Labour's deputy leader Jacinda Ardern has opened up about the stresses and anxiety of politics, as a new poll has her popularity dropping.
Ms Ardern has graced the cover of Next magazine and in an interview has spoken of the "pretty big weight of responsibility" since taking the leadership role.
"I'm constantly anxious about making mistakes. Everything in politics feels so fragile," she told the magazine.
She was interviewed at her home, which she shares with former TV and radio presenter Clarke Gayford.
"I do live in constant fear of what might be. Clarke really tries to pull me back from the precipice of anxiety a lot, but it's just who I am," she says.
Ms Ardern says the pressure and anxiety has ballooned since she took over as second in command, adding that it would be unmanageable as leader.
"I hate letting people down. I hate feeling like I'm not doing the job as well as I should. I've got a pretty big weight of responsibility right now; I can't imagine doing much more than that," she says.
"When you're a bit of an anxious person, and you constantly worry about things, there comes a point where certain jobs are just really bad for you.
"I just feel like there's more people to let down now. I do feel an enormous amount of pressure because I know there are lots of people who don't want me to screw up, and there are just as many who would really love it if I did."
She also opens up about motherhood in the article, albeit briefly.
She says she does want a family, and doesn't want to leave Parliament feeling like she's given up everything for it.
The revealing interview comes the same day as the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll shows her popularity plummeted by nearly 4 percent.
Ms Ardern has come in fourth in the preferred Prime Minister stakes, dropping behind her leader Andrew Little, whom she edged out in March's poll.
Ms Ardern has dropped 3.9 percent since then and she now sits with 6.6 percent support as the preferred PM.
Newshub.
