Michelle Obama shared how she copes with low-grade depression: 'Nobody rides life on a high'

• Michelle Obama spoke about dealing with "low-grade depression" with Stephen Colbert.
• She first discussed it last year, attributing it in part to the Trump administration's "hypocrisy."
• She shared tips on how she copes with it, and emphasized that dealing with mental health was normal.

Michelle Obama has shared how she copes with low-grade depression.

The former first lady first revealed that she had been dealing with what she called "some form of low-grade depression" last August, saying it was instigated by the pandemic, racial inequality, and the Trump presidency.

In an episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" that aired on Tuesday, Obama said: "Over the course of adulthood you develop your own tools, and for me it's turning off the noise that it upsetting. You know, knowing that I can't keep reading all the feeds that are fuelling my anxiety and taking a break from it."

"I did that as first lady. There were just times that I couldn't hear the bad news about the country that I had to serve, because I know that the news isn't a full reflection of what the country is."

She added: "I surround myself with things that make me feel good - family, friends, walks, exercise. So when I talk to my kids about that, I try to urge them to understand that the valleys are temporary, and so are the peaks. They have to be prepared to handle the highs and the lows."

Watch Obama's appearance here:

She also said that dealing with mental health was normal.

"Over the course of your life, as you know, this is a part of life. Nobody rides life on a high. And I think it's important for young people to know that. You're not going to feel great all of the time, and there are going to be moments in all of our lives, particularly in the middle of a pandemic and racial unrest - you're gonna feel a kind of way about it, so give yourself a break."