“It can’t all be work”: Idris Elba Wanted to Break the Cycle After He Began Finding Comfort In Studios More Than His Home
Acclaimed actor Idris Elba recently revealed that he has been going to therapy for the past year to address unhealthy habits that formed as a result of his workaholic tendencies. The film and TV star admitted that his nonstop drive has led to him finding more comfort in work environments than at home with family.He explained that his extreme work ethic has been encouraged by the entertainment industry, but now realizes it is unhealthy and unsustainable.
How Did Idris Elba’s Workaholism Develop?
Idris Elba opened up about his therapy and shifting his “neuropaths” during an appearance on the Changes With Annie Macmanus podcast,
“I’m an absolute workaholic. And that isn’t great for life, generally,” Elba told host Annie Macmanus. “Nothing that’s too extreme is good, everything needs balance. But I’m rewarded massively to be a workaholic.”
The actor described how his film jobs take him away for months at a time, which fuels the cycle of constant work with little downtime. This has caused his home and family life to take a backseat to his acting and music careers.
Elba even finds relaxation in the music studio he built in his home. “I could work 10 days on a film, underwater sequences holding my breath for six minutes, and come back and sit in [the studio] and [feel relaxed], more so than sitting on the sofa with the family — which is bad right?” he admitted.
How Is Idris Elba Trying to Break His Unhealthy Patterns?
After recognizing how his workaholism has formed unhealthy neuropaths and habits, Elba said he has been going to therapy for about a year now to “normalize what makes me relaxed.”
“It can’t all be work,” the actor told Macmanus about what he’s learned in therapy. He explained that while acting and music bring him joy, he needs to make sure his family and home life bring him comfort as well.
Elba’s therapy revelation comes on the heels of a busy year filming major projects like the Apple TV+ series Hijack and the action thriller Beast with Sharlto Copley. He also recently reprised his DC role as Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad and is set to voice Knuckles again in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
But it seems the 50-year-old star is trying to take a step back and introduce more balance into his relentless schedule. He recognizes that his workaholic tendencies developed from professional rewards, but now wants to break the cycle of finding his only comfort on set and in studios.
While Elba clearly still has a packed slate of upcoming projects, it seems he is striving to gain more fulfillment outside of his acting and music work. His therapy journey proves that it’s never too late to shift neuropaths and develop healthier habits, no matter how ingrained they’ve become.
