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Inverness actress Karen Gillan opens up about anxiety to Women's Health magazine


By Iona M.J. MacDonald

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Karen Gillan.
Karen Gillan.

Inverness-born actress Karen Gillan has been openly discussing mental health with Women's Health magazine.

The star first hit fame in her role as Amy Pond in Doctor Who, and has gone on to appear in multiple films and TV shows, her most popular being her role as Nebula in the Marvel cinematic universe.

She is featured on the cover of the July/August edition of the magazine that goes on sale later this month.

"It felt good and actually rather cathartic to open up to Women's Health magazine about self-care and dealing with anxiety," she told her 7.6 million Instagram followers.

In the magazine's photoshoot she poses in outdoor settings, at lakes and grassy fields. She wears brands such as Patagonia, Free People and Aritzia creating a earth-toned series of photos where she blends into the natural environment around her.

Karen Gillan on the cover of Women's Health for July/August.
Karen Gillan on the cover of Women's Health for July/August.

The Hollywood A-lister's struggles with anxiety led to self-doubt, despite her confident and driven work ethic, it is reported.

She discusses her experiences struggling with imposter syndrome and anxiety, and tells the magazine of negative thoughts she deals with when she is in an anxious state. But she has found ways to cope with negative thoughts and periods of anxiety, with her main coping mechanism being exercise.

She tells Women's Health about how exercise has been an outlet for her to manage her anxiety. “I didn’t realise how much better I felt mentally until I stopped,” she tells the magazine.

She keeps a diverse fitness routine which can consist of "weight lifting, targeting biceps, triceps, shoulders, and legs, with a little cardio thrown in" as well as barre classes and spinning classes in her downtime.


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