“Be kind, gentle, loving to yourself. Be protective of your energy and time. You are your longest investment. This can come off as toxic positivity but I mean this for any situation you’re in. Do not look for perfection. A step forward today is better than where you were yesterday. Progress is not linear. Be forgiving to yourself.” – Daveena

This Is Daveena’s Story 

Though Daveena was born and bred in Malaysia, she spent merely just 10 years in her home country before moving to Canada and lived there for 7 years. Shortly after, she moved to Australia for a year before coming back to Malaysia. Currently, she’s in her second year of degree, majoring in Journalism.  

Getting To Know Daveena

Daveena is naturally an introvert, despite being a Taurus (who are known to be extroverts!). She’s also an avid traveller and dreams of being a travel writer in the near future. Oh, and she doesn’t know how to swim either!

She loves to play with makeup and create new make-up looks, watch Netflix, hang out with her friends and write poetry. “I also really enjoy exploring new places, travelling, meeting new people and having new experiences.”

Being an activist at heart, although she has many things in mind that she’d love to change, the one thing would be to change how society perceives and has the right to comment or have opinions on things that aren’t any of their business. “Live and let live, in all contexts.”

Her Struggle Back and Forth With Acne For 10 Years 

“I’ve had acne for around 10 years (and I’m only 22 haha!) and I’ve taken so many different types of medications, creams, pills, treatments, lasers, and countless other things that had no long-term effect on my skin,” Daveena shared. 

Despite her efforts, the endless cystic acne always returned. Dealing with her acne affected her mental health greatly. “I still sometimes find myself not making eye contact, wearing my mask, rescheduling plans and more. I’m very real about that. The mental implications of acne are very real. It took me many years to accept the fact that I will likely always have acne.”

Up to this day, Daveena still struggles with acne as it is part of her life. However, she’s learning how to not let it define her. “I am learning to not place my self-worth in my skin because everyone has things that society deems ‘bad’.”

Many women and men tend to feel insecure about having acne. Daveena shared, “Your skin does not define you. You are more than your external skin. You are every good thing your embody, every good thought, every happy memory, every kind gesture. That is what makes a person radiate true beauty, regardless of the condition of your skin. Be gentle with yourself, your soul and your mind.”

Dealing With Negativity And What To Do About It

We all face negativity every once in a while. It’s not easy to tackle these feelings. Everyone deals with negativity differently, what works for you may not work for everyone else – but we can still learn from each other to find out which are the best ways for us. 

As for Daveena, she mentioned how although many people tend to say that negativity and trauma makes you stronger, it did not work for her. “Negativity did not make me stronger. People being harsh did not make me stronger. It broke me, over and over again.”

What did make her stronger, however, is by changing her perspective on things. “The thing that made me stronger was defending myself, changing my belief system, changing my mindset, choosing to see beauty in myself, choosing to be gentle despite the world trying to turn me into rock.”

Let’s not forget how virtual negativity is real and happens often, too. If you’re faced with negativity in the online world, Daveena’s advice is to block and ignore them. After all, it’s a waste of time and drains your energy. “It hurts me seeing the negative comments but I try my best to not internalize them because I know myself, and I make it a practice to try to be gentler on myself.”

Practicing Self-Care By Doing Things You Enjoy

Though there are many ways to practice self-care, Daveena’s definition of self-care is to do the things you enjoy and love. 

“I practice self-care in a few ways; I like to sit in silence, put a face mask on, listen to music and just breath. I also believe in self-care being anything that you enjoy doing and are doing mindfully. To me, it’s