@GILLY.INC
What’s your favourite color?
I’ve always loved the color orange, I remember being embarrassed in elementary school that it was my favorite because all the other kids would say it’s the ugliest color. It’s always been such a vibrant beautiful color to me, and looks great with my skin tone.
What’s your favourite ‘go-to’ recipe?
To be honest I don’t cook that much, I’ve lived alone for a while now so I find it hard to make meals for just me. But when my partner is around I like to cook spicy mushroom tacos.
What self-care habits do you intertwine into your daily routine?
Meditation, affirmations and baths. I just moved and finally have a bath tub again which has been so good for my mental health. I probably take a bath every other day, it’s a type of meditation for me. Traditional meditation too will always be a life long self care routine, I just became reiki attuned so I like to do a bit of reiki on myself during meditation to clear energy.
What's your favourite book, and what book had the most significant impact on you?
I don’t have an all time favorite book. It always changes as it is adding the most value to my life at the moment. Right now I’m really into books of poems, two that I just finished are The Geometry of Being Black by Ogorchukwu and How to Cure A Ghost by Fariha Róisín. Two powerful poetry books by two powerful moving women.
Who can you talk to when you need to get something off your chest?
My close friends and my therapist who is the best. I’m lucky that I have a therapist I connect with.
Where’s your safe place?
My apartment, my neighbour, and anywhere near a beach or forrest.
Have you ever dealt with anxiety? If so, what triggers it, and how do you calm your mind?
I’ve dealt with anxiety since I was 12, it’s been an integral part of my life making it really challenging and difficult at times but also making me introspective, empathetic and emotionally aware. I majored in psychology at Uni and have always had a passion for mental health activism and awareness. For my own anxiety, it’s been a learning process to see and feel what works and what doesn’t. For now I do a lot of meditation, breath work, and aroma therapy to keep my stress levels low, but also swimming, exercise, healthy eating habits, and CBT therapy are what work for me.
Have you or someone you love ever been in a dark place? If so, what were the steps taken to get out?
This whole past year my partner and I have been through the darkest year of both of our lives. I lost one of my closest friends in December and my partner dealt with some major family trauma. Not to mention we are in the midst of a pandemic, racial equality and police brutality in the US where I live. My partner and I can’t see each other regularly because we have different passports and many borders have closed. I’ve learned so much about myself this year, and it has been extremely difficult but it’s made me more grateful than ever for what I do have.
Do you think social media affects your mental health or has any other negative impacts on you? If so, how do you best deal with it?
Yes and no. I think it’s all about how you use social media. I made it a priority of mine to follow many activists from various different fields and people who I admire. I feel inspired by social media and use it to talk about and show parts of my life that truly matter to me. That’s not to say sometimes I don’t catch myself comparing myself to others in a negative light, at that point I know it’s time to take a break. But social media is such a powerful platform to be able to connect with others.
What’s the biggest change you can identify within yourself in the past year?
Confidence and self worth. I feel like before this year I had a difficult time standing up for myself and being outspoken about the things that matter to me and what I want to say without fear of being judged. Now I can say I’ve gained a lot more confidence and I know more what my worth is and I’m proud of that. It’s been such a journey to get here but I’m really proud of the person I am today.
What changes do you want to see within yourself in the coming year?
I want to continue to build on that confidence and push myself to go farther to take more risks creatively. I always thought growing up I wasn’t talented enough or creative enough to be successful or valued. And now that’s starting to change for me.
What’s one of the hardest things you’ve had to go through in life? How did you get through it?
I mentioned this before but dealing with death so closely has fundamentally changed me. I now carry my friends spirit with me everyday through different outlets. I’ve also lost friendships just through growing apart or differences. What’s gotten me through has been radical acceptance, letting go of control and healing through self care.
What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
To not be so hard on yourself, I was always really hard on myself growing up when I felt like I had underperformed, and that effected negatively in my self confidence. Negative patterns in which I’m still trying to heal from today.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt?
You being unique is your strength.
If you could change one thing within society, what would that be?
So many things, systematic racism, income inequality, extreme capitalism, lack of care and respect for our planet. The list goes on! But I’m hopeful I’ve met and seen a lot of people that are working so hard to fight this.
