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If you’re in middle, high school or college you’re already back at school. Getting adjusted to being back in school after spending the summer out of a school environment can be hard to get used to. It’s easy to get stressed out and begin to feel like you can’t do it all, but it is possible! You have to use your time wisely and avoid procrastinating to make sure that you have enough time in the day to get everything done. Here are some tips for effectively using your time during the school year.

• Limit your social media use. Everyone is mostly on social media these days and it’s a great way to stay in touch with your friends, however it can be a big distraction as well. When you are back in school, it’s important to limit your use of social media. After school, make sure to get your homework done before you jump on Instagram. Trust us, social media isn’t going anywhere but your grades will be if you don’t give school enough attention! You can still text or call your friends to find out what’s going on, but don’t feel ashamed about putting your phone on do not disturb.

 

• Set a specific time aside each night for homework and studying. When you have a daily schedule of what you need to get done, it will make staying focused easier. Some people prefer to do homework right after school, while others prefer to wait until the evening. I always enjoyed making myself a snack (like peanut butter with apples) after school before I started on my homework. Food is fuel!

 

• Get organized. Organization is key to being successful. Get yourself a planner that you can write down your daily schedule in: school, activities, and any assignments you need to get done should be put in your planner. It’s easy to forget about certain things when you don’t have them written down somewhere. At home, keep all of your school books and papers organized so they’re easy to find when you need them. You’ll feel a lot better when you’re organized!

 

• Give yourself downtime each day for hobbies. School is important but it’s also important to have time for outside activities. Some people join clubs or sports at school but maybe you prefer to just do a hobby at home. Find something that you love to do and make time for it every day. It will help you feel less stressed. It can take time to find a hobby that you really enjoy but you’ll be so happy when you do! Think about what you enjoy and see what hobbies you could start from there – if you love music, you might want to learn an unusual instrument like the drums and search out the best drum machine for live performance, for example. If you like reading, maybe your hobby could be writing your own novel. If you like movies, perhaps you could make a hobby out of creating stop-motion animation. It can take time to find a hobby that you really enjoy but you’ll be so happy when you do!

 

• Get enough rest each night. Sleep is very important especially during the school year. A good night’s rest should be about 7 to 8 hours of sleep. When you’re well rested, you’ll perform better in school and be happier as well. Going to school on too little sleep can really affect your performance and make you just feel miserable. Being alert and ready to learn each day is what you should strive for and if you find yourself slacking, you might need to take a day off. I call those mental health days: adults and kids need them!

Social media has become such a huge part of our lives, and it’s a great way to stay in touch with friends, network, and find out what’s going on around the world. However, with every great new tool, there are always going to be downsides. Social media can turn into a negative when you get wrapped up in it or find yourself spending too much time on it. Here are some tips for staying positive while using social media.

• Don’t let negative comments get you down. There are always going to be people who will try to bring you down and be a bully, behind a screen or in person. When you see these type of comments on one of your posts or pictures, it’s important to remember that what they are saying is not necessarily true. The best way to deal with it is to just ignore and move on. Arguing with this type of person won’t help the situation and could make you feel worse. Take the high road and just let it be.

 

• Limit your usage. This one is so important because sometimes we get so wrapped up in the social media world that we don’t pay attention enough to actually living our lives. Pick a time every night about an hour before bed that you put your phone down and relax. Maybe even pick a day on the weekend that you don’t use social media at all. Taking a step back from social media will make you happier and more focused on your everyday life.

 

• Don’t compare yourself to other people you see on social media. When you’re scrolling on Facebook or Instagram, you’re bound to see people posing in all these exotic locations and looking like they’re living a much better life than you are. The truth is a lot of what you see on social media by these famous influencers are staged and it doesn’t always represent who they really are. They still go through struggles just like everyone else. It’s not a true representation of reality that you should look up to.

 

• Don’t share every detail of your personal life. There are certain life moments or happy times that we want to rush to post on social media. This is fine to do but, you don’t need to post every moment. Live in the moment! If you’re going through some struggles or need someone to talk to, reach out to a friend you trust. You don’t need to post it on social media because as said before, there will always be negative people on there. Make sure you take care of your mental health first!

 

• Be supportive of others. As the golden rule states, treat others how you want to be treated. Being positive while on social media starts with you treating others in a positive manner. Maybe your friend just put up a new picture on her page, a simple compliment can go a long way. If a friend posts something that sounds like a cry for help, reach out to them and make sure that they are okay. We all have to be supportive of others because you never know what struggles someone else is going through.

