Alicia Keys Says Reciting Daily Affirmations Has Helped to Curb Her Anxiety: 'Those Feelings Would Lift'

Alicia Keys knows finding inner peace is her own responsibility.

The music icon, 43, has a hectic lifestyle managing her skincare brand, Keys Soulcare, working on the Broadway musical H---'s Kitchen, all while being a devoted mom and wife. Despite her full plate, Keys has made it a top priority to take care of her mental well-being.

One of the ways the "No One" singer has accomplished that is by reciting daily affirmations. "When you're trying to juggle a lot of things, sometimes you feel heavy anxiety," she explained in a recent interview. "With affirmations, I discovered that when I could hold onto a phrase, those feelings would lift."

In the hustle and bustle of endless photoshoots, interviews, meetings and more, Keys has learned how to set the tone for her experiences. "I told myself this morning, 'I'm allowing today to be full of joy, fun, and celebration,'" the chart-topper said.

Keys' attitude has reverberated into her glowing complexion. "My skin was super sensitive and prone to breakouts," she recalled. "I thought it would go away after I was 18 years old, but I continued to break out past my mid-20s. I started to realize my skin was reflecting everything—from what I ate to how I felt to the energy around me. At the time, I had a lot of toxic energy around me, and I needed to get rid of it. Prioritizing my health and well-being was the catalyst for creating Keys Soulcare."

In recent years, the "Girl on Fire" artist famously stripped back her look and decided to go makeup-free during many photoshoots and red carpets. However, it wasn't a statement against the cosmetic industry.

"Often, we get confused and believe that beauty is only external," Keys noted. "We live in a world where it's all about the outside and physical appearance, but I think many of us are looking for deeper concepts and ideas [about beauty]."

As Morning Honey previously reported, the former The Voice coach has always let the world in on her self-care practices. "I found that like for me as a writer, I really needed to get back into my journaling because I was getting all backed up in my head, and I was feeling all these things but I wasn't really able to express them," she admitted in a 2022 interview.

"Getting back into my journaling really opened a space for me, and it made me become more creative too because I was kind of stuffing that down," she added. "Everything with me is about wellness. That's what all of this is about, taking the everyday and turning it into a small bit of a ritual so that you can have a moment for yourself."

Byrdie conducted the interview with Keys.