Queen Latifah Reveals Her Secrets to Happiness and Why Being Mentally Fit Is so Important to Her

Queen Latifah opens up about taking control of her health and being her own best friend as she reveals the secrets to her happiness and mental fitness.

Queen Latifah has had her fair share of ups and downs since the time she started as an insecure teen living in New Jersey until she became the multi-faceted entertainer and businesswoman she is today. And through the trials she’s been through, she learned that happiness is a choice just as health is a conscious effort to maintain.

“Give yourself a hug, give yourself a break, forgive yourself, be kind to you.”

In the midst of the success she currently reaps, Queen brings with her the memory of her late brother who died in 1992 riding a motorcycle she gifted him. Alongside this tragic past, she also carries the pain of losing her mother who succumbed to congestive heart failure last year.

But despite these losses, the actress/ singer/ author believes we can still find happiness if we choose to seek it. The secret she says is in three things.

BE YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND

Speaking to BlackDoctor.org as she campaigns for proactive healthcare under the banner of Global health service company Cigna, Queen opens up about what she would advise others to do to stay happy. For one thing, she says it’s important to “be your own best friend.”

“Give yourself a hug, give yourself a break, forgive yourself, be kind to you,” she explains.

STAY POSITIVE

The 49-year-old adds that it’s also vital to be surrounded by positive people and stay away from those who “love to see your downfall.”

“I try to keep positive people around me because sometimes when I may be not feeling at my one hundred percent, they could just say something funny to pick me up. And on another day it’ll be me for them so I think that’s important."

“I have learned that making time for myself is part of me caring about my family and my friends and my future.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH

Lastly, Queen says health shouldn't be taken for granted.

“If you’re not healthy, all of this means nothing…health is wealth is not a joke.”

The actress says this is also the reason she partnered with Cigna. She wants to help others take an active role in monitoring their physical, mental and social health. She encourages people to have themselves regularly checked so they can catch health problems early. “It’s a work in progress,” she says about health maintenance.

As for her mental health, she says it’s important to make time for it too despite a busy schedule.

“I have learned that making time for myself is part of me caring about my family and my friends and my future. So if I don’t take time out for me, there’s no way that I can take care of everybody else. Because there’s no way I can handle everything. I’m not superwoman…I get tired, I will burn out, I can stress out like everybody else."

Queen adds that she tries to stay away from stress by living in the moment. “I can’t focus on Monday when I’m worrying about Friday,” she explains.

It’s no wonder this girlboss manages to juggle a career in acting, singing, hosting, writing and producing, while investing in affordable housing. (The media mogul is involved in a $14 million project constructing multifamily townhomes.) She takes care of her health first and foremost and sees to her own happiness. We could all learn a great deal from this exceptional woman’s example.