles, specifically anxiety and panic attacks from being in the public eye constantly. She said meditating and journaling have both helped her focus and feel calmer during times of heavy anxiety.

“I have struggled with anxiety for years and it can have good and bad days,” the model told Vogue in an August 2022 interview. “If I need to wind down, I really make a point to take 15 minutes to meditate to settle my anxiety so I can get a good night’s rest.”

Jenner said that “drinking tea and reading a book” can also help curb the anxiety and insomnia she struggles with in the evenings. She began her public-facing career (perhaps against her will) in 2007 when she began appearing on her family’s television show Keeping Up With the Kardashians as a child. She has regularly admitted in interviews over the years that she deals with panic attacks and depression.

“It’s important to have a space that’s just for you where you can let out your happiness. Your anger, frustrations, and stress, the things that are freaking you out, the things that are making you happy and even just ideas,” she said in an interview, adding that her journal was an “old-fashioned” diary she locks and puts away when she’s not using it.

Kendall Jenner soothes her anxiety by staying busy with calming practices

The 818 Tequila Founder actually stumbled on a fantastic way of improving mood in the midst of anxiety — plain distraction and refocus.

“I was having a panic attack two nights ago, and I was just like, ‘Oh, but you know what? I’m just going to pick up this book and try to forget,’” she said. “I just love having things that are for me and no one else, you know? I feel like reading is one of those things.”

As she gets older and begins phasing herself out of the spotlight, it’s clear Jenner prefers to focus on calming aspects of life. “I’ve had some down time these last couple days and sometimes I find it hard to wind down,” she shared via a carousel of Instagram videos and images of her self-care tools in June 2022. Jenner also listed a series of activities that “help [her] be more present and quiet my mind,” like “workouts/ nature walks, being with my animal children, meditation/ my sound bowls :), journaling” and “organizing.” Finally, she encouraged her fans to find the rituals that speak to them.

She is correct about one thing, though, and that’s that her life is not normal by conventional standards.

“I’ve had to grow up pretty fast and deal with situations most 22-year-olds aren’t really put into,” she said back in 2018. “There are days and weeks and months when you just don’t stop. If something isn’t going the way I planned, I freak out. Some days I just want to go live on a farm and not talk to anyone and just exist in the middle of nowhere.”