Yara Shahidi

And I'd like to think it didn't take up too much of my brain space, but particularly if I was at events, I'm like, I'm so preoccupied with how am I coming off right now?

And I'd like to think it didn't take up too much of my brain space, but particularly if I was at events, I'm like, I'm so preoccupied with how am I coming off right now?

Or even that feeling of, it sounds so silly. It's a good problem to have, but here I am coming in with my little Harvard degree. And again, seeming so put together that I'm putting an extra effort to seem super chill. I'm super laid back. Like, I know you know me as the kid that multitasked Harvard in the show, but-

Or even that feeling of, it sounds so silly. It's a good problem to have, but here I am coming in with my little Harvard degree. And again, seeming so put together that I'm putting an extra effort to seem super chill. I'm super laid back. Like, I know you know me as the kid that multitasked Harvard in the show, but-

i'm relaxed i'm relaxed the thing is i am relaxed but i was doing this other like layer of performing because i knew that people saw me as this like type a getting things done person or even if i'm at events and not drinking then there's a lot of questions because if you don't say oh it's because i'm sober i have this weird hard and fast rule unfortunately you still get a lot of questions like why is that it never stops

i'm relaxed i'm relaxed the thing is i am relaxed but i was doing this other like layer of performing because i knew that people saw me as this like type a getting things done person or even if i'm at events and not drinking then there's a lot of questions because if you don't say oh it's because i'm sober i have this weird hard and fast rule unfortunately you still get a lot of questions like why is that it never stops

Right. So now my issue is I'm like, I drink Coca-Cola at events just to have something in my hand, but now I'm drinking so much soda that I never intended to drink. Just drink water.

Right. So now my issue is I'm like, I drink Coca-Cola at events just to have something in my hand, but now I'm drinking so much soda that I never intended to drink. Just drink water.

I know, but I'm saying for some reason within this age demographic, getting water is even more like, wow, you think you're all that. You're drinking water.

I know, but I'm saying for some reason within this age demographic, getting water is even more like, wow, you think you're all that. You're drinking water.

Precisely.

Precisely.

And I think that's truly the work. I think I knew immediately, okay, this is something to sort through because my journey is not drinking this much soda to make people happy. As simple as that was. My journey is not doing all of this extra work to seem chill because I think they think that I'm this way.

And I think that's truly the work. I think I knew immediately, okay, this is something to sort through because my journey is not drinking this much soda to make people happy. As simple as that was. My journey is not doing all of this extra work to seem chill because I think they think that I'm this way.

And so I say that to say I was talking through it with my therapist and she was like, oh, well, how do you feel about the people that you meet? And I realized I wasn't developing an opinion. I was so kind of preoccupied with what they thought I was like.

And so I say that to say I was talking through it with my therapist and she was like, oh, well, how do you feel about the people that you meet? And I realized I wasn't developing an opinion. I was so kind of preoccupied with what they thought I was like.

And as simple as that was, going into events and going into spaces, checking in with how I was enjoying myself has gotten rid of almost immediately all of the little thinking and like notes I made in my head about, oh, I wonder if that was awkward. I wonder how they feel about that. I wonder, da, da, da, da, da. But, yeah, I was prompted by me going to this event and knowing immediately.

And as simple as that was, going into events and going into spaces, checking in with how I was enjoying myself has gotten rid of almost immediately all of the little thinking and like notes I made in my head about, oh, I wonder if that was awkward. I wonder how they feel about that. I wonder, da, da, da, da, da. But, yeah, I was prompted by me going to this event and knowing immediately.

I was like, I'm so in my head. And here I am in a beautiful room with beautiful people. It's a privilege to be here. It should feel like a privilege. It shouldn't feel like this constant job. And so luckily I had learned. She had asked me that question almost like a couple days after because I was like, it's time to work through this.

I was like, I'm so in my head. And here I am in a beautiful room with beautiful people. It's a privilege to be here. It should feel like a privilege. It shouldn't feel like this constant job. And so luckily I had learned. She had asked me that question almost like a couple days after because I was like, it's time to work through this.