Shawn Mendes postpones world tour to focus on his mental health

Singer Shawn Mendes says he's pausing his world tour for three weeks to focus on his mental health.

The Pickering, Ont.-raised musician posted a statement on his Instagram accountFriday night saying that a string of U.S. dates would be postponed so he can "heal and take care" of himself.

"I've been touring since I was 15 and to be honest it's always been difficult to be on the road away from friends and family," he wrote Friday.

"After a few years off the road, I felt like I was ready to dive back in, but that decision was premature and unfortunately the toll of the road and the pressure has caught up to me and I've hit a breaking point."

Mendes said he consulted his team and health professionals before making the call.

The Canadian pop singer began his Wonder world tour on June 27 in Portland, Ore., the first of more than 80 scheduled tour dates that wind through North America into the fall before heading to Europe in 2023.

His schedule had him playing numerous back-to-back nights in different cities with single-day breaks between many of the dates. The postponed U.S. shows have not yet been rescheduled.

Mendes is next scheduled to perform in his Toronto hometown on July 31.