Goldie Hawn shines light on mental health awareness and urges people to take 'time out' when needed

Goldie Hawn has always been an advocate for mental health awareness, especially for children. Since 2003 she launched MindUP for Life, a program that helps parents and teachers teach kids the science around their brains and the chemical reactions behind one's emotions. The Academy Award-winning actor founded The Goldie Hawn Foundation and MindUp to address children's mental health concerns. Even in her 2011 book, "10 Mindful Minutes", the 77-year-old wrote about the importance of social and emotional skills for leading a happier, healthier life, according to PEOPLE.

In an Instagram post on World Mental Health Day, "The First Wives Club" star emphasized the importance of taking a break in times of tough emotions and taking care of oneself during difficult moments. “It’s World Mental Health Day, and as we know, we’ve had so many challenges in terms of our mental health,” Hawn said in the video posted on October 10. 

"This time is actually challenging to a lot of people for a lot of different reasons," she said. "But I would say, it's important to take care of ourselves, important to recognize when we feel anxious, when we realize that life isn't very good."

Hawn also asked her followers to take “time out” to do things that bring "joy and prayer." How she deals with overwhelming feelings is to breathe deeply and reflect on all the things she's grateful for. "There's a heck of a lot of them,” she added.  “It doesn’t matter the world you live in,” Hawn continued. “It matters how you feel about yourself. And what you’re giving to others and what others are giving to you.” 

People appreciated her advice on mental health in the comments section. "I’ve cried in my car in a parking lot every day for a few weeks. Mental health is important! Thanks for bringing awareness," wrote @heather81us while @rutapundziute commented: "Oh! Thank you, Goldie! Needed to hear this so very much." 

The actress has had a beautiful long-lasting relationship with her partner Kurt Rusell for nearly four decades. They parents four children: Boston Russell, whom Kurt welcomed with ex-wife Season Hubley; Oliver Hudson and Kate Hudson from Hawn's previous relationship with Bill Hudson; and Wyatt Russell, the couple's youngest, whom they welcomed together. They cherish their blended family and see the importance of nurturing their relationships. 

The "Overboard" actress spoke to USA Today revealing that while she is generally a happy-go-lucky person, she did suffer from severe panic attacks at one time. "The worst thing that ever happened to me were these panic attacks. And the best thing that ever happened to me were these panic attacks," she said stating that it helped her grow as a person. "I would've never been able to get down into my truth, my soul, my being. I would never have been able to understand what it was to be successful. Success is a come-and-go kind of thing. People are just coming at you with all kinds of opinions, good and bad, I learned that really nobody knew me, that only I could know myself."

Hawn also pressed on being honest with oneself and knowing that it's okay to ask for help. If she had advice for her younger self it would be this: "If you're sad, tell someone. If you are hurting, tell someone. If you're scared, share that. Don't live inside your secrets by yourself. It's OK to not feel well. It's OK to be scared. It's OK. All these emotions are normal. We are emotional beings, period." She added that she's learned that when a person understands and recognizes their emotions "and you share it with someone, oftentimes it can actually dissipate a little bit." She concluded by adding, "We need to put humanity back in the human."