'Power Rangers' Star Becky G Isn't Afraid To Talk About Her Anxiety

Becky G feels like a total badass being part of the new Power Rangers film, there's no doubt about that. The 20-year-old suits up as Trini, the yellow Power Ranger, in the movie out March 24 (obviously based on the classic '90s show). When sitting down with the performer, she gushes about her first movie experience, telling me how empowered her role makes her feel. Trini is an outcast at school, but a warrior on the battlefield, which isn't too far from the actor herself. At such a young age (and with 5.4 million Instagram followers), it seems like the world is on her shoulders — a lot of fans look up to and depend on her. While Becky G lives for her fans and her craft, she isn't afraid to admit she occasionally breaks down from anxiety. In fact, she embraces this part of herself.

Although she's reached a level of stardom, she still relates to being a misfit. "I wasn't the coolest kid in school, I didn’t have a clique, I was always changing schools... It’s crazy, man. I can be in an arena filled with so many people and at the same time still feel alone," she explains. And times weren't always easy wen fighting for her dreams. "Little do you know, I’m living in a garage that’s the size of a one bedroom with my six family members and just doing what I love to do," she recalls. Thus, even achieving her goals came with struggle.

"As an artist, I think it’s really easy getting caught up in thinking about what you’re supposed to do. Before I went into Power Rangers... I kind of felt stuck and in a box. I didn’t feel inspired anymore," she says. The pressure of reinventing herself and making her followers proud can be overbearing at times. "I’m only human. I think because I feel like a little warrior, I haven’t stopped, ever," she says of her constant relentlessness.

She admits it's difficult in day-to-day life to make sure she's sleeping, working out, eating properly, and caring for herself. "It’s tough when you have a lot of work and you’re spreading yourself thin. I’ve definitely dealt with things like anxiety, exhaustion," she says. "Sometimes you think, ‘I control my body, so I can tell my body, no, keep going.’ I don’t think you can really understand unless you’ve dealt with anxiety, it can hit you at the most random moments," she explains.

Sometimes stopping to take a mental break can cause more harm than good. "Because I was go, go, go, go and I had this one day off — this one moment where I’m not doing anything, my body went into shock," she says. "Your mind doesn’t stop going and you start hyperventilating and stop breathing, you’re on the floor and you’re like, ‘What’s happening to me?’ It happens." The most difficult part, perhaps, is hiding it from her fans.

"There’s nothing that breaks my heart more when I’m not doing OK, doing a meet and greet with fans and I’m trying so hard to push through it. And they’re like, ‘Are you OK?’ The tears are like swelling up in my eyes," she says. Still, going through these low points are worth it in the end.

"When I’m on stage and meeting fans, traveling, [anxiety] is such a small part of it — the little grain of salt in this amazing iced tea," the actor says. Further, she says it's crucial to express those feelings rather than bottle them up in order to get better:

"I think it’s good to talk about those things and be real about that because again, we’re only human. If there’s anyone dealing with those things, whether it be school pressures, work, family issues, you have to talk about it because that’s the first step towards getting better and dealing with it."

Although Becky G can still relate to being bullied and secluded, her experiences have only strengthened her. "That’s why surrounding yourself with good people is so crucial," she says. "When people would bully me, yes, it would hurt, but I would realize, I’m fine. I don’t need that person in my life."

Becky G takes the hurdles as opportunities for growth and understanding of who she is. "Sometimes you’re tired, sometimes you’re going through heartbreak. That’s maybe how I learned to act, because the show must go on, always," she says. Needless to say, she'll continue using struggles to blend the "amazing ice tea" that is her life.