Ava Phillippe Discusses Her Sexuality: "Gender Is Whatever"
Ava Phillippe is telling no big little lies about her mental health.
The influencer—whose parents are Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe—got candid on her longtime struggle with anxiety during an Instagram Q&A on Sept. 30.
"I've dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember," the 24-year-old noted, "and it was especially intense for me as a kid & teenager."
When asked how she deals with the condition, Ava acknowledged that "there is no one solution that works for everyone" but shared a few tricks she's learned that have helped her during stressful times.
"Don't invalidate your feelings," she advised. "You have every right to feel however you do, even if it seems weird to others, & being hard on yourself won't help you feel better or find a solution."
Ava suggested taking deep breaths—"a few more than you think you need"—and checking in with your five senses.
photosReese Witherspoon and Jim Toth’s Family Photo Album
"Note 1-3 things you can smell, touch, hear, etc… in the moment," she wrote. "& remember: this feeling will pass, even if you have to ride it out for awhile."
And after finding ways to cope with anxiety, Ava continues to work on herself in other ways, confessing that her biggest "bad habit" is picking at her skin.
"It's just so tempting for some reason," she said, "but I think I've been better about not doing that as I've gotten older."
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Besides opening up about mental health, Ava also shared how studying social welfare at UC Berkeley has shaped how she sees the world today.
"Loved this major and got to take so many fascinating classes on various social/political movements, systemic inequities, psychology, & the practice of social work," she explained. "Even though I didn't end up becoming a social worker, I still think what I learned in this major informs a lot of how I move through the world and my perspective on some major issues."
Scroll on to see more photos of Ava and her lookalike mom through the years.