Harry Styles is crediting an ex-girlfriend for helping him through an anxious time.

In a new Musicians on Musicians interview with Radiohead's Thom Yorke for Rolling Stone published on Thursday (October 8), the One Direction alum, 32, shared how he was able to overcome his anxieties of going out in public while navigating being in one of the biggest bands in the world at the time.

"In the early days, when I was in the band, so much of the hotel experience felt very locked-in," he said. "When I'd be home, it felt like, 'Oh, it's not safe for me to be out.'"

Styles knew something needed to change when his girlfriend at the time was set to visit him in London and he didn't want his fears to trap them inside for days that could be spent going out and enjoying life together instead.

"I had a girlfriend who was very outgoing, and she was coming to London and I was like, 'Oh, if we just sit in my house for three days, she's gonna think I'm nuts,'" he said. "So we walked everywhere, and it was this realization for me: 'Oh, it's fine to be outside.'"

The "Aperture" singer explained how that realization "broke" his previous mindset and has a positive impact on how he interacts with the outside world, which in turn leads to more inspiration in his career.

"It kind of broke that thing. Now, it's changed my life in such a big way because it's how you stay connected to the world," he said, adding, "I read something about walking being the artist's kind of perspective because you're at ground level and you see things that you just don't see if you're driving everywhere."

Styles has been linked to several famous faces throughout his career, including Taylor Swift and Kendall Jenner, per E! News. He sparked up a romance with Zoë Kravitz in 2025 and the couple reportedly got engaged earlier this year.

Zach Dillon