Ryan Reynolds has made no secret of his struggles with anxiety – but he's now using his mental health challenges to his advantage.
The Deadpool actor, 47, has revealed that his anxiety struggles have enabled him to be a better parent to his four children with Blake Lively: James, nine, Ines, seven, Betty, four, and their one-year-old (whose name has not been revealed).
Speaking to his Deadpool & Wolverine co-star Hugh Jackman in the latest issue of People, Ryan admitted that having anxiety makes him a "better" dad.
"I think it makes it better because your focus is less on yourself and more on your kids. I know you know that too," Ryan said to Hugh, who admitted he has moments of anxiety.
"Now I love that I have anxiety, I love that I've had anxiety," he continued.
"Because when I see my kids experiencing some of that, which is probably genetic, I know how to address it in a way that is compassionate, that actually allows them to feel seen."
© Getty ImagesHe added: "I know that I can't just fix it. And I can communicate all that stuff to them and with them. I'm always grateful for it."
It's not just his family life that Ryan feels benefits from his anxiety, but his professional life too.
"My job benefits greatly," he said. "People who have anxiety are constantly thinking into the future. You're constantly, 'What if this happens? What if that happens?' You're always telling yourself stories.
© Getty Images"So when we're shooting Deadpool & Wolverine, I'm not just shooting the movie, I'm also sitting in the audience as a cautious critic going, 'I don't like that. I don't buy that.'"
He added: "So anxiety creates that ecosystem of awareness that I wouldn't otherwise [have]."
Ryan first opened up about his struggles with anxiety in February 2022 during an appearance on CBS's Sunday Morning.
© Getty Images"I've had anxiety my whole life really and you know, I feel like I have two parts of my personality. That one takes over when that happens," he said.
Recalling how his anxiety would intensify before appearances on talk shows, he explained: "I remember I'd be standing backstage before the curtain would open.
"And I would think to myself, 'I'm gonna die. I'm literally gonna die here. The curtain's gonna open and I'm just gonna be a symphony of vomit.' Just, like, something horrible's gonna happen!"
© Getty ImagesDespite his panic, Ryan admitted that "as soon as that curtain opens… this little guy takes over" which helps him manage his anxiety.
"And he's like, 'I got this. You're cool,' he said. "I feel, like, my heart rate drop and my breathing calm, and I just sort of go out and I'm this different person. And I leave that interview going, 'God, I'd love to be that guy!'"
© InstagramIn October, Ryan revealed how he sometimes uses meditation to manage his mental health when he finds himself spinning "out of control".
"I certainly have my own little rituals and those kinds of things that help me stay grounded and keep my mind from spinning out of control," he said at Bring Change to Mind's annual Revels & Revelations Gala.
© Getty Images"Sometimes I'm really good at it, sometimes I'm not," he added.
"I tend to overbook myself when I'm spiraling that way. I'm sort of aware of that stuff and I manage it as well as you can."
