Jelly Roll Gets Real About His Ongoing Battle with Depression, “That’s the Dude I Have to Fight”

Jelly Roll is one of the biggest stars in country music today. After decades of grinding, he’s finally found the success he’s been looking for. Not only is he rising in the ranks of the music world, his life is at a high point. He’s financially stable, has a loving wife, and can be a good father to his children. Publicly, he’s one of the happiest and most positive people walking the earth today. However, as the lyrics of his latest album Beautifully Broken show, he still deals with depression, feelings of inadequacy, and the demons of his past.

Recently, Jelly Roll appeared on the Impaulsive podcast to talk about his life, career, and new album. During the conversation, he took a moment to be candid about his ongoing battle with depression and shared the morning routine that helps to keep him going.

[RELATED: 5 Must-Hear Songs from Jelly Roll’s New Album ‘Beautifully Broken’]

Jelly Roll Gets Real About His Depression

While discussing his morning routine, Jelly Roll paused saying, “I don’t know if I want to go that deep,” before letting out a long sigh. “I still have to fight the, like, ‘Do I want to get up?’ some days,” he revealed. “It sucks because I have purpose, finally. I’m useful. I’m everything I ever prayed for. I’ve got financial security. I’ve got everything I’ve ever wanted. And I still wake up some days and have to be like ‘I don’t know,’” he explained, choking up a little.

Impaulsive co-host Mike Majlak pointed out the stigma he sees surrounding depression on social media. “I see it all the time with people talking about it on social media. ‘Oh, you have depression? No, you don’t. Go to the gym, eat better,’ and I’m not saying those things don’t help you. They do. Get loved ones around you, get a network,” he said.

Jelly Roll agreed that all of those things are helpful. However, he added, “I have to get out of bed to do that. Nobody’s in there to pull me out of that bed. Nobody’s in there to drag me to that gym. I have to fight that dude. That’s the dude I have to fight. That dude is scary. That’s the demon, that’s the monster.” Fortunately, he said that, more often than not, he wins that fight.

A Winning Morning Routine

Before getting frank about his mental health battle, Jelly Roll revealed the morning routine that helps keep him going strong. “I had to get away from the electronics in the morning,” he revealed. “I got into this bad habit. I’d wake straight up and grab my phone. I tell you what, it’s a gamble because there’s very seldom great news on there,” he said. “I go phoneless about six months a year because my phone is just a benevolence box. It’s just a request line. It’s just people wanting stuff,” he added.

Instead of starting his day with his phone, Jelly Roll said he starts every day with gratitude. “I still wake up and write just basic, like, ‘Man, I’m grateful I woke up next to my wife this morning.’ Early in the morning, I’m sewing those seeds of gratitude,” he explained.

Featured Image by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Global Citizen

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