Shawn Mendes will not be continuing his Wonder: The World tour for at least the next three weeks.
On July 8, the "Stitches" singer announced that he will be taking a break from performing to focus on his mental health. "This breaks my heart to have to say this, but unfortunately I'm going to have to postpone the next three weeks of shows through Uncasville, CT until further notice," Mendes began his candid Instagram message to his fans. The singer further revealed that he's struggled with touring throughout his career and has "hit a breaking point."
"I've been touring since I was 15 and, to be honest, it's always been difficult to be on the road away from friends," he continued. "After a few years off the road, I felt like I was ready to dive back in, but that decision was premature and unfortunately, the toll of the road and the pressure has caught up to me and I've hit a breaking point. After speaking with my team and health professionals, I need to take some time to heal and take care of myself and my mental health, first and foremost. As soon as there are more updates I promise I will let you know love you guys ??."
Fans of the singer have been largely supportive in the comments. "Good for you for recognizing that your health is more important than [money]," one fan replied. "Many prayers you return to your full self when you are ready. Again, when YOU are ready."
Another wrote, "It's very smart to set these boundaries for yourself when you are young. Good for you!"
This is not the first time Shawn Mendes has opened up about how his ongoing battle with anxiety has affected his art. "My personal wellness journey started a couple years ago when I was going through a really dark time," he told GQ in September 2021. "I had so much anxiety that I actually couldn't sing anymore. It was all in my throat, which a lot of men experience. We often experience those emotions as tension in our back, neck, and as pain in our bodies. I couldn't sing anymore, and I always had a thing about quitting. I didn't want to quit."
Mendes said he worked with a coach to come up with a routine, which involved meditation, breathing exercises, and a strict "no social media" rule before 11 a.m. "My goal is to achieve feeling calm and good," he said. "It's meditation, it's setting boundaries, and it's holding myself accountable for my own mindset and mental health, and making sure I stick to these things daily."
At the time of the interview, Mendes was still dating fellow musician Camila Cabello. The pair broke up in November 2021. "The most recent big emotional breakthrough I had was realizing I had this good guy complex that a lot of men have," Mendes continued. "Like a lot of men, I feel a pressure to be a good guy, I want to be a good guy, and in moments where I'm betraying that, I realized I was still making it about myself by explaining myself. I was taking up more space explaining myself, instead of creating space for the person I was hurting, my girlfriend. And in trying to be the good guy, I ended up the bad guy. That was a big breakthrough."
He added, "Emotional wellness is really about vulnerability. Feeling like you're around people who will let you express how you feel."