Betty & Veronica sweater, Steve Madden shoes

On Monday, I got certified in mental health first aid. I dropped out of high school when I was 16, transferred to online school, got my diploma, and never went to college. Occasionally, I drive by a college and feel like I’m missing out on something, but life is all about trial and error. You will always want what you don’t have. For me, I’ll know I will always feel a little gap in my heart about missing college, but that’s the route I’ve accepted and chosen to go down. Honestly, I don’t think I’d last a day in college. I can barely stay up past 10 PM, seriously!

Now that I’m certified in mental health first aid, after a day-long, seriously longgggg training, I feel like I’m ready to take on the world. With my nonprofit, M.I.N.T., we strive to inspire young adults to get away from their phones and back to reality. Since the world isn’t always online what it’s like IRL, it’s important that young adults know how to conduct themselves when they aren’t on their cell phones. For me, the more I’m on my phone, the less I sleep, the less healthy I eat, the more my heart races, and the more stress I feel. I’m being honest, too. Last night, I didn’t really sleep at all, and I think it’s because I was on my phone until the minute I turned my light off. I understand that some nights, you want to be on your phone from dusk to dawn. And other nights, it’s okay to not be on your phone. The world isn’t going to end, and neither are you.

On Tuesday, one of my best girl friends messaged me on Instagram about panic attacks she was getting. I love this chick, and I thought she was just making fun of me and my new certification (I understand I can’t entirely say a day of training calls for a college degree, but I’m really proud of myself). I texted her, and she told me she was actually very stressed, and felt herself getting more and more anxious, which was stemming the panic attacks. It broke my heart to know she, along with 1000s of young adults out there, are feeling stressed and anxious constantly. Sometimes you don’t ever know what is setting your panic attacks off, or your heightened level of stress. There is a lot that goes in on your brain that you don’t realize!

I referred her to my therapist, and told her my copay is only $15 because I have insurance. I make a point to take two days off per week, whether it’s completely off of social media, or simply off of work, those are my two days. This past weekend, Gabe and I ventured out to Culver City for acai and shopping. During the week, I workout for one hour every day, and I try and take a normal lunch break and walk around if I find myself getting frustrated sitting down. Luckily for me, I travel a lot, so when I’m working from a coffee shop or from home, I don’t ever feel bored. However, knowing what your limits are and when to take a break is crucial in self-love.

I always need time alone, or a day to do my own thang, and you do too.

Xo,

Alexa