BOCA RATON — What does a typical morning look like for a 23-year-old man with more than 3 million social media followers?
Don’t scroll down. At least for the Boca Raton native. Lexi Hidalgo.
“Spend that time personally,” Hidalgo said. “Spend that time practicing your faith and your religion. Whatever you do, don’t consume other people.”
Do the same thing before you go to sleep, she advises.
Over the past four years, Hidalgo has gained 2.6 million followers. TikTok In her alone time, she naturally appeals to women in their early teens to early 30s, with whom she shares almost everything: sunrise swims in the ocean, intimate morning chats over coffee, her yoga journey, volunteering at a local animal shelter, and most recently, a month-long mission to make clothes out of old clothes in their closets.
But she’s also been incredibly vulnerable with her followers, opening up about everything from therapy to how she takes care of herself mentally. Though it may not have been her intention at first, Hidalgo has created a space where her viewers, who she treats as close friends, feel safe, understood, and comfortable enough to share their opinions about shared experiences, like dealing with social anxiety.
Her openness led to her being invited to speak at the White House in August about mental health on social media, and about a week earlier she moderated Active Minds’ summer conference, also in Washington, D.C.
“I really wanted to say no because I was so scared,” Hidalgo said, recalling accepting Active Minds’ invitation to come to Washington, D.C. “But I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do. I wanted to lead by example, to be honest about my fears and basically do something that scares me.”
Later that month, Hidalgo Active MindIt is the largest mental health nonprofit in the country.
Hidalgo said the collaboration will continue the dialogue about mental health and eradicate the stigma surrounding it, and he hopes to establish chapters of the nonprofit on local college campuses, like Florida Atlantic University.
“I want to do everything I can to promote Active Minds and keep the conversation going about mental health and make it comfortable and easy,” Hidalgo said. “Even though it’s a very heavy subject, I want to find a way to at least take the fear of talking about it off some people’s shoulders and make it possible to be open and authentic about all that we’re going through.”
Mental health is a major concern for young people
a Recent Research A survey of US college students by the nonprofit found that nearly two-thirds, or 64%, feel lonely and more than half are worried about a friend’s mental health. Youth suicide rates According to the release, Active Minds, which is on the rise, aims to broaden the conversation around mental health and create lasting change in the way mental health is discussed, cared for and assessed.
Hidalgo often speaks about facing fears and following her dreams on her platform, as well as sharing upbeat stories about her travels and inviting her followers to “get ready with her.”
“But for me, it’s really hard to do that,” she said.
So she keeps a diary.
“When we’re in these dark spaces, our brains are full of different situations, thoughts, fears, and anxieties,” Hidalgo says. “Our brains get so obsessed with everything that could go wrong, we forget to zoom out for a second. I like to pretend I’m a drone and I’m zooming out on myself.”
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Doing so helps her see the bigger picture and recognize the blessings that are still around her, she said. Going outside and taking deep breaths also helps.
“In my room, I feel like I take up a lot of space and everything feels really big and really impressive,” Hidalgo said. “Go outside and look at nature, the bugs, the lizards, the clouds, the sun, the breeze — all the little things that we don’t really pay attention to. I think when you start paying a little bit more attention, it really helps you to be in the present moment. It helps you get through the present moment. Sometimes that’s the only thing we can do.”
“The Moments Podcast” is a collection of discussions about the ups and downs of youth.
In 2021, Hidalgo said,Moments Podcast” is a collection of 30-minute to hour-long discussions that delve into the ups and downs of young people’s lives. Soon after, the podcast rose to the top of the charts, Spotify It remained in the top 10 for several weeks.
In April she Guided Journal The book, which has been about two and a half years in the making, offers affirmations and tips for people starting to keep a diary, but Hidalgo said it can also be filled out by people who have kept diaries their whole life. The goal is to help people get to know themselves better.
“Lexi has an incredible ability to connect with young people and make them feel understood and validated,” said Active Minds founder Allison Malmon. “Her compassionate approach and commitment to empowering others will be a key asset as we work together to create a culture of mental health and support for young people across the country. We are excited to see the difference she will make in encouraging young people to take charge of their own mental health.”
Jasmine Fernandez is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for the Palm Beach Post. Contact her at [email protected] Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) Jasmine FernandesSupport our work: Subscribe now.
