Exclusive: Rainn Wilson Opens up About His Anxiety Journey and the Daily Practices That Have Made a Difference
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,Rainn Wilson is talking to the camera again—but this time around it's not for a mockumentary. Rather, The Office alum is the host of Peacock's new travel documentary series, Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss. The actor traversed the world, from Iceland to Ghana, in search of happiness.
"The great thing about it was that this is a personal journey for me," Wilson told Parade in an exclusive interview. "I've had mental health struggles mostly around anxiety, and so I got to go on a personal journey to look for happiness and look for well-being on the road."
The series, based on Eric Weiner’s New York Times bestselling book, “The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World," fittingly premiered during Mental Health Awareness Month on May 18. While promoting his new show, Wilson recalled suffering from a lot of anxiety attacks in the '90s, when he was trying to make his way as a young actor.
"I just started therapy and was really unhappy," he shared with Parade. "And I was trying to medicate my anxiety with drugs and alcohol. That might work for a while, but it really doesn't work long-term. In fact, it just makes the symptoms worse. So it kind of forced me to go on a spiritual journey of sorts to really investigate spiritual solutions for some of these mental health issues. It also took me on a therapy journey."
When Rainn Wilson First Realized He Was Struggling With Mental Health
It was evident to Wilson that something was not right when his anxiety attacks had him on the floor, sweating and shaking. "It was pretty clear that something was out of balance, and something was out of whack," he told Parade. "That kind of forced me to do something about it, you know, investigate more deeply and seek help."
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The Meg actor pointed out that anxiety is similar to diabetes. He explained, "If you keep track of your blood sugar, your insulin levels, you see a doctor regularly, eat right, stay fit, you can live a full, long, healthy life, and anxiety is the same way, but it does take a kind of daily monitoring and meditation, breath work, prayer, cold plunges, gratitude, connection to nature, all of these kinds of tools that you can use on a daily basis."
Practices That Have Helped Rainn Wilson
Daily meditation practice has made all the difference for Wilson. "I have a faith tradition that Baháʼí Faith gives me great meaning and purpose and I love it very much, but daily mindfulness and meditation practice is, I think, maybe the most important thing that someone can start with and it's very easy. It doesn't have to be complicated," he said. "[You] can start with 5 or 10 minutes. You can use an app... There are ones on YouTube, or you can just sit still. It's incredibly powerful."
Discussing what mental health maintenance looks like to him, The Office star revealed that cold plunges—which he did in Iceland—really help and exercise is important as well. Wilson also makes gratitude lists, which he said "are really beneficial." The docuseries host described them as "like a superpower for well-being and reducing anxiety."
"Every morning I text—I have a group of guys, we text five things we're grateful for, and it helps recalibrate your brain first thing in the morning towards gratitude, towards what I'm grateful for, for what's working because we can sit in kind of resentment of like, 'Oh this isn't working and this sucks and that's awful.' It's easy to be in that mode of chronic dissatisfaction and to just turn that a little bit, on a daily basis. Again, a little recalibration is incredibly helpful," Wilson said, noting, "I do all this work, not because I'm spiritual or, you know, an awakened Buddha guy. To get functional, I need to do this work."
The actor also revealed that his therapist tells him that if he's feeling anxious to "go to what you need." Wilson explained, "Like, 'Well, I'm feeling anxious.' What do you need? Do you need a nap? Do you need a hug? Do you need to eat something? Do you need reassurance? Do you need to unplug for a while and stay away from social media and phones? Do you need a day off? Do you need to exercise? That's very helpful to always turn like 'I feel anxious, what do I need?' At first, you won't know. It'll take years to develop that kind of reflex."
What Rainn Wilson Likes to Do on Tough Mental Health Days to Feel a Little Better
On days that he can't take a cold plunge, Wilson finds a connection to nature to always be really helpful. "Anyone can do a walk in nature with some trees or a park, to be still, to feel the sunlight, to anything you can to get out of the monkey mind and to get into the body and the sensation of the body," he said. "To touch grass, to look at a leaf, to watch a hummingbird, to feel the sunlight on your face, and to commune with nature in gratitude, and humility can be really transformative."
Rainn Wilson's Advice to Others Who Are Struggling With Mental Health
For Wilson, it's "really important" that individuals know they're not alone. He said, "This is a really big epidemic, and a lot of times young people even though they read about it and hear about it, they feel like they're suffering alone and there's a lot of people that are struggling and suffering."
Even though it can be hard, the Hollywood star suggested reaching out and finding a community. "Don't isolate," Wilson advised. "Whatever that is, it can be a local Dungeons & Dragons game... Pick up, you know, volleyball or wiffle ball, or it can be church service, it can be volunteering with other people. Find that community of like-minded souls. It's so important."
How Rainn Wilson Is Feeling Today
Although it's "been a long, difficult road," the Peacock star admitted that he is "really oddly grateful" for his journey because "I feel like it's made me a better person."
"I've gone through a lot and learned a lot along the way, but I would say that I have a much deeper understanding of anxiety," he added.
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While Wilson has good and bad days, overall, he's "never been happier." "These last 10 years have been great and I'm having a great time doing what I'm doing. Doing a little acting, a little writing, a little travel documentary hosting. I love it," he said. "And [I] love being with my family and with my faith community. It's very meaningful."
How His New Show Helped His Mental Health Journey
Peacock's new docuseries Rainn Wilson and The Geography of Bliss saw The Rocker actor travel around the world in search of happiness. Along the way, he admittedly took away things that were helpful for his mental health journey.
"The wonderful quirkiness of Iceland, but the way that they loved and trusted their government and their community was really interesting. The Bulgarians kind of finding their voice as a country after they've been oppressed for so many centuries and decades. The optimism and open, warmheartedness of the Ghanaian people and their hard-working nature, and the peace and tranquility of the Thai people with their beautiful meditation practices and trying to bring the Buddhist aesthetic of fun and enjoying the moment to their every day. These are all things that I took away and were really helpful for me on my mental health journey," Wilson shared.
He continued, "Did I come home and have like, 'Okay, here's my bullet list of like four things I'm gonna do every day that will make me better?' Not exactly. But, just like the show itself, it's a feeling in the heart and a feeling in the gut. And I'm so grateful for the experience. I can't wait for season two."
Rainn Wilson and The Geography of Bliss premiered May 18 on Peacock.
