Serena Williams Talks to Selena Gomez About 'Mental Fitness' and Setting 'Serious Boundaries'

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Serena Williams is as much of a role model off the court as she is on it. The 40-year-old athlete recently sat down for a conversation with Selena Gomez where she spoke openly about her mental health and how she learned years ago that it's healthy for her to have boundaries.«Mental fitness for me is just really learning to shut down,» Williams said in the interview for Gomez's mental health platform, Wondermind,. «And you know I did this years ago, before even mental health was a topic among everyone's mind.

It was more just like, alright, I'm shutting myself down today. Just subconsciously, it was something I've always done.»«And so now that I know that it's so important to just put yourself first, especially mentally, I always have shut down moments.

I have serious boundaries and I don't let anyone cross those boundaries,» the tennis pro continued. «For me, it's so important to make sure, every day, I have a period of, like -- it's so bad, because I really don't do anything for me, I'm terrible at that.

And I've said it time and time again – I'm working on it. But more or less, at least prioritizing what I need to do. And then when I'm turned off, I'm turned off.»A post shared by Wondermind (@officialwondermind)During their conversation, Williams also detailed how it's important for her to mentally be in a good place in order to show up each day, not only for her career, but as a mom to her 4-year-old daughter, Olympia, whom she shares with husband Alexis Ohanian.«It's really about managing and how you're able to do it,» Williams said of both physical and mental health.