Demi Lovato reveals she relearned how to 'cry' in quarantine

Demi Lovato has revealed she relearned “to cry” while self-isolating during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a new interview with Bustle, the Sorry Not Sorry singer opened up about using the time in quarantine to focus on self-growth and allowing herself to “feel the pains of all the losses that I’ve had”.

“Before quarantine, it was very difficult for me to cry. I had programmed the thought into my head when I was 16 that I’m only going to cry if people pay me to,” the 27-year-old said, explaining that she “started doing all this work, allowing myself to feel the pains of all the losses that I’ve had or the adversities or traumas that I’ve faced.

“I think my ability to be vulnerable and be more intimate with people has really heightened.”

And while she acknowledged the hardships that healthcare heroes, as well as those who have gotten sick or died faced, Lovato said the mandatory halt on both her career and personal life as a result of the pandemic has been “really good” for her.

“It’s very common for people to only really work on themselves when crisis happens or when they notice that they’re slipping into old patterns or behaviours,” she told the outlet. “So to be able to walk into this experience without a personal crisis and just be like, I can do the work on myself now because I have the time. ... It was a beautiful thing.”

“I was given this opportunity,” she continued. “And I was like, I’m going to adapt. I’m going to shift to this. I’m going to learn from it.”

To make the most of the opportunity, Lovato said she has been working with a team of dieticians, coaches and spiritual advisers.

According to Lovato, one of her advisors warned her that her work was going to “slow down drastically” prior to the pandemic, which she said helped her prepare mentally for the change.

“So I was kind of prepared in a weird way, and I just adapted. I think the universe – God – shifted that to happen in my life,” she said.

During the interview, the singer, who has previously opened up about her past struggles with eating disorders and substance abuse, also discussed how the music and entertainment industry contributed to her poor body image and made her lose her “joy”.

“I used to have people watching me the night before a photo shoot to make sure that I didn’t binge or eat and be swollen the next day,” she said, adding that it’s a “different world now” and she no longer prepares for photo shoots.

According to Lovato, she hopes her decision to speak out about her history with eating disorders will allow her to have a career focused on her music – not her body.

“I want a career that has nothing to do with my body,” she explained. “I want it to be about my music and my lyrics and my message.”