Selena Gomez felt under an “immense amount of pressure” as a child star.

The 29-year-old actress shot to fame as a child, starring on ‘Barney & Friends’ and ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’, and Selena admits she initially struggled to cope with the pressure that came her way.

She reflected: “There was this immense amount of pressure I had growing up that I felt like I needed to be a good role model.

“And then I felt like maybe that was just unrealistic, and my life became very public really quickly, and I didn’t know that I was going through my own journey with mental health at the time.”

Selena ultimately felt the need to focus on her mental health and take control of her own life.

She told Women’s Wear Daily: “So, it was really confusing growing up, and once people created this narrative of my life, I realised I can’t be quiet anymore.

“I have to just address what needs to be addressed, and that’s me reclaiming my story, which is, ‘OK, yeah, I was definitely going through a hard time, and this is why, and this is what I deal with.'”

Earlier this year, Selena explained that working out is key for her mental health.

The brunette beauty feels “miserable” when she’s in the midst of a workout routine – but it’s an important part of her beauty regime, and ultimately, it’s good for her mental health too.

Speaking in a video about her beauty secrets, Selena shared: “I think the most important part of, you know … my beauty and my routine is working out. I think it’s just … as miserable as it can be for me, I think it helps me mentally, it helps me physically of course. But, it just keeps me in a good head space.”