Relaxation is Yahoo Life’s wellness series where experts, influencers and celebrities share their approaches to wellness and Mental Healthfrom self-care rituals to setting healthy boundaries to the mantras that keep them afloat.
Marvel fans have a lot of opinions, but rest assured they’re not keeping Anthony Mackie – aka Sam Wilson/Falcon/the new Captain America – up at night.
“I don’t care about that,” said Mackie, who will star in a new Captain America movie soon. “The pressure that comes with being Captain America or being Falcon is really something I never think about or pay attention to. That’s why I live in New Orleans – the only thing I have to worry about is where do I get my kidney beans on Monday.”
According to the father of four, the only comment he really cares about comes from his children.
“Trying to get my kids to love me is the most stressful thing in the world,” he says with a smile. “I always said I didn’t want to be the cool parent, but now just… when I send something to my kids and they send something back, that’s the most stressful [process]. For example, you sit there and wait to see if they will text you back; you call and see if they will call you back. It’s one of those things where I never realized how much you go through your whole life span without caring about anyone’s acknowledgment or acceptance. And this 3-year-old can break your heart in 30 seconds.”
Mackie’s family ties are strong. It was the influence of his late father, a carpenter who ran his own roofing business, that inspired the actor’s latest non-Marvel project: partnering with roofing manufacturer GAF to repair and replace roofs. of 500 homes devastated by the hurricane in the Gulf Coast region, 150 of them are in its own Seventh Ward in New Orleans. For Mackie, the Community Matters initiative represents an opportunity to both honor his father’s legacy and help neighbors in need – many of whom have had to rely on temporary blue tarps instead of roofs.
Giving back, he says, keeps the star “grounded” and “humble.”
“A lot of times you walk past people and you never know what their day-to-day experience is like,” he says. “So when I give back, it’s really an opportunity to see what other people are going through and how other people are going through, so I can know how lucky I am and I can know how lucky my kids are. are lucky.
“After [Hurricane] Katrina, I learned very quickly that there is nothing more important than the house,” he adds. “So giving someone the opportunity to make their home whole, holistically , it helps my mind, body and soul, because it makes me feel good. And I learn a little more about myself. It’s not so much I need a pat on the back or not so much I want recognition, but the idea of seeing someone smile – seeing someone transformed by the idea of social work and help – if I can give that little bit of joy, that makes me feel good too.”
The idea of restoration is also appealing to Mackie, who has spoken of the therapeutic benefits of working with her hands and fixing cars.
“There’s something very methodical about it, something that forces you to focus and use different parts of yourself and your mind,” he says. “I hate taking my cars to the mechanics. I love working on my cars myself, just finding the problem, assessing it and fixing what needs to be fixed – it’s a very powerful thing. And I have learned that from my father. When I was a child, he always said that there was something magical about taking a piece of land and making it a home. Working with your hands was something that was very dignified for I kind of inherited that character trait from him.
The Injured locker The actor says building things and spending time more or less off the grid is key to his mental well-being.
“I’m a very big outdoors person,” says Mackie, 44. “I always say I don’t like cell phones. I like to take my cell phone and leave it somewhere and not look at it all day. As long as I know my kids are good, I’m fine. J love to go fishing I love being in the woods I love being in the garden, landscaping my yard or just building things.
“I’ll build anything – I don’t care if it’s Popsicle sticks,” the father-of-four adds with a laugh. “Just something to take my mind off the outside world, because we’re dealing with so much ridicule and judgment and so many questions. At what point do you walk away from that and just take care of yourself? So I use these things to kind of take care of my mind [health].”
In terms of personal development, 8 miles star says he tries to be a more patient person.
“My big thing that I’m always working on is patience,” he admits. “I expect so much in such a short time, because so much has happened in my life, personally and professionally, in such a short time. So patience is a virtue that I have always worked on, and something that I’ve always, even now, tried to focus on. It’s a whole litany of things that I try to do to fix and work on my patience and give people the space they need. .has always been my big thing. Just patience, patience, patience.
The Juilliard grad also pledged to set a positive tone on set, citing the example set by Samuel L. Jackson.
“Very early in my career, I watched Sam Jackson on set and literally people lit up when he came on set,” Mackie recalled. “I always wanted that reaction when I went to work. I always wanted people to know – from the postman who brings things to the office to the manager – that you are just as important. You matter, your name matters, the idea that we’re finishing this project together, and you played a part in making it happen.
“The morale, I have the impression that in a group, it is something very important”, he adds. “Even if it’s making fun of me, I always try to keep my spirits up and keep people upbeat and looking forward to coming to work.”
But fostering goodwill cannot come at the expense of people – pleasing to the point where it is no longer true to itself.
“I read this quote when I was a kid and it always stuck with me. It might not be the most popular thing, but it always stuck with me. It said ‘if I come back and ‘they say I’m their friend, that means I betrayed you,’ he said. ‘And I always thought that was so interesting, that sometimes you’re gonna be seen as the asshole. And sometimes – most of the time – people won’t like you. It’s because you’re not doing what they want you to do. And for me, that’s very important. You follow the beat of your own drum and don’t let anyone dictate what you should be or what you can be or what they think you should be. Be who you want to be. And if they don’t like it, that’s their problem, not yours. And that’s kind of something I’ve always experienced.”
He pauses, then lets out a hearty laugh.
“That’s probably why I’m always alone in my garden, gardening.”
—Video produced by Kat Vasquez.
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