Jennifer Lopez Recalls How Paralyzing Panic Attacks Led to a Lifestyle Change

Jennifer Lopez is known for doing it all.

Between releasing chart-topping music, starring in some of the most beloved movies and building a beauty empire, J.Lo has proven time and time again that she's a force in the industry. But even Jennifer admitted that she needs to hit the pause button, sharing in her newsletter, On The JLO, "Nobody gets caught up in that rat race more than me."

The Hustlers star discussed the importance of sleep and how not getting enough rest had taken a toll on her mental health. She recalled "feeling physically paralyzed" after experiencing severe panic attacks in her late 20s that she said were due to exhaustion.

"There was a time in my life where I used to sleep three to five hours a night. I'd be on set all day and in the studio all night and doing junkets and filming videos on the weekends," she wrote. "I was in my late 20's and I thought I was invincible."

Jennifer Lopez and Celeb Friends at Halftime Premiere

She continued, "Until one day, I was sitting in a trailer, and all the work and the stress it brought with it, coupled with not enough sleep to recuperate mentally, caught up with me."

The "Let's Get Loud" singer remembered "feeling totally normal" and then "all of a sudden I felt as if I couldn't move."

"I was completely frozen," she wrote, noting that she "couldn't see clearly" and the "physical symptoms I was having started to scare me and the fear compounded itself. Now I know it was a classic panic attack brought on by exhaustion, but I had never even heard the term at the time."

The Halftime star said she sought help from a medical professional and realized that she needed to make changes in her life.

"I was so terrified I thought I was losing my mind," Jennifer recalled, after meeting with the doctor for the first time. "I asked the doctor if I was going crazy. He said, 'No, you're not crazy. You need sleep...get seven to nine hours of sleep per night, don't drink caffeine, and make sure you get your workouts in if you're going to do this much work.'"

Now, the star makes sure to prioritize her mental health, including getting her beauty sleep. According to J.Lo, rest "accumulates over time," but it comes with epic results. Put simply, "Sometimes I wake up and say, 'Wow! I just lost 10 years off my face!' That's what a good night's sleep can do for you."

J.Lo admitted that she "let my own self-care needs go completely (even as simple as sleeping or taking ten minutes to just relax)," but needed that wake-up call in order to realize "how serious the consequences could be of ignoring what my body and mind needed to be healthy—and that's where my journey to wellness began."

The actress reminded her fans that the secret to her ageless beauty is all about her approach. Her philosophy is more about "pro-living versus anti-aging."

And it's a message she's embedded into JLO Beauty. After all, the tagline reads, "Beauty has no expiration date."

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