‘Not everyone will like this’: One influencer on dealing with anxiety
With 390,000 followers to her name, Jessica Olie has most certainly made a name for herself in the world of social media.
But what happens when your own personal story no longer correlates with the one your followers hold of you?
Jessica, whose Instagram page is a smorgasbord of intricate Yoga poses, sunsets and inspirational quotes, speaks of an enviable, and wholly well-balanced life, but behind the scenes, the Instagram star has been struggling massively with anxiety.
And this week, Jessica decided to address the issue after hinting at its growing intensity over recent weeks.
Uploading a video of herself performing a series of yoga poses, Jessica wrote: "I always try to keep it as real as I can on here. I'm aware that my posts haven't been "normal" or "uplifting" the last few months."
"They've been quite heavy and emotional. I cannot pretend to be ok or feel inspired because that's not how I feel," she admitted in a post which has been liked more than 100,000 times since yesterday.
"I've made peace with the fact that maybe not everyone will like this version of me but maybe a few of you can relate to what I'm working through and know that you are not alone. We are not alone."
Offering her followers an insight into the reality of living with anxiety, Jessica continued: "Yesterday I didn't leave my bed until 5pm. I didn't open the curtains or check my emails. I didn't change my clothes."
"My day was spent trying to breathe through anxiety attacks and quiet my mind that had found itself in a dark place."
Like many people who suffer from anxiety, Jessica was left stunned by its manifestation, saying: "This is not me but it's a part of me, a side of me that I've had to confront a lot over the last few months since my dad got diagnosed and every day, every hour, every minute is so different."
Jessica admits that she has to make a conscious decision to pull herself out of her stupour, explaining: "This morning I set my alarm for 5am and forced myself to get out of bed to do the things that I would usually do."
"So I took my mat and flowed and cried as I watched the sunrise over the city, with the sound of the waves right next to me. I'm not sure I would have gotten out of bed again today if I hadn't made the conscious choice that this is what my mind and my body needed."
Acknowledging the importance of listening to your body, Jessica finished the heartfelt post with the words: "I'm learning to feel through the moments where I need to stay in bed all day and the moments where I need to pull myself out of it. Today is a better day."
Jessica has been inundated with support from members of the public who are grateful to her for raising the issue.
"Authenticity, I salute you. Thankyou for sharing. I feel your pain. Anxiety is insidious This forum can be so fake. This is so real." commended one Instagram user.
"I love this real side of you, finally someone who doesn't show just perfection," added another.
