Dakota Johnson Opens Up About Experience With Depression, Anxiety and What Helped Her the Most

The People’s Choice Awards-winning actress starred in a beautiful, spring-inspired cover story for ‘Bustle.’

Dakota Johnson.Hector Vivas/Getty Images

Dakota Johnson prides herself on her ability to be offline and live far away from civilization. She can go days without interacting with other humans and being totally fine. But some days, she’s working 17-hour shifts, filming in the middle of the night and traveling all over the globe on a moment’s notice.

The Madame Web actress, who played the lead role in the recent polarizing action/sci-fi movie that received “chaotic” and “refreshingly honest” reviews, starred in a cover story and magnificent, spring-inspired almost ethereal accompanying photo shoot.

She opened up about all sorts of things, from being a Taylor Swift fan and what she was like as a child to the future of filmmaking and her brand new book club.

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The 34-year-old also discussed her own mental health struggles.

“Sometimes it’s really tough to deal with, but I also have access to incredible people, and I have the ability to impart a little bit of my experience,” she candidly shared about being in the public eye and dealing with limited privacy. “But I don’t want to be like that all the time. There’s a set time and place to be photographed for what I do. That’s part of my job. But to be photographed when I don’t know I’m being photographed and it’s a private moment? That feels like the most invasive, violating, horrible thing. People say that’s the price you pay when you’re famous, but I don’t believe that’s necessarily true.”

She added that she feels blessed and privileged to have been able to try many different things to help her manage depression and anxiety.

“I’ve explored everything, which is such a gift. I’ve started to be less and less ashamed of it,” she continued. “There’s such a weird stigma on depression and mental health. It’s hard. I do TM [Transcendental Meditation]. It is very easy on your nervous system, and it just regulates your brain waves. They say that 20 minutes of TM can be like a two-hour nap.”

BTS of #DakotaJohnson (and her son Stormi) at her Bustle cover shoot. pic.twitter.com/FPivsOfEwe

— Bustle (@bustle) March 5, 2024

Transcendental Meditation is a type of silent meditation, developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, unrelated or untied to any form of religion or practice. The TM technique involves the silent repetition of a mantra or sound, unique to each and every person, and is most effective when practiced for approximately 20 minutes, twice a day.