Stay cool and do not rush, follow your intuition, trust it. Things come in time.
How has the pandemic affected your mental health?
I feel that this is a ying yang type of situation. It definitely affected me negatively, I see a lot of suffering and stress all around. It’s impossible for this not to affect me. I had been a traveler for years, following different opportunities that my music career provided.
With that, my finances were jeopardised as well, which added a whole deal of stress. However, here comes the yang to the ying, during this stagnant moment, I found peace and satisfaction from staying put.
Paying attention to my life with a new perspective.
Are you doing anything differently to look after your mental health during this period?
Mostly as before, focusing on enjoying the moment, making plans and remaining involved in my activity.
What are you looking forward to doing once things improve?
Hugging and kissing people with no fear or strange feelings.
Also, I really hope we can live with no masks and be among big crowds without stressing out.
What new TV, films, music or books have you discovered during lockdown that you’d recommend?
I’ll keep it simple here:
Movie (Eyes Wide Shut)
Music (revisited the early OutKast catalog and studied it throughout)
Book (When Things Fall Apart, Pema Chodron)
What advice would you give to 16 year old you?
And if life gets rough, keep busy making plans, know that the major prize is on the way.
If you had to draw a pie chart for what keeps you mentally well – what would it look like?
Friends and family 35%, time to myself and my activity 35%, 10% exercise, 10% resting, 10% food, drinks and other things that make me feel good.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about experiencing life.
I live for the day to come, for what I will discover tomorrow.
Enjoying what I’ve already discovered, doing the things I love doing.
Juan’s single with Mac DeMarco is out now and his album Real Life Situations is released on 30 April.