During a recent chat with Audacy, Zedd opened up about the lifestyle changes he made while making his latest album, that he views as useful tools to help him maintain his mental health.

“I honestly think I would have never finished this album if it wasn’t for me finding a lifestyle and routine that keeps me sane," Zedd revealed. Sharing that "making this album was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. I have not felt this burnt out in a long time.”

Talking about his routine, Zedd shared it started with “taking care of my physical health.” Noting that he “stopped drinking,” before amending that he drinks “occasionally,” as opposed to his past habit of drinking “at every show.” Another part of Zedd’s new routine includes getting “at least 9 hours of sleep every night,” writing down “every calorie I drank or ate into a spreadsheet and made sure to stay in a caloric deficit when I needed to, and in a surplus when I needed to.”

"Then one of the most important things… especially when you’re in a time crunch to finish something, is to not work to much," Zedd said. Admitting "this sounds a little bit counter intuitive and some people think you just gotta grind through it." In his opinion, "when you do anything that is creative you’re mental state is so crucial, it will feed everything else. So I made my studio chunks short enough every day, to where I could actually be excited to continue working on the thing that I didn’t get to finish yesterday.”

“After dinner, no more music,” Zedd said of the studio time boundaries he set for himself, noting “of course it happens sometimes, but after dinner I would stop making music and I would play video games with the boys.” Adding, “We get into Discord and we start gaming, or just talking for a few hours before bed, and that’s sort of my wind down.”

Zedd went on to say, “I think having lots of sleep, lots of workout,” noting the latter as “another crucial thing,” along with “ice baths every morning”… “Starting my days with that and just getting healthy improved my mental state a lot. And being well rested and inspired is what contributed to me making the most honest album that I’ve ever made, it’s because I felt like myself.”

Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Mike Adam

During a recent chat with Audacy, Katy Perry shared how the use of transcendental meditation has changed her life and bettered her mental health.

"My biggest life hack is transcendental meditation," Katy shared, "it’s this specific type of meditation that you learn. Anyone can learn it, it’s available to everyone, you can go to transcendentalmeditation.org, there [are] people, and places, and centers that teach everyone."

Sharing she learned the practice “about 15 years ago,” Katy admitted it has since “changed my life,” revealing, “It is the biggest hack for me, for my anxiety, depression, mood swings, jet lag, hangover, and it’s where I get some of my best creative ideas.”

She also notes that while it is suggested to do twice a day, “once you really lock into it," that shouldn’t be something that you stress over trying to fit into your daily routine.

“It’s really helped me with my mental health," Katy added. “It just flips a switch, and it’s a hack because you do it for 20 minutes, they suggest twice a day, once in the morning once in the evening. I do it supplementary… I do it once every couple of days. Like after I finish these interviews, right before I go to rehearsal for all these big shows I have coming up, I’m gonna go do a TM for 20 minutes, and it will feel like I had a two-hour nap.”

“Last night I only had 4 hours of sleep on the clock, but I do this thing, I meditate myself to sleep, and literally I go into the deepest sleep cycle. Anyone looking for a tool, a life tool, it’s such a hack… and for everything I’ve been through, it is the CTRL ALT Delete to this program.”

Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.

Words by Maia Kedem

During a recent chat with Audacy Atlanta V-103’s Big Tigger, Coco Jones opened up about tools and best practices she uses to help maintain her mental health.

Listing off therapy, journaling, and expressing that “music can also set a peaceful environment,” Coco went on to share, “Sometimes I listen to lo-fi music, sometimes classical jazz. If I just need peace of mind, my environment really can be changed by music as well.”

“I definitely use music to care for my mental health,” Coco reiterated. Adding, “being a songwriter is such a cathartic experience to really get out all of those emotions that you have pent up. And even if you're not a songwriter, sometimes just journaling and listening to music while you journal is helpful for me too.”

Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Big Tigger