Lilly Singh Knows It’s Cool To Be Kind & Has an Action Plan For Spreading Mindfulness in 2024
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Lilly Singh has spent the better part of the last decade spending kindness and joy online while also going from strength to strength in her career. With a dedicated online following, her own production company, an upcoming comedy feature film and plenty more in the works, Singh is juggling a lot and knows the importance of prioritizing mental wellness while weaving through all of the other things life throws at her.
When SheKnows caught up with Singh for an exclusive conversation, she stressed that she always tries to preach and practice happiness even while pushing herself in her career.
More from SheKnows
“I know I’m always about hustling and hustling harder and making to-dos and being productive… but I’m also about happiness,” Singh said in her explanation. “I always preach that you should be happy and you should take care of yourself, and what kind of person would I be if I preached that, but didn’t practice it myself?” She went on to state that she was not her happiest, nor her mentally healthiest self, and that there were things she needed to address in her personal life that she couldn’t while still pumping out content.
Singh got candid about the steps she took to get back to feeling her best during this hiatus in a 2022 episode of On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Admitting she wasn’t OK and asking for help topped the list. “I tweeted all about finding a therapist and that kind of stuff,” she told Shetty. “I grew up in a culture where it was a little taboo. You hear a lot of older Asian people being like, ‘When we were younger, nothing was ever wrong with us,’ so I think learning [to ask for help] was a big deal.”
Flash forward to 2023 and Singh is seeking to pay it forward by spreading positivity through her latest venture, a collaboration with Four Seasons to help spread a little more than holiday cheer for the 2023 season. Singh describes the collaboration as, “an easy yes.”
“In all the work I do, I’m always hoping to make a positive impact in the world,” the multi-hyphenate entertainer tells SheKnows. “Especially as we are in the holiday season, giving back remains so important and I continue to ensure it’s part of my everyday life.”
The collaboration between the award-winning creator and Four Seasons was cemented on November 13th, aka World Kindness Day, and is rooted in both parties’ values and hopes to spread humanity, kindness, and empathy heading into the new year. The ongoing initiative will involve a few moving parts, one being a social media movement, a bullet point on the list of Singh’s many specialties. Here’s how it works: The Four Seasons and Singh are encouraging their audiences to document acts of kindness (no matter how big or small they may be). By using the hashtag #FSCreateKindness, participants will help bring awareness to this greater mission.
But in addition to raising awareness on social media, the Four Seasons also hosted a charitable auction this past November. The event took place in collaboration with the whimsical surrealist artist Camilla Engström, during which Engström’s piece, “River of Stars,” was up for grabs. The original work, created in 2023 on stretch canvas and revealed for the first time at auction, is described as “a meditation on the passing of seasons and essential interconnection of art and kindness.” All proceeds went to the International Child Art Foundation (ICAF), an organization offering educational events and free art programs for children.
“This wonderful organization connects children to art making as a way to heal trauma and connect emotionally,” Engström wrote in a post on Instagram. “I hope this special partnership inspires you to create acts of kindness today and every day.”
Like Engström, the collaboration with Four Seasons is a double win for Singh, who credits not only her career and sense of self to the arts. “Experimenting and trying various forms of expression showed me what I love doing best and helped me grow in all my titles as an author, actress, creator, entrepreneur, and advocate.” What’s more, Singh says, art can help the artist cultivate a sense of individuality, and self-respect, as well as an appreciation for others.
Singh’s sentiments are true of all creators — adults and children alike. According to a study published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management in November 2022, K-12 students who participated in an arts education program across Houston, Texas saw an improvement in their performance in other areas of schooling, as well as an increase in their emotional empathy. What’s more, a review paper published in The Journal of Medical Humanities found reading, writing, and sharing poetry can help foster relationships between people and help individuals better understand their emotions, while research published in Perspectives in Public Health concluded that artistic activities contribute to the mental wellbeing of children and young people.
In addition to championing the arts, Singh also prides herself on being a mental health advocate. The comedian is no stranger to discussing the serious subject matters of anxiety and depression; in 2018, the YouTuber announced she’d be taking a break from the platform to nurture her mental health back to its most optimal.
Singh has created a tool for kids she wished she had as a child: An animated series in collaboration with the meditation app Headspace called The Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island. The family-friendly mini-series features 11 10-minute episodes, in which a diverse cast (the majority of which is South Asian) introduces children to mindfulness and meditation practices.
“I always knew I wanted to create a show that would help families get comfortable talking and working through their emotions in a healthy, non-judgmental way,” Singh says of the project. “Mental health [in children and adults] needs to stop being taboo and tools to help need to be made more accessible and fun. The world would be a much happier and healthier place for everyone if we all spent a little more time being mindful and looking inward— kids and adults alike. Teaching mindfulness skills to kids, from a young age, and throughout their development, will set them up to be healthier adults.”
Before you go, click here to see all the celebrities who have opened up about their depression and anxiety.
Best of SheKnows
Vin Diesel & 28 Other Famous Men Who Have Been Accused of Sexual Assault
All the Celebrities Who Have Hosted the Golden Globes — Including the Newly-Announced 2024 Host
Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
