Beyoncé on Turning 40, One of Her ‘Most Satisfying Moments’ as Blue Ivy’s Mom, and Learning Self-Care

Beyoncé blessed Harper’s Bazaar with her presence on its September 2021 cover—and gave the outlet a thoughtful interview about her life as she turns 40 next month. Bey revealed that yes, new music is coming, and also discussed how she handles her self-care, and how that example has impacted her daughters, Blue Ivy, 9, and Rumi Carter, 4.

“I think like many women, I have felt the pressure of being the backbone of my family and my company and didn’t realize how much that takes a toll on my mental and physical well-being,” Bey started. “I have not always made myself a priority. I’ve personally struggled with insomnia from touring for more than half of my life. Years of wear and tear on my muscles from dancing in heels. The stress on my hair and skin, from sprays and dyes to the heat of a curling iron and wearing heavy makeup while sweating on stage. I’ve picked up many secrets and techniques over the years to look my best for every show. But I know that to give the best of me, I have to take care of myself and listen to my body.”

“In the past, I spent too much time on diets, with the misconception that self-care meant exercising and being overly conscious of my body,” she continued. “My health, the way I feel when I wake up in the morning, my peace of mind, the number of times I smile, what I’m feeding my mind and my body—those are the things that I’ve been focusing on. Mental health is self-care too. I’m learning to break the cycle of poor health and neglect, focusing my energy on my body and taking note of the subtle signs that it gives me. Your body tells you everything you need to know, but I’ve had to learn to listen. It’s a process to change habits and look past the bag of chips and the chaos everywhere!”

Then she shared how her own discoveries have impacted her kids—and hinted there may be something bigger coming for all of us: “During quarantine, I went from overindulgences to creating positive rituals drawing from past generations and putting my own spin on things,” she started. “I discovered CBD on my last tour, and I’ve experienced its benefits for soreness and inflammation. It helped with my restless nights and the agitation that comes from not being able to fall asleep. I found healing properties in honey that benefit me and my children. And now I’m building a hemp and a honey farm. I’ve even got hives on my roof! And I’m so happy that my daughters will have the example of those rituals from me. One of my most satisfying moments as a mom is when I found Blue one day soaking in the bath with her eyes closed, using blends I created and taking time for herself to decompress and be at peace. I have so much to share…and there’s more to come soon!”

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Bey also confirmed she has been working on new music: “With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again,” she said. “I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible. I’ve been in the studio for a year and a half. Sometimes it takes a year for me to personally search through thousands of sounds to find just the right kick or snare. One chorus can have up to 200 stacked harmonies. Still, there’s nothing like the amount of love, passion, and healing that I feel in the recording studio. After 31 years, it feels just as exciting as it did when I was nine years old. Yes, the music is coming!”

With turning 40, she’s looking forward to a decade full of “fun and freedom.”

“I want to feel the same freedom I feel on stage every day of my life,” she said. “I want to explore aspects of myself I haven’t had time to discover and to enjoy my husband and my children. I want to travel without working. I want this next decade to be about celebration, joy, and giving and receiving love. I want to give all the love I have to the people who love me back.”

You can read Beyoncé’s full Harper’s Bazaar interview here.

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