Speaking at the TIME100 Summit in New York on April 23, the Duchess of Sussex shared how she protects her peace and keeps her focus sharp—despite the constant noise online.
Chatting with TIME CEO Jessica Sibley, Meghan didn’t shy away from addressing the scrutiny she faces, from chatter about her return to Instagram to opinions on her As Ever lifestyle brand and her new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. She admitted that staying sane through it all requires effort, boundaries, and a bit of humour.
She referenced a quote from Tina Fey that really stuck with her: “If you ever start to feel good about yourself, they have this thing called the internet, and you can find a lot of people there who don’t like you.” That pretty much sums up the internet these days.
Motherhood has also played a huge role in how Meghan approaches life. “I’ve made a very, very conscious effort to create boundaries for myself and for my mental health, for my well-being and certainly to role model that as well for my children,” she said. She added that it’s not just about raising strong daughters, but being mindful about how her son sees the world too.
Meghan shared that she’s learned how to keep negativity from seeping into her everyday life. “It starts with whatever is going on internally,” she said. “When I am able to not even just tune out whatever that noise is, [but] to really not give it any credence, that has become so much a part of my day-to-day life.”
She’s not glued to the headlines either, and admitted she only finds out about things when she absolutely needs to. “Things will get brought to my attention on a need-to-know basis outside of that. That’s part of what I find to bring me peace,” she said.
That clarity, she said, helps her focus more intentionally on her creative projects, including her new podcast Confessions of a Female Founder, which spotlights women entrepreneurs and creatives. “They are so under-resourced and under-supported. That is very, very important to me,” she said.
And perhaps the most surprising moment? Meghan said she’s never been better. “A confession for you today that I can very comfortably say is that I’m the happiest I’ve ever been,” she said, smiling. “To have a partner and a husband who is so supportive and have healthy kids who are so joyful… I never would have imagined at this point I would feel so happy and grateful, and I really do.”