Pia Wurtzbach marked the end of Mental Health Awareness month with a lengthy Instagram post where she talked about how she's adopted healthier habits despite experiencing depression and anxiety.
Posted on October 29, Pia wrote that she wanted to share her mental health struggles so that she feels she's not alone. The Miss Universe titleholder wrote that the content she shared paints a problem-free picture but said that social media isn't "100% real-life." Despite her curated posts, Pia said, "Most of the time, we only share the best parts about ourselves, and this creates an image or idea that life is perfect."
Pia shared that she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety during her reign as Miss Universe and added, "Since then, it’s been a journey of learning, healing, sometimes falling off track, and then bouncing back again."
The beauty queen shared that she has since learned to adopt healthier habits that help manage her emotions. Pia admitted that not everything is smooth sailing despite the support she has received and described what an off-day feels like for her.
She wrote, "Every day I wake up and I have to make a choice. I could either let this stop me and consume me for the rest of the day (possibly snowball into the rest of the week or so) or I could choose to do what feels right for me. Lately, the good thoughts have been winning, but the fact that I have to choose every day is exhausting."
Pia advised, "Take it one day at a time. And I celebrate the little victories. Wins don't have to come in the form of a crown, a big work opportunity, or trying to run a marathon. Wins are moments where I choose to get out of bed instead of staying in and consuming media the whole day."
Pia also talked about small wins such as sticking to a promise to see a friend instead of flaking out or responding to text messages or picking up the phone instead of the task overwhelming her. She added, "It's all those moments where I manage to get up, shower, change my clothes, talk to people, tidy up my room, make myself some food, accomplish even just one task from my to-do list. Anything. Even if it's just those things I mentioned. Those are also wins. These tasks may sound simple and an easy part of somebody's day. But for some of us accomplishing it, it really takes a lot inside."
"So here's to winning every day! And here's to staying strong and focused," Pia wrote. She also gave out advice to ignore the noise and added, "You will hear 'nag-iinarte lang 'yan' or 'nagpapapansin lang 'yan.' Don't let it affect you or scare you from reaching out to someone... And even lend a helping hand to someone. Not everyone will understand or even believe you, especially if they've never experienced it for themselves. Or who knows, they might actually be struggling too."
MORE CELEBS WHO HAVE TALKED ABOUT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES:
Ice Seguerra Opens Up About Battling Depression For 17 Years
Heart Evangelista Opens Up About Her Battle With Depression And Anxiety
Janella Salvador Admits She Went Through Depression After Her Last Relationship
