With Tuesday being Mental Health Day, we wanted to share the conversation we had with the sweetest Padmini! You may have seen Padmini on TikTok or Instagram - @padzdey - where she talks openly, and quite deeply, about her mental health journey. Padmini brought something new to the mental health space - rather than speaking about self care, or using “therapy speak”, we’re able to get a glimpse into her reflections and struggles, from the perspective of someone who doesn't have it all figured it out but is trying to show herself grace through it all. Continue reading to get a little peek into our once again, therapeutic conversation!

Padmini grew up in the Bay Area, and attended Clark University in Massachusetts, to major in political science - which is when her personal journey with her own mental health began. As many South Asians experienced, Padmini noted that growing up in the Bay Area certainly had an impact on her mental health - the level of academic pressure causes one to burnout. Padmini grew up with a single father, causing her experience to be much different than a “typical” first generation South Asian American kid growing up in the bay area. During college and a little after, Padmini noticed the change within herself, learning she perhaps didn’t confront many of her feelings from the past - just like so many of us. Now, Padmini is living in NYC, working at a media/marketing agency. As any other “twenty something” year old, trying and doing her best to find her footing in our world.

Creating a TikTok platform wasn’t a conscious decision. During the pandemic, Padmini started taking videos for herself of little moments throughout the day, and taking note of the things that made her happy. Eventually, she started posting on TikTok, and was met with support and new connections. This seems to be a common theme with many of the women we’ve spoken to who have significantly large (and important) platforms on the app. It’s something they do for themselves, and find how many other people relate within the US, North America, and the world. Clearly, it just goes to show how sharing our life experiences, our thoughts, and how we cope with it all does help - ourselves and others, too.

We were curious if her platform had helped her in any way. When we asked this, Padmini mentioned how it really helped her push past the need or desire for external validation, and become more conscious of her relationship with creativity. While external validation is nice (and something we all need as humans) it’s important to be aware of if we’re doing something for the sake of the external validation that may come along with it. As we know, the social media game can be tricky, and it’s often a double edged sword. Taking time away from it, reflecting, and a certain sense of detachment is key to a healthy relationship with the internet.

With social media in mind, many of us have seen the trends going around in regards to mental health. We talked about the downsides of the topic of mental health on social media. While we know it’s not true, it can often appear as if there’s only a few ways to do it “right.” Or, as if there’s an equation to “good” mental health. The self care trends, the “day in the life”, the “morning routine” videos that are somehow filmed perfectly at the crack of dawn. While these may be aesthetically pleasing to watch (we also won’t deny the creators authenticity with these) it may not always be relatable. Not everyone has access to a gym early in the mornings, or a safe space to walk outside. People may not even have time to take care of themselves. Noting what we find relatable, what resonates with us is key. Padmini told us how those routines don’t seem to work for her - and that’s something she’s had to accept, and has learned to work with in her own ways. She’s discussed this openly on her platform as well. What works for her, may not work for you.

There are certainly good sides of sharing our stories online as well. The vulnerability shown in recent years on TikTok and Instagram has opened up new worlds for all of us - knowing we’re not alone, finding like minded individuals, creating opportunities we may have never imagined. We learn topics we may have never thought of previously from those who have lived through many difficulties. The world feels a lot smaller and a little more welcoming, if we’re connected and engaging with the right people in a positive manner.

Now, Padmini is working towards finding her way back towards creating for herself and sharing what she’s been thinking recently. We talked about the slump we’ve gone through as creatives after Covid - the pressure from the outside world, the obligations, the commitments. How it’s sometimes difficult to find a balance between work, life, school, relationships, and creating. The balance between creating something we find beautiful when we’ve gone through hardships, and feeling as if the work we create when we’re happier isn’t as impactful. It’s a constant journey for us all, and it’s something we hope to continue discussing openly as time goes on. We’re so glad - and lucky - to be connected with such thoughtful individuals like Padmini who are willing to share their story, in the hope of helping at least one other person.

Finally, we of course asked Padmini to leave us with a few tips she has in regards to improving your mental health, and sharing your story. These are her bits of wisdom.

Do things for your mind that bring out the childlike wonder in you and incorporate more play into your life. This is something we aren’t told often, nor do we practice this on a daily basis.
Give yourself permission to lean on your support systems in ways you haven't before. A huge part of this is acknowledging all of the different support systems you have in your life, especially the ones you often overlook. I think we often forget the amount of love and support we have in our lives and the different ways it looks. As someone who struggles with asking for help, it's always helpful for me to remind myself I am not a burden, I can ask someone if they have bandwidth, and I am worthy of support in the same way I know my loved ones are.
If you're thinking about sharing your story online or building a platform, think about how you would do it outside of social media. While social media and the internet are wonderful places for inspiration, the flip side of it is the comparison it fuels. I find it can be really beneficial to take a step away from the digital world and back into the physical world to find inspiration and dig into your ideas. This will do wonders for your creativity and is a great way to maintain a healthy relationship with the apps, along with some detachment.