Keke Palmer says she can ‘totally feel the love’ from fans on social media post-baby: ‘I think all moms deserve that’
The Unwind is Yahoo Life's well-being series in which experts, influencers and celebrities share their approaches to wellness and mental health, from self-care rituals to setting healthy boundaries to the mantras that keep them afloat.
A great deal of Keke Palmer's allure has come at the hands of her unwavering work ethic. With nearly 20 years of industry experience, helming titles such as actress, director and, most recently, mother, being able to juggle multiple happenings at once is a hallmark of her Big Boss brand.
"I've kind of always had a version of this work ethic," says Palmer, who spoke to Yahoo Life from VidCon, where she spoke on a panel about her latest creative endeavors and her Big Boss mentality. The mindset is something Palmer says has been instilled in her since her childhood stints on Nickelodeon and Disney, when she first learned to wear "multiple hats" in the entertainment industry.
"They kind of always had [us] doing a bunch of different things at once," says Palmer.
But the self-proclaimed "Millennial diva" is much more than her professional titles, and she says carving out space for herself beyond the labels has become increasingly important in this new chapter of her life.
"Taking the necessary time I need is important. And not just for me as a mom or me as a partner but me as a person," says Palmer, who welcomed her first child, Leodis Jackson, with partner Darius Jackson, in February.
Admittedly, this "Keke time" has been quite hard to come by for Palmer, who says she prefers to "have Leo with me at all times."
"I don't like to spend a ton of crazy time away from my family because I start to miss them," she says.
But it can all be a lot at times.
"Sometimes it does end up feeling like you're being touched out for sure with the baby and having a partner. Luckily, they both love me. But sometimes it is exhausting," she says. When she is able to find some time alone, though, she says she is a fan of all the self-care classics.
"For me, it's going to get a facial or going to get a massage or doing something solo like that," says Palmer.
Therapy is also a crucial part of her mental wellness routine, as she compares its importance to that of a physical examination.
"When you go to the doctor, you get a check-up for your body. We don't do that with our minds enough. And, like, that's essentially what therapy is," says Palmer, explaining that speaking to a therapist can be useful even in instances where nothing is necessarily "wrong."
"You need to do check-ups on your mind and make sure the way that you're thinking is conducive to you having the best life that you want to have," she says.
This is especially important for Palmer as she continues to establish boundaries with the internet while expanding her reach across various sectors of the media landscape.
"Being able to listen to the right parts of your mind and not the parts that are going to pull you into a negative hole when we're consuming so many different things in our daily lives and battling social media comparisons, It's important," says Palmer.
However, there are moments whern the actress can "totally feel the love," from fans on social media, as she says some of the positive Twitter reactions to her post-baby body have made her "heart so happy."
And while many of the tweets may seem like standard compliments from fans, Palmer says it means so much more for her as a new mom.
"I don't want being a mom to change the way that I view myself, negatively," she says. "My body is not the same. It probably will never be the same again, and I think it's great for all moms to be able to feel that support. I think all moms deserve that."
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