Shawn Mendes has decided to cancel his world tour to focus on his mental health. The singer announced the news on Instagram yesterday,
About a month ago the singer postponed three weeks of his tour in the United States. His tour was supposed to span across the globe for 70 concert dates through August 2023.
In his Instagram post, Mendes admitted that he had been “excited to finally get back to playing live after a long break due to the pandemic.” However, he quickly realized he was not ready for the touring life.
Before making the difficult decision, the singer consulted his team and “an incredible group of health professionals.” He added that he is hoping to “ground” himself with some “much needed time off.”
He reassured his fans that he still planned on creating new music during his healing time, just not going to be touring. The singer knows how long his fans have been waiting to see him perform and it “breaks” his heart to have to cancel.
Mendes has been touring around the world since he was 15 years old. In an Instagram post made on July 8, he stated that being away from his family and friends has been extremely difficult.
Through his music, he has shared with his fans his struggles with anxiety. The COVID-19 pandemic allowed his anxiety to rise to the surface. Mendes was able to reflect on how he had been handling his anxiety. It made him go “‘Oh, this is what I’ve been doing. This is crazy.'”
Just about everyone has experienced anxiety from time to time. However, some individuals suffer from anxiety disorders. individuals with this condition frequently experience intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations.
Anxiety disorders often involve repeated episodes of panic attacks — sudden onset of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes. Examples of anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder (social phobia), specific phobias, and separation anxiety disorder, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is possible for a person to have more than one anxiety disorder.
The singer and his team are hoping he may be able to pick up some of his touring gigs after he has taken some time to heal. He ended his Instagram post by saying that he loved his fans and thanked them for being understanding.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
BuzzFeed News: Shawn Mendes Has Canceled The Rest Of His World Tour Because Of His Mental Health
Mayo Clinic: Anxiety disorders
Images Courtesy by Kim Erlandsen Courtesy of NRK P3’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
