10/12/2026
Amazing Monday: She’s 37 years old. She’s a two-time Academy Award winning actress. She’s an Academy Award nominated producer. She is a recording artist. She was the “world’s highest paid actress” in 2017 (1). Basically, she owns “La-La-Land!” She is Emma Stone.
Ms. Stone experienced her first panic attack at age 7 or 8 (depending on the source) when she woke up at a friend’s house convinced that it was on fire (2). “’I was sitting in my friend’s house, and I thought the house was burning down,” she admitted. “I called my mom and she brought me home, and for the next three years it just would not stop… I would ask my mom to tell me exactly how the day was going to be, then ask again 30 seconds later. I just needed to know that no one was going to die and nothing was going to change’” (2).
How did Ms. Stone turn it around? Well, the first step is recognizing that anxiety, while not defining who you are, may always be there. She “admits that she still suffers from some anxiety and knows she’ll always have certain issues, like overthinking or second guessing herself” (2). Then, it is doing something about it. We just published a very successful blog at UCP.org about recognizing when fear and self-doubt (which are universal) cross the line from rational to irrational. We also published a blog on using the creative arts as a way to deal with anxiety. I have been very open about coping with “dark days” in a photography darkroom. Ms. Stone found her way to cope initially through improv comedy and then acting. I love this quote: “She talks about how acting helps her achieve a sort of mindfulness, stating: ‘There’s something about the immediacy of acting. You can’t afford to think about a million other things. You have to think of the task at hand. Acting forces me to be a zen master: What is happening right in this moment?’”(2)
“Stone’s continuing success in being able to refocus her anxiety and panic is a great reminder that although your anxiety may never completely go away, it doesn’t have to. Some anxiety is normal, and there are always productive ways to overcome it and live a positive and rewarding life” (2). Simply Amazing.
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Stone
2) https://www.anxiety.org/emma-stone-childhood-battle-anxiety-panic-attack
Although Emma Stone is known for her outgoing and confident female roles on the screen and being calm, collected, and always quick to laugh when she’s out on the red carpet or goofing around on late night talk shows, she has recently opened up about the fact that she’s struggled with serious anx...
