Emma Heming Willis has opened up about the weight of taking care of her household.
The model, who is married to Bruce Willis, discussed her struggle to carve out time for self-care while being a caregiver for her inner circle in an interview with The Bump published on May 19.
"I put my family's needs above my own, which I found does not make me any kind of hero," Willis admitted. "That amount of care for everyone else within my household had taken a toll on my mental health and overall health, and it served no one in my family."
Willis' statement on family comes after her husband Bruce -- with whom she shares daughters Mabel Willis, 10, and Evelyn Willis, 8 -- was diagnosed with aphasia. According to the National Aphasia Association, the language disorder affects "the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write."
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In her new interview, Willis said she has recently received some advice that has caused her to reevaluate how she approaches care.
"Someone told me not long ago that when you over-care for someone, you end up under-caring for yourself," she recalled. "That stopped me in my tracks and really resonated with me."
So, how does Willis make time for herself? The Perfect Stranger actress explained that "it's important to find that one thing that makes you feel good and build from there."
"I don't mother myself perfectly but I know that I have some basic baseline needs that are a must, like first and foremost, exercise," she said. "It's a time I can disconnect and can do something that I know makes me feel good overall."
Reflecting on her role as mom to Mabel and Evelyn, Willis shared that she "always wanted a family" and that time is something she considers "precious."
"For us as a family it's always been about making memories. I'm not even sure we have rituals or traditions," she shared. "We just love spending time with each other and we know that time is precious, and I don't take that for granted."
Back in March, Willis, Mabel and Evelyn (as well as Bruce's ex-wife Demi Moore and their daughters Rumer Willis, 33, Scout Willis, 30, Tallulah Willis, 28) gave a joint statement to announce Bruce's diagnosis.
"To Bruce's amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities," they said at the time. "As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him."
