Actress and advocate Laverne Cox is opening up about her inspiring career and how she protects her mental health. In a new interview with Health, she discusses feeling her best and finding love at 50, and how she’s developed a routine that prioritizes both her mental and physical health.
On finding love at 50: “The falling-in-love process has been overwhelming. The work is to be able to receive it and feel I’m worthy of the love…I can’t believe I’m being treated this well, after all these years. It’s taken me nearly 50 years to get here. It can be overwhelming. Love has to be constantly renewed and cared for. When you’re really vulnerable with someone, there’s something beautiful and incredible about that…It is an honor to be loved and to love.”
On going to therapy: “When you have trauma, eventually it needs to be reprocessed. What I’m working on with my therapist now is building up my resourcing, so that when it’s time to reprocess the trauma, it’s not re-traumatizing. You don’t want to flood yourself revisiting that trauma because that can keep you from healing—you have to go slowly.”
On staying grounded: “For me, it’s about breathing and feeling my feet on the floor. Smell is also really big for me. The smell of lavender or vanilla can really calm me. And I’m very tactile. I have a fuzzy robe that I wear, that I will rub and it just makes me feel good. Even just rubbing my arms, sort of caressing myself, is a soothing thing that lets my body know it’s safe.”
On advocacy and her mental health: “I think of the violence against trans people—it has really [messed] me up. There were anti-trans bills introduced into state legislatures in 2021. Many of them use language like ‘biologically male but thinks they’re a girl.’ They don’t actually use the word transgender. It’s language that literally erases us as trans people. So, I’ve really found myself needing to protect my mental health.”
On turning 50 with wisdom and caring for her body: “In some ways, I feel like I’m in the prime of my life. I think I look better than I’ve ever looked, and I’ve evolved so much. I’m turning 50 with some wisdom. I know some things, which is really nice. Could I know more? Absolutely. But I’m moving through the world with integrity, and that’s something I’m proud of.”
“I started dance classes again and it’s so much fun. I hate working out, so getting in a rhythm has been a struggle. When I go to the gym, it becomes goal-oriented and not process-oriented. When I start thinking about the results, it’s not a good space for me to be in. I’m better when I focus on the journey. I want to turn 50 and be healthy. That’s part of the reason I started dance classes again. I want to feel good in my body, mind, and spirit.”
The April issue of Health magazine will be on sale March 11th.
[Photo Credit: Chrisean Rose/Health Magazine]
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