Selena Gomez Says 'It's OK to Ask for Help' with Rare Beauty's 'Make a Good Call' Mental Health Campaign (Exclusive)
"Hearing a comforting voice can actually boost our mood," says the singer, "so pick up the phone and call someone you love"
Courtesy Rare Beauty
Selena GomezSelena Gomez is sharing how she wishes she’d advocated for herself as she continues to encourage others to take charge of their mental health.
“It’s OK to ask for help,” Gomez, 31, says in a video shared exclusively with PEOPLE. “It’s very important to be able to feel comfortable. I wish I had asked [for help] at a younger age.”
She’s sharing her advice as part of the ‘Make a Call” campaign, launched by her brand Rare Beauty, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.
The campaign encourages people who are struggling to “call someone you miss, or someone who’d love to hear your voice.”
And if you’re not sure who to call, Rare launched their own hotline, 877-HEY-RARE, “for a quick and easy mood boost.”
“If you ever feel lonely, you’re not alone,” the “Calm Down” singer said in a video promoting the campaign. “One in four people report they feel alone, and this year for Mental Health Awareness Month, Rare Beauty is encouraging everyone to make a good call — literally with a phone.”
She continued, “Studies suggest that hearing a comforting voice can actually boost our mood in ways that texting can’t, so pick up the phone and call someone you love. Call someone you haven't spoken to in a while. Or, call anyone who's sound of their voice would bring you comfort.”
The last person Gomez spoke to, she says, was someone very special.
“The last person I called was last night, and it was my Nana,” said Gomez in a video shared exclusively with PEOPLE.
She's previously revealed on an episode of her Food Network show, Selena + Chef, that she lives with her grandparents — and often ransacks the fridge for leftovers of her Nana’s food.
Related: Selena Gomez Gets a Spinoff Cooking Show ‘Selena + Restaurant’ Shot at Celebrity Chef Hot Spots
“I guess I haven’t made a phone call today. I need to!” she said.
The Only Murders in the Building star offered fans an intimate unpacking of both her triumphs and her setbacks when it came to mental health in last year’s Apple TV+ documentary, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me.
In addition to her bipolar diagnosis, Gomez also suffers from lupus, and underwent a kidney transplant in 2017.
While hosting a benefit for the Rare Impact Health Fund — which supports youth mental health organizations — Gomez shared that “everything changed” when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
“With that knowledge, I could seek out the support I needed to be myself, to find my joy again,” she said. “And tonight I'm very proud to say that I have and I've been working really hard every day and I'm so happy just to be alive and to be here with you guys today.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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