Leona Lewis: I'm more chilled

Leona Lewis stresses far less these days.

The British singer won The X Factor UK in 2006 and has since experienced huge success, with fifth album I Am released on Friday.

Last year she posted an open letter on Twitter, admitting that while she'd experienced "amazing highs" she'd also had moments of depression.

Now the 30-year-old is trying to manage her emotions and keep calm even when the going gets tough.

"Well, before, if someone used to say something negative, I'd take it to heart, but now I've realised they don't know me personally so I've learnt to deal with it differently," she explained to the British edition of OK! magazine.

"I don't stress as much and I don't place my value on what other people think."

After penning her public letter, Leona clarified she wasn't actually suffering from depression, just that she'd experienced some lows. Now she's explained that she wanted people to see her as a more rounded person, not just the bubbly, smiley girl who won The X Factor.

"A lot of people said: 'Oh, you have depression,' or asked me if I did, but I never have," she said. "What I do have is times like everyone else where I'm up and down. I felt like people had only seen the happy side of me and that's not all there is."

Leona's new-found strength shows in I Am, which she says comes from a place of empowerment as opposed to previous, more "vulnerable" albums.