This Mother's Day, Shay Mitchell Opens Up About Finding Community As A New Mom & The Importance Of Mini-Moments

Shay Mitchell keeps it candid. If you're one of the actress's 29.8 million followers on Instagram, 5.9 million followers on TikTok, or 4.3 million subscribers on YouTube, you know that Mitchell is unfiltered and unafraid—especially when it comes to talking about motherhood. Among the adorable shots of her baby girl, Atlas, and the hilariously relatable videos that grace our screens (see: How to not build a stroller), she's also open about the ups and downs that come with the beautiful, ever-evolving journey of being a mother. 

"Speaking about my own experiences was always really important to me," Mitchell tells mbg. Sharing her story is how she bolsters her mental health, and considering Mother's Day falls during Mental Health Awareness month, it's important to acknowledge the two together—especially after an emotionally challenging year for so many moms. 

Self-care, as we know, is an important part of a mental health routine—whatever that looks like for you. "That time could be directed toward working out, going for a walk, [connecting on] FaceTime, or doing absolutely nothing," Mitchell says. "It really comes down to listening to what it is you need in that moment." 

Social interactions truly feed Mitchell's mental health. We don't need to tell you how isolating this past year has been for so many, and keeping your community close can help combat those feelings of loneliness. "For my mental health, keeping in contact and being social with my friends is incredibly important," she says.

Mitchell has previously opened up about her struggle with prenatal depression, and she recounts what was most helpful for her was knowing she wasn't alone. See, prenatal depression—or depression during pregnancy—doesn't get nearly as much attention as it should, and Mitchell found that sharing her experience with others helped her navigate what she was going through. "Having people in my life that were like, 'No, what you're feeling is totally normal'—that went a really long way," she says. 

Mitchell finds comfort in those everyday, "uninterrupted" moments where she can connect with Atlas. For example, her solo morning routine has now expanded to two (but she's far from mad about it): "[I'm] doing those sorts of things with Atlas as well—like brushing her teeth, wiping her face with a facecloth." 

Mitchell, like many of us, is unable to spend quality time with her mom and grandma this Mother's Day. But that doesn't mean she can't shower them with the love they deserve. 

"For Mother's Day this year, I'm not able to be with my mom and my grandma," she says. "That's one of the reasons I was really excited about Pampers' initiative with #MillionActsOfLove—because it really is just about doing little things that show the mother figures in your life that you care and that you're thinking of them. For us, FaceTime checkups, texting my mom and my grandma, and seeing them on the screen are all really important." 

So often with motherhood, there's this veil of "perfection" that's unattainable and, quite frankly, outdated. Mitchell is quick to dismantle the assumption: "There is no such thing as perfect," she says. "I don't care what anybody says. Nobody is perfect."

In fact, perfection is the opposite of her goal: "You want to show your children that we all make mistakes and that's OK—we learn from them and we grow. That's a huge part of growing up." And with social media documenting everyone's highlight reel, that perfection myth becomes even more crucial to remember.