I mean, no matter what state you're in - whether that's healthy and calm or anxious and chaotic - it always passes.

It's always in flux.

And for the most part, my usual state is this very thin ice of contentment concealing an iceberg of anxiety and depression.

Oh! Hey, do you mind if we talk later? - Oh, yeah, of course! - Okay, great.

Oh my god, what do they want to talk about?

What could it possibly be?!

Oh my god, there's so much TIME left in the day until it's later! [screams]

I've been in therapy for the past decade,

on antidepressants, off antidepressants,

and just fully immersed in the world of mental health for quite some time.

My highs are super high - Weeeeee -

but my lows are awfully low -

[Sudden piano sounds] [Creepy voice:] DO IT! [Exhales]

And though I've immersed myself in article after article, and book after book, and session after session,

I always come back to three

fundamentals of battling mental illness.

And I want to preface this with the fact that though they are very stupidly simple and obvious,

actually implementing them consistently in your real life and finding balance can be one of the hardest things to do.

Probably because taking care of yourself isn't that sexy.

Incorporating healthy habits as a routine is yes, very boring, monotonous, and doesn't really immediately resonate

cuz there's no way to judge your results,

But! They do work. Trust the process,

make them routine, and you'll find that your emotional and mental well-being are a thousand times better off for when the lows hit.

[violin music]

[gentle chiming]

Ugh

Ah! Glass number six...

[ding] [ding]

Aaaah! [exhausted]

Wow that script is awful and you're a terrible writer. - Um, excuse me. What did you just say to my friend?

-You heard me. I said THAT script is horrible, and you're a terrible writer, and ya both should give up. -Hey girl,

I know that I'm you, and she's you, and you're also technically you, but I'm here to stick up for us because

everything is a process and I don't want us to give up.

Also, wow, you can be a total bitch and you need to leave you alone.

Oh, thank god! That was so boring.

And how does that make you feel? - Yes

Uh, what? - Feelings, all the feelings. You asked like, how does that make me feel and I'm saying yeah.

All -- all, just all of them. At once.

Huh? - And look, of course

there will be days where you decide to party late, or you have an entire bag of Cool Ranch Doritos to yourself,

or you skip meditation because work got too crazy. That is fine!

The important thing is that consistently having a routine that involves healthy habits and living a lifestyle in balance and moderation.

Look, I've battled pretty intense depression and anxiety my entire life and it's only in the last few years that I've really been able to

incorporate and do the work of the "simple advice" that professionals have been touting for so long. Because part of you is like, "Wait,

no, it can't be that simple!" and then you try it and you're like, "Okay, yeah,

wow, I guess it's simple, but it's not necessarily easy to maintain by any means."

And for those of you struggling with mental illness,

which I'm sure is, like, a lot of us,

I want you to know this is an individual journey. What works for one person is not gonna work for another,

but these very unsexy fundamentals are great guidelines and foundations to build your routine off of.

Some people need meds, some people don't. Some people need to talk shit out with their friends all night, whereas some people need to process internally.

Listen to yourself, take care of yourself, and be well.

I am so honored to be partnering with BetterHelp for today's video. As you guys know,

mental health awareness is one of the advocacies I very strongly believe in because of my history.

So, when I do get the opportunity to work with people who align with my passion for it,

it just feels like such a great fit.

So, BetterHelp's mission is to provide anyone facing life challenges with easy, discreet, professional, convenient

and affordable access to professional counseling from a licensed therapist.

Since I've been traveling a lot this year,

I've had the opportunity to receive

counseling from all over the world,

and I can tell you that it has been so convenient and helpful for the busy

but sometimes overwhelming lifestyle that I lead.

So when you sign up for BetterHelp,

you first fill out a mental health questionnaire, as well as this comment section where you can talk about

what issues you want to work on and what's important for you.

And then they take all of this information and they match you with a therapist.

Scheduling is super easy and flexible,

which is awesome for me because production is always in flux,

and then you work with someone one-on-one, on the phone or through messaging.

You pay one low flat fee for unlimited counseling,

which is awesome because - those of you not in therapy,

traditionally a one-on-one session can cost anywhere between 200 to 250 bucks.

And if you have a ton of anxiety like me and you want to run every possible life situation with your therapist

before dealing with that confrontation, you can really use the constant professional help.

You can go to betterhelp.com/akana to sign up today.

And I know mental health can be quite the journey, but it is such an important one.

I'm Anna Akana. Stay awesome, Gotham.