40 episodes of This is Life Unfiltered in, wow! I can’t believe 40 weeks of my podcast are online. Since then, Fearless Everyday on Radio Disney launched, I moved to LA, I have met so many incredible founders & young entrepreneurs…and I have woken up every single day (okay, most days) feeling more inspired than I’ve ever felt in my 20 years of life. I hope you guys have enjoyed following the journey of This is Life Unfiltered. I love hearing your honest feedback after EVERY episode-seriously!

Episode 40 is with Montana Tucker, a singer & anti-bullying activist who I interviewed on Fearless Everyday. Because I only get to interview my guests on Disney for a limited period of time, I always take time after every episode to ask them some new questions or dive further into their story. I’m very intrigued by how people got to where they are, and talking to my guests always teaches me something new.

Listen to Episode 40 on iTunes/SoundCloud & Spotify!

Today, September 10^th, is World Suicide Awareness day. Suicide takes the lives of over 44,000 people in the United States every year, according to the latest data from the Center for Disease Control. Mental health is so important and there so many ways we can help prevent people of all ages from committing suicide. Even if you’ve never thought about harming yourself, most of us know someone who has and because of that we have to join forces to help reduce the suicide rate in the world.

• Know the warning signs of suicidal thoughts.

Pay attention to any changes in behavior in your friends or family. Is a friend suddenly staying in all the time and avoiding talking to anyone? Do they lose interest in some of their favorite things? Have they joked about suicide or being depressed? Is there a sudden change of mood or seeming anxious? These are all warning signs that something may be wrong and that it’s time to say something.

• If you’re worried about a friend or family member’s well being, ask them how they are and tell them you’re concerned.

Don’t be afraid to speak up. Most people who need the help are scared to ask because they feel they might be judged or not taken seriously. Sit down with them and show your support for them. Ask them how they are feeling, tell them you care, and see what you can do to support them.

• If you or a friend/family member is seriously considering suicide, there are hotlines available 24/7 nationally and local as well.

The national hotline for suicide prevention is 1-800-273-TALK. These hotlines are there for you to get support and the help you need. They are free of charge and can give you referrals to treatment facilities in your area as well. These are trained, skilled professionals who want to listen to you and make sure you get the right treatment.

• Educate yourself.

If you or a loved one ever contemplates suicide, there are resources available to help you. Make sure you know the warning signs, how to support them, and where to go for professional help. Supporting your friends always is helpful. Make sure they know you’re available to talk whenever they need it and really listen to them. Take the time to research online how you can help them. If it is a true emergency and you are worried they may act soon, call 911. You can prevent suicide or at least get them the help that they need.

Over the past few months I’ve been posting about the clothing I’ve been trying to create and how much time I’ve been putting into putting some pieces together that you would like! I’m no designer or even artist, so I’ve been very out of my comfort zone trying to design clothing and stickers. I’ve released two tops & a set of stickers on Life Unfiltered today, just in time for the premier of Fearless Everyday on Radio Disney! The tops are still in production along with the stickers so they will definitely look better when you get yours in person, and I may change the design a bit depending on the feedback I get, but these are the type of tops I’ve wanted to have in my closet for so long.

When I began the journey of running my own company I felt like I couldn’t find a top that was fun and young but also professional enough to wear under a blazer. I’d go to TJ.Maxx & Target and find myself wandering the aisles looking for a top that let me express my personality but also made me look a little more “adult” so I figured why not design my own? Instead of designing a simple black and white top, I wanted to make the colors and text placement unique, and with help and input from my mentor Izabella we came up with the designs below. The goal of these tops is for you to be able to wear them and feel fearless in your own skin, remembering that it doesn’t matter what other people think about you but only what you think about yourself.

I can’t wait to hear what you think about Fearless Everyday! Tune in on Radio Disney & iHeartRadio at 9 PM PST tonight!

That would be a bandaid on my knee from when I tumbled over on a scooter, yes.

AHH tonight is THE NIGHT! My new show Fearless Everyday premiers on Radio Disney at 9 PM PST/12 AM EST! This is Disney’s first show on the topics I cover on Life Unfiltered, and I’m so thrilled to have the privilege to be the one to introduce these topics to their listeners!

I’m going to be in the studio taking live calls from 9-10 PM PST!!!! The number to call and tell me how you were fearless this week is 1-877-870-5678! 

Share how you’re fearless on social media with me using the hashtag #fearlesseveryday too! You may just make it into an upcoming episode! Fearless Everyday will air Fridays at 9 PM PST, Saturdays at 7 AM PST & Sundays at 5 PM PST!

