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Lillee Jean: Five Things We Can Do To Develop Serenity And Support Each Other During These Anxious Times

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Make yourself available. While it may be easy for us to get caught up in our busy lives, when someone experiences distress, they need to know they can rely on you no matter what.

As a part of my series about the things we can do to develop serenity and support each other during anxious times, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lillee Jean.

Lillee Jean is best known for her content on YouTube and for being an Instagram digital celebrity. Her accomplishments include modeling, acting, writing, producing, directing, makeup and lifestyle vlogging. Based on her own experience of online cyberbullying, she is currently working on a passion project called “Project Bullyish.”. She’s a longtime advocate of mental health awareness, online bullying, and global warming, educating the public through her online presence. She is currently filming the third season of “Lillee Jean TALKS!” Live, which is IMDB credited. Past shows can be viewed on her YouTube channel as well as her media website.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

I’m a bit of a ham at heart, bringing enjoyment to people, through my artistry, has always been a passion of mine. There is nothing more satisfying than interacting with people, and making them smile.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

So far in my career, I have had the privilege of meeting so many people. A highlight of my career has to be the creation of my show, “Lillee Jean TALKS! Live”. It has brought me in contact with many fascinating multi-talented entertainers and artists, such as Don Most, the well-known and beloved actor, or Academy Award winning director and writer Alan Swyer. I often reflect on how lucky I am to be able to meet such amazing people who have brought such joy to the public so far. Our upcoming shows will introduce people to some pretty amazing people, so I can’t wait for people to see them.

What advice would you suggest to your colleagues in your industry to thrive and avoid burnout?

Generally speaking, entertainment is a labor of love. You must learn to make time for yourself, or you will indeed lose steam. While I am always thinking of the public and wanting to please them, you must also be aware of yourself. It is highly recommended that everyone takes a few minutes to relax, and refocus. Meditating or taking a power nap can help me feel more energized, even for just ten minutes.

What advice would you give to other leaders about how to create a fantastic work culture?

You need to put your energy into yourself, and what you want to manifest in the world. In general, the work environment has been redefined rapidly since the pandemic, which is a good thing in my opinion. Change is good. Making the workplace a more diverse and healthy environment will improve everyone’s self-esteem and mental health.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

One of the most inspiring books I have ever read is “The Art of War”, written by Sun Tzu. The book was published in 1772 in English, and I refer to it frequently when dealing with issues in my life. It was written by one of the greatest military strategists of all time, Sun Tzu, back in the 5th century BC. Throughout the book, different skill sets are discussed in relation to warfare and how they apply to military strategy and tactics. You probably did not expect me to say that, but this is something that can be applied to business and legal strategy as well as lifestyle, and in my opinion, this book is one of the most important books in history. In the past, I have been relentlessly cyberbullied online by a group of people, without rhyme or reason. A favorite chapter of mine is Weak Points and Strong, in which the importance of grabbing opportunities is explained. Other than the military, The Art of War has been applied to many fields. Through it, you learn how to out-smart your opponent and avoid physical confrontations with them. This strategy has saved my mental health many times.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. Many people have become anxious just from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. The fears related to the coronavirus pandemic have only heightened a sense of uncertainty, fear, and loneliness. From your experience or research what are five steps that each of us can take to develop serenity during such uncertain times? (Please share a story or example for each.)

As humans, we live in a real world with highs and lows, so uncertainty will always exist. The pandemic is just another experience we have all endured, or maybe I should say continue to endure, in our lives. During this period, I know a lot of people have felt extremely isolated, alone, and anxious, which has seriously affected their lives. What you will do in the face of a moment in time, in your life, such as what we all have experienced and continue to experience, is entirely your decision. To avoid sounding cliche and giving the usual answer, I will offer this on this subject. Talking to people you trust is important, even if it takes you out of your comfort zone. You should contact the people who know and love you best if you feel something isn’t quite right within you. Whether they are family or friends, the sooner you recognize this, I believe, the better. I found that taking the time to just breathe, as simple as that, and fill yourself with the moment that is causing you distress, helped a great deal. Just one breath, one moment at a time. Especially when facing anxiety, or uncertainty due to the stress of what we are all still going through, you can’t rush things. Fear will cripple your progress if you let it. I believe in the power of our own will to get through difficult situations.

From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to effectively offer support to those around us who are feeling anxious? Can you explain?

  1. Take care of those around you. Make sure they are doing well. Watch out for problems and do not allow them to spiral out of control. If you love someone, sometimes it is best to intervene, instead of backing away from what you see might be a problem;
  2. Assist the person in focusing. I learned this technique throughout the years. In order to overcome my anxiety and fear, I shrink the world in my mind when it feels too chaotic. It’s an easy technique to teach someone who feels distressed;
  3. Make sure you are there to hear them out, no matter how long it may take. Fear and anxiety are real emotions, that can seriously affect your health, and make you unable to perform tasks;
  4. Recognize that they need permission to experience this moment and provide it to them. Despite the fact that most people don’t talk about it, this is a normal reality we all face;
  5. Make yourself available. While it may be easy for us to get caught up in our busy lives, when someone experiences distress, they need to know they can rely on you no matter what.

What are the best resources you would suggest to a person who is feeling anxious?

As well as your family and friends, you need to retrain yourself to rely and trust yourself. Everyone feels anxious from time to time. It is important to learn how to recognize those signs, and how to soothe ourselves when necessary.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

As Sun Tzu said, “Know thyself, know thy enemy.” “A thousand battles, a thousand victories.” When you think about it, he doesn’t mean it violently. Understanding the person you are up against and being prepared for what lies ahead will enable you to win without violence.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

No matter how good or how bad times are, the world remains unpredictable. Seeing people who ignore the feelings of others makes me sad. Many people refuse to move forward with their lives, as if they are the sole authority, the moral majority. I am saddened by the growing intolerance among people in the world today. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a new generation of mindful individuals? In my opinion, the digital age has exacerbated some forms of mental illness, regardless of how wonderful it has been. Using social media, while a great way to contact your friends and family, has been known to affect people’s judgment skills, as well as their social behavior in general. For example, people feel free to do things they wouldn’t usually do, like harassing someone online, just because they believe that they can do so anonymously. I believe that we should educate ourselves more about the effects of what we do online, digitally, so that we can use our social skills more in real life, instead of online. I believe we will continue to suffer a downward spiral with mental health if we don’t recognize we have become numb and do not believe we are not restricted at any time. In the future, I hope our country takes this issue more seriously. Despite this, I believe that this is an epidemic of immense proportions that has grown far worse than I had ever imagined. I believe that we should not use digital technology to controlour lives; instead, we should use it to improve them.

What is the best way our readers can follow you online?

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilleejean/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGQF-GZ2oWfgb1NN3QtJJlA

Lillee Jean Websites: https://www.lilleejean.com and https://www.lilleejeanbeauty.com

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/REALlilleejean/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/LilleeJean

Digital Art: https://www.deviantart.com/lilleejean

Giphy: https://giphy.com/lilleejean

Tenor: https://tenor.com/official/lilleejean

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10479689/

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

Lillee Jean: Five Things We Can Do To Develop Serenity And Support Each Other During These Anxious… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.