Instagram story viewer> @theessenceofself> Tagged

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 | 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠

@theessenceofself

208

followers

71

following

♡ reminders to those navigating their mental health & cultural identity ♡

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

getting ready to speak at & own spaces i once never thought i could fit into ˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

guest speaker at washington’s first ever teen-led mental health summit organized by @nexusteenhub @taanvis.inspiration!

#grwm #mentalhealthspeaker #therapistsofinstagram #mentalhealthawareness #selflove

3

24

NAMI Outstanding Achievement Award! 💫🧠

Its been two years serving as the Youth Programs Lead for @namieastside_youth and this award truly means so much :’)

I joined NAMI Eastside initially as a workshop host back in 2024, and immediately fell in love with the organization, the people, and the community I gained with just one 50 min workshop about culture identity and mental health. Since, I’ve been a keynote speaker, closing speaker, panelist, and mentor at NAMI events. I’ve learned the power of my story and realized the importance of uplifting and promoting youth voices when it comes to mental health. Many many more exciting projects and advocacy sessions to come…but i’m so grateful to be here :’)

65

8

Boundary setting is difficult, especially when you are in a strict environment. In this clip from The Leading Question Show, we discuss how to find "micro-boundaries"—even just five minutes by yourself—to create space for self-care.

#TheLeadingQuestionShow #BoundarySetting #MentalHealthMatters #CareerGrowth #SelfCareHacks

DISCLAIMER: Content is for informational/entertainment purposes only. Guest appearances do not create a professional-client relationship and are not a substitute for advice from a licensed doctor, attorney, or financial advisor. Always consult your own qualified professional. Use at your own risk; the show and its guests are not liable for any damages.

10

0

Is mental health truly individualistic? Award-winning mental health advocate Astha Soni explores the clash between personal wellness and community-driven cultures.

Understanding how our social environment shapes our struggles is the first step toward healing.

Full episode out tomorrow! (01/21/26)

#MentalHealth #Wellbeing #Psychology #PersonalGrowth #Mindset

DISCLAIMER: Content is for informational/entertainment purposes only. Guest appearances do not create a professional-client relationship and are not a substitute for advice from a licensed doctor, attorney, or financial advisor. Always consult your own qualified professional. Use at your own risk; the show and its guests are not liable for any damages.

18

3

ending this year with udaipur’s sunsets & reminding myself to slow down ⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙

the dialogue loosely translates to: no matter how much you try, there will be things in life that you’ll miss out on. so why not enjoy where you’re at now? as new year’s eve comes around, i tend to anxiously anticipate the next year. my goals, my shortcomings, my to-dos and bucket lists, and everything i did’t do the previous year. anticipation overshadows appreciation, and somehow, we forget the growth we had to get to where we are

so before you pull out your 2026 new year’s goals/resolutions, congratulate yourself on 2025, and be proud of the version of you that made it through yet another beautiful year <3

till next year, with love,
astha 🤍✨

#udaipur #yjhd #udaipursunset <new year, 2026, sunset vibes, udaipur sunsets, yeh jawani hai deewani>

305

27

DR. CONNIE MARIANO BEST IN HEALTHCARE AWARD 🤍🩺

Thank you so much @thegbasofficial and @maureenmfrancisco for gracing me with this incredible honor and award. Working in the healthcare field has taught me so much, but the most important thing being: everyone deserves compassion, humility, and genuine respect.

Thank you @drconniemariano for being such a stellar example of true impact in the healthcare industry, and being someone I look up to. And congratulations to my co-awardees @_juliacarolin_ and @spiritualbosschick you both are incredible and I am so glad to have shared this award with you two.

This award comes with great honor and even greater responsibility: with the $5,000 scholarship and forever support of @ampowering, I will be launching a community-based and free pop-up clinic: The South Asian Treatment and Healthcare Initiative, also known as SATHI (meaning companion/friend)🫀🙏🏾 This is something I’ve been planning for so long and am so glad to put this scholarship to do the work our community so desperately needs.

“We make a LIVING by what we get, but we make a LIFE by what we give to others” Forever blessed to be living a life filled with love and beautiful humans that fuel my soul ✨🫂

73

3

13

2

you are worthy of a love which you can call your own 🤍

your love is enough for you, and that's why its called self-love. how much or how little you can give each day, it is yours to keep. i hope you give yourself love with intention, just how you give it to others.

love is a little weird for me, never said out loud but it presents itself firmly. it has always came to me in different languages. from my desi parents: it is the simple and subtle acts of service. from my sister: it is the quality time spent on the couch. from my friends: it is the strengthening words of affirmations. from the world: it is the gift of simply being here :) and most importantly, from myself: it is a combination of all of these with the constant reminder of my emotional power and inner strength.

no matter your experience with loving others, you deserve to have a love that lasts with yourself. build a meaningful relationship with the person you are and be the person you'd want to love. this means embracing the uncomfort of showing love, spending time with yourself, confronting the good, bad, and ugly, all with intention 💌🫂

with love, always,
astha

this collab was so so fun!! shout out to my favorite human and blogger buddy @harsimran_xo @_mysimplicities_ for working with me on this project <3

3

48

#Repost: @theessenceofself

The Desi Perspective on Suicide

Absolutely LOVE this post and couldn’t have said it better myself. (Hence why I had to share).

I think it’s so important to address the stigma around suicide especially in the South Asian community and recognize how those stigmas and stigmatized comments are damaging. Suicide prevention and intervention starts with us. It starts with de-stigmatizing suicide as well as talking about it.

#southasiansuicide #suicideprevention #suicidepreventionmonth #suicideawarenessmonth #suicideawarness #southasianmentalhealth #southasiancommunity #southasianhealth #southasianculture #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #southasian

74

5