“When was the last time you looked in the mirror and saw yourself?” he asked Vogue’s culture editor, who interviewed him for its recent winter issue.
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“When you looked in that mirror, did you tell yourself that you loved yourself? Did you tell yourself that you would forgive yourself?”
He goes on to tell her that he said the same thing to himself earlier that morning, which seems to be a frequent habit of his.
“I’m a little excited to say this, but it makes me feel better. You can look at yourself and say, ‘Hey, no matter what you’re going through, I love you.’ I thought, “I thought,” he told Vogue.
Raymond’s consistent mirror affirmations may even boost his confidence before going on stage.
Saying affirmations to yourself in the mirror is an easy way to combat imposter syndrome, says Dora Kamau, who teaches mindfulness and meditation at Headspace. This practice involves “seeing the evidence, seeing the impact” of your contributions and reassuring yourself that you are in the position you are in for a reason.
According to Vogue, Raymond also prioritizes exercising, eating healthy, seeing his partner of four years, and raising their four children. And, according to Vogue, he’s further honoring his mental health by committing to regular sessions with a therapist and practicing meditation daily.
Experts say Raymond can meditate to combat the negative thoughts that arise before a performance. Oren Jay Sofer says on the podcast “10 Percent Happier” that it’s easy to focus on the things that can go wrong, but that by “remembering the one thing you’re grateful for about yourself,” you can make a huge difference. He said he could achieve greatness.
“If you lift your spirits even a little bit, you’ll be able to put more energy and strength into the things you care about,” Sofer said.
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