I’ve been getting a lot of questions on how to listen and where to find Radio Disney. Here’s where to find Radio Disney:

Listen on the Radio Disney app on your phone/iPad/Kindle

Listen on iHeartRadio below/on their website

When I was 16, I wrote a post that I published on a website called Stackstreet called Role Model or Runway Model. If you want to read the post, you can read it here. I published this post around the time I like to say my journey actually began, because when I published this post I knew that my mission in life was deeper than talking about fashion. I had just recently transferred to online school before I posted that article, but I received a ton of emails from girls who I went to school with & their parents. I knew I was onto something the minute I let the internet see me as vulnerable. I went from being a fashion chick to a young girl who had an eating disorder and just wanted people to know that they’d be okay if they had one too.

The internet is a funny place because I bet you and I both know someone who preaches body love & mental health topics on social media yet hasn’t ever battled any mental health issues on their own. Promoting self-love and body positivity is fabulous, but talking about the topic just to gain more Instagram followers isn’t too cool. Having an eating disorder/ mental health issues isn’t that fun coming from someone who has dealt with both!

The eating disorder I had is classified as an obsession with healthy eating. The Dictionary name for my ED is orthorexia. I didn’t realize I had an eating disorder until I got older, but people always told me (including my family) that they thought I had issues. I laugh when I type this because telling someone they have issues won’t get them too far in life, will it? But when you’re in the midst of any type of mental or physical issue you’re not mentally able to understand what people even mean when they tell you to get help for the issue they think you have.

Now I eat what I want. I eat everything but try to follow a paleo lifestyle (which is no grains/gluten or refined sugar, but I do eat a lot of sugar and don’t care) because I don’t like diets. I don’t have a TV segment and think to myself I can’t eat for 24 hours prior. My friend/mentor Izabella also had an eating disorder so we decided to film a little video talking about what we think healthy eating is and how you can make your body and your mind healthy with food.

Please ignore the bandaid on my knee. I fell on a scooter. 

This week has been BONKERS. I finally got to release the news about my new show, and it premiers next Friday at 9 PM PST on Radio Disney. If you’ve never listened to Radio Disney, there’s an app you can download, or listen on AM & Sirius Radio. I interviewed influencer Montana Tucker yesterday which was a total blast- and a fantastic first interview! She’s a singer and a dancer with a massive online following and an inspirational background.

I’ve never worked for another company before (besides internships when I was younger) so going from completely working for myself to taking on a new project with a huge company is this crazy whirlwind feeling. There’s been an adjustment period but everyone I’ve interacted with and work with has been so fabulous that I feel like I’m already on a roll and I’m only one episode in! For every This is Life Unfiltered episode, I’ll usually film at my office or my apartment, with just the guest I’m interviewing on the room, and now that Fearless Everyday is airing on Disney, I’m interviewing people in a new space with new people in the room! It’s really intimidating to be “watched” while interviewing someone- which is my #FearlessFriday of this week! You feel like you have new eyes on you that you never had before, which can be intimidating but also helpful because I finally have someone else besides myself to ask questions to. Like should I slow down? Do I need to ask different questions? No question is too “small” of a question in my book.

Fearless Everyday launches NEXT FRIDAY!!!! And I hope you’re as hyped about this show as I am. The lineup of guests is ridiculous, and they’re all such talented and fearless people that you guys are going to love listening to. Share what you participated in this week that got you out of your comfort zone on social media with the hashtag #fearlessfridays or #fearlesseveryday- I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

I’d like to think that I have an unusual story. I’m from a small town in Connecticut, I didn’t come from any connections or money, and I’m living my dream everyday. I had a pretty traumatic childhood, and I haven’t had it easy by any means. But my journey has taught me a few things about life, and it’s taught me that you don’t have to come from anything to become something. We can wait around on our dreams, letting other people have control of them or make them happen, or we can go out and achieve them on our own. I’d like to say option 1 might be easier, but I never found that I was willing to wait for other people to give me the green light on dreams I wanted to make my reality like I could give myself.

Being an entrepreneur is filled with so much trial and error. My journey began back in 2011, and initially I wanted to be an actress, and then a model, and then my journey let me to something completely different: a founder of a website and a nonprofit. Crazy how one little dream turns into something else, right?

Back in October, I found a list online of a bunch of producers. I went through this crazy long list everyday, pitching new producers and executives over a period of 3 months with new ideas. My email made its way into the hands of a Disney executive, who I began meeting with in November, right before I was planning to leave LA for good. I went in to the first meeting with no expectations, and I left with a little glimmer of hope that someone saw something in me. After the second meeting, I was passionate about the idea (that would end up becoming Fearless Fridays) and left that meeting knowing I had work to do.

After the 3rd meeting in March of this year, I left knowing that my childhood and my background, the positive and negative parts of my journey, made me who I am today. And every little thing along the way gave me insight and new knowledge into being able to find the strength to inspire you to follow your dreams and never give up on yourself.

Fearless Everyday with your host, me premiers on Radio Disney on September 7th at 9 PM PST. It’ll air every Friday, Saturday and Sunday- focusing on guests with inspirational stories and backgrounds. If you or someone you know (under 24 years old) deserves to be recognized, email me! 

For more on my new show & how I made this happen, listen to Episode 38 below!

I wish I could tell you why there is such a stigma surrounding therapy, but through all of my research I still can’t find a solid answer. I’ve been on my moms insurance my whole life- she’s a nurse in the town that I grew up in and has been for the past 20 years. When I was in Connecticut last week, my mom told me that she was probably going to get laid off over the next year, which means that I’ll be on my own with insurance. In high school, you’re not taught anything about taxes or insurance- but most kids are on their parents insurance until (up to) age 26. I’ve been on my own financially since I moved out at 17, besides some occasional pocket money my parents will give me now and then: but now that my mom sprung this on me, I’ve been planning how I’ll afford my expenses & therapy when my insurance ends. Side note: it’s 2018, I’m 20-years-old and I shouldn’t have to be thinking about paying my own medical bills when no one in Europe has to? America is a CRAZY country.

I’ve been seeing my therapist for over 1 year now, and she’s someone that I found via a website called Maven. Prior to that, I was seeing someone in my hometown that my mom knew who I eventually felt like wasn’t helping me but kind of just saying yes and no to questions I’d ask. Here’s the thing you need to know about therapy: you can’t walk in expecting solutions for your problems. When friends ask me why I go to therapy or if I suggest they go to therapy, I say that everyone should go to therapy if they can AND are willing to admit they need help in certain areas but not because they need someone to tell them what to do/not to do. I spoke at a conference some time ago and was given a free coupon code to test Maven out: it’s a digital clinic for women that offers different services from therapy to nutrition advice etc, etc, and I ended up clicking on a therapist in New Jersey who I Skyped with. At the time I was living in Boston and had never tried therapy via a phone. I always enjoyed sitting in a room 1 hour a week with my therapist, but I found myself slacking when I’d get too busy because I didn’t have the time to go into the office. I’ve been seeing my therapist on FaceTime just about every week since I redeemed that free code. Since I have insurance right now, my mom pays the co-pay every week. My therapist has become more of a “mentor” figure for me than anything because she truly does advise me with business needs and with personal needs, but most therapists aren’t like mine. It really depends on what you’re looking for with a therapist, so feel free to shop around like I did before you pick yours. I think my co-pay is $35. Side note: Maven still has a code for a free session on their homepage!

Now that my insurance benefits will be coming to an end, I’ve decided to continue to see my therapist and will be taking the cost over from my mom. I’m incredibly fortunate that I can afford to pay the cost of my weekly session without insurance- my mom definitely wouldn’t be paying for my therapy without her insurance. For those of you who want a therapist and don’t have insurance or can’t afford therapy with your insurance here’s my advice for you:

Use the free codes you can get from Talkspace & Maven (both online therapy platforms) to see if you like therapy before you go deciding how to budget a certain amount for a session every week. There are people who simply hate therapy and would prefer to sit alone in a room and meditate or talk to a friend instead of someone else. 

If you don’t have insurance and desperately need someone to talk to…check out these resources. Some are free and some aren’t. But when you call someone will be able to advise you on who to speak to after you call in. 

If you’re in college…utilize resources at your school. I found my guidance counselors & school therapists to be really s**** when I was in high school and not even moderately interested in helping me, but you may be able to get some references for local people in your area who you can talk to (free or paid for) by asking someone at your school. 

See if you can buy a package: some therapists may offer packages so that every session is less money if you buy more upfront.

These are just a few of MANY ideas for getting you the therapy you want- I hate knowing that so many young people out there want therapists and don’t feel like they can ask their parents for help, or like they can afford it on their own. Your mental health is an investment in yourself- and if you find yourself really seeing progress after a while, then you know starting therapy was the right move. Don’t let anyone put you down for your decision or question your decision to go to therapy- focus on you, no one else matters!