Dakota Johnson says pandemic causes 'costume of depression'


Dakota Johnson has experienced a "costume of depression" amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The 'Fifty Shades of Grey' actress - who recently opened up about her own mental health struggles - insisted it's difficult to be "totally positive" all the time when lockdown restrictions mean loved ones are being kept apart and it can feel like life is on hold.
She told 'Extra': "You are at home, you're not with your friends, you're not with your family, you are not able to do the things that make you feel worthwhile, and make you feel like you are doing something with your life, or that you have a purpose.
"You're kind of in this costume of depression but not really sure if you feel that way.
"I think there's also immense pain and sadness ricocheting around the world constantly so it's hard to feel totally positive all day every day when the world is sad right now."
The 30-year-old star suggested there is "only so much" people can do to help themselves at the moment, but added the smallest things are more important than ever.
She said: "There's only so much you can do to help yourself, but even those little, little tiny things like meditation or going for a walk, being kind to your body and your brain and yourself.
"Those little things make a bigger difference ultimately."
Dakota's comments come after she revealed she's been battling with her mental health for a number of years - but now she tries to see her struggles as "beautiful".
She recently said: "I've struggled with depression since I was young - since I was 15 or 14.
"That was when, with the help of professionals, I was like, 'Oh, this is a thing I can fall into.'
"But I've learned to find it beautiful because I feel the world. I guess I have a lot of complexities, but they don't pour out of me. I don't make it anyone else's problem."