'Bel-Air' star Coco Jones on the importance of saying no: 'If I want longevity in this business, I can't lose myself'

The Unwind is Yahoo Life's well-being series in which experts, influencers and celebrities share their approaches to wellness and mental health, from self-care rituals to setting healthy boundaries to the mantras that keep them afloat.

Coco Jones is breathing new life into the phrase booked and busy. From scoring her first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 with her new single "ICU" to playing Hilary Banks on Bel-Air, Peacock's modernized retelling of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 2023 has been a big year for the Tennessee native.

For Jones, acting and singing stretch beyond career confines, and she is grateful for the mediums of self-expression these outlets have become.

"Because I am a creative, I get to express a lot through music and acting, even things that I would never say personally just in conversation, because as an artist, it's a more welcome territory," she tells Yahoo Life.

Jones broke out in the 2012 Disney made-for-television movie musical Let It Shine. But even with over a decade of work experience, it was not until recently that she addressed some of the self-limiting beliefs she previously internalized.

"You know, I [doubted] what I qualified for visually, and sonically I questioned the subject matter that I could sing about and the amount of vulnerability I could have. I always thought, 'No one cares about that. That's not important. They don't want to hear that from you,'" says Jones.

Through therapy, which she started during the pandemic, Jones learned just how wrong she was about what she could and couldn't do in.

"My therapist taught me about creating my own world. [Since] I would have so many limitations that I placed on myself because of what this world told me I can and can't do, and I would just say them like they were [facts]," she explains. "[My therapist] was like, 'Who told you that you can't do these things?' And I was like, 'The world?' and she was like, 'So create your own world,' and I literally had an epiphany. Ever since then, I've just been living in my own world."

In addition to creating her own reality, Jones is also a big fan of journaling — with a twist.

"I email myself. I like it because it has the dates. And then I put interesting titles like I make my life like a book to myself and really love it," she says. "It's like, diary vibes, but just virtual."

Still, she makes it a point to disconnect from time to time as a way to reconnect with what really matters.

"I really love turning the phones and the technology off and going somewhere completely normal, doing something completely normal. It just helps me remember that all of these things are so temporary, so high and low. What's real? What's consistent? Who is consistent in my life?" she says.

Jones, one of Pure Leaf's ambassadors, has also drawn a parallel between the tea company's "subtly sweet" campaign about navigating tough conversations and the importance of boundary-setting in her own life.

"Sometimes we do have to put ourselves first," says Jones. "Sometimes that means disappointing [people] and opportunities or turning down interviews or disappointing my team because I have to say no, for me," she says.

And even though this can be difficult, Jones says this has allowed her to show up as herself in a more sustainable way.

"I do realize that if I want longevity in this business, I can't lose myself. And so I really do prioritize mental health, so that everyone on my team can see the best version of me and I can show up as the best version of myself, for my fans, for my family and in general."

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