Camila Cabello is opening up about her struggles with anxiety.
The "Havana" singer, 22, said in a recent Instagram post that she was an "incredibly nervous and socially anxious" child.
She shared how that side of her has affected her throughout her life and career, and what she's done to step out of her shell.
"I never ever sang in front of my parents or friends and would get flustered when they would ask me to," she wrote. "I got teary eyed when people sang happy birthday to me because people looking at me actually made me overwhelmed."
(MORE: 'Cinderella' adaptation starring Camila Cabello has a release date)Cabello said that in order to overcome this anxiety, she's had to push herself mentally.
"I feel like my whole life there’s been two Camila’s in me," she wrote. "There’s little Camila that is terrified of the unknown, is aware of all the ways everything can go wrong ... and thinks it’s safer to stay home than to play ball."
"Then there’s the other Camila," she continued. "And she knows what she wants out of life, is aware of how little time I have to let little Camila run the show while time passes by, and grabs young me by the hand and forces her out the door saying 'Let’s go. You’ll survive, and I’m not gonna miss out on this. Let’s go.'"
View this post on InstagramI remember growing up hearing stories of the singers I loved, all the stories sounded the same, kids who would grow up performing for their families and putting on talent shows for their parents when they were little who grew up to be dazzling to me. I was the opposite, I never ever sang in front of my parents or friends and would get flustered when they would ask me to, I sang in my room when my parents left for Walmart and cried when one day I saw them filming me through the crack of the door, I got teary eyed when people sang happy birthday to me because people looking at me actually made me overwhelmed. I was generally incredibly nervous and socially anxious when I was little; and people always have this look of disbelief when I tell them that. I did an interview the other day where I got it again, the interviewer said something along the lines of “So... how’d you end up here?” The answer is, I feel like my whole life there’s been two Camila’s in me. There’s little Camila that is terrified of the unknown, is aware of all the ways everything can go wrong, (actually can picture them vividly lol), and thinks it’s safer to stay home than to play ball. Then there’s the other Camila. And she knows what she wants out of life, is aware of how little time I have to let little Camila run the show while time passes by, and grabs young me by the hand and forces her out the door saying “Let’s go. You’ll survive, and I’m not gonna miss out on this. Let’s go.” And that is literally how I can sum up how I’ve gotten to this point in my life. (I’m talking about as a person, not success.) remember feeling discouraged when I felt like some people were just “born” to do things. That they always had it in them. “They were always this outgoing, they always loved to entertain, they were always this bold, they were always this outspoken.” (.....continue)
You choose who you’re going to be. Force yourself to do what you’re afraid of, always - and go after what you want and who you want to be, because you’re worth that.
She also wrote in another post about what she's learned through her struggle with anxiety.
"The truth is you decide who you’re going to be. Every day," she explained in the caption. "I’m not talking about talent or success. I just mean the type of person you’re going to be."
"If you haven’t been very brave, or very social, or wild, or an adventure seeker, if you describe yourself as the opposite of those things... it doesn’t mean you can’t be," she added. "The other you needs to grab little you by the hand, yank you by the hairs and tell you, 'Let’s go.'"
She said that her more reserved, anxious side hasn't completely disappeared; she just doesn't "let her boss me around as much."
The famous hit maker also detailed why she was compelled to share the message with her fanbase.
"I think sometimes we see other people do things and think 'Ah, well.. that’s just not me. I’ve never been like that.' It’s NOT TRUE."
(MORE: Camila Cabello asks fans to stop sending 'hateful things' to 'people I love' after breakup)"I went from never wanting to sing in front of my family to being addicted to performing, from being too anxious to hang out with new people to... still being a little anxious but having THE BEST time and making irreplaceable memories," she continued.
She urged her followers to push themselves to be their true selves.
"You choose who you’re going to be. Force yourself to do what you’re afraid of, always - and go after what you want and who you want to be, because you’re worth that," she wrote.
