At a Glance
- Gwyneth Paltrow shared her anxiety coping methods in an Instagram AMA on Jan. 21
- She admits to being “over functioned and burnt out” despite wellness efforts
- Hormonal changes and public life intensify her mental health challenges
- Why it matters: The Goop founder’s openness highlights that even wellness icons struggle with mental health
Gwyneth Paltrow is candidly detailing how she manages anxiety and burnout while juggling fame, business, and hormonal shifts.
During an Ask Me Anything session on her Instagram Stories on January 21, the actress fielded questions from fans about everything from workouts to her fondest memory of the late fashion legend Valentino Garavani. When one follower asked, “How do you manage anxiety?”, Paltrow offered a raw response.
“I can’t really avoid anxiety, but I try to temper it with remembering things I am grateful for, breathing deeply, going for a walk, and shouting at the bushes (it helps) and being good to myself,” she wrote.
Later in the Q&A, another user wondered how she steers clear of “overfunctioning and burnout.”
“I have avoided neither,” Paltrow replied. “I’m over functioned and burnt out, but I’m trying to get a little bit better this year at that and really prioritizing sleep and boundaries around working and not working, but I have some work to do.”
Paltrow Links Anxiety to Hormonal Shifts and Public Scrutiny
The Marty Supreme star traces some of her current anxiety to physical changes. In a November 2025 episode of her goop podcast, she said, “I think also my hormonal phase of life, I have a lot of anxiety for the very first time in my life, which is just a symptom of hormonal changes. I think it’s an estrogen dominance thing. It makes you really anxious.”
She broke down the sources of her mental strain:
- Physiological: hormonal fluctuations
- Psychological: perfectionist tendencies
- Emotional: day-to-day stress
- Public life: decades in the spotlight
“I’ve lived a very intense life in the public eye for a really, really long time,” Paltrow explained. “And so I think whenever we’re at the mercy of people’s opinions and all the energy behind the opinions – I’m very sensitive, as most of us are – so I feel that and it kind of frays my nervous system.”
Ongoing Therapy and Family Support
Paltrow says she works with multiple therapists, including one who specializes in the nervous system. She also finds comfort at home.
“I get healing from my family, from my kids and my husband,” she shared.
Earlier in the podcast, she admitted she can spiral after a harsh email: “I would get a work email that was not nice and really take it like it’s a slap in the face.”
Paltrow has previously spoken about having “a bit of ADD” and feeling pulled in multiple directions. Her current goal is to stay grounded and reduce daily distractions.
If you or someone you know needs mental health support, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to reach a certified crisis counselor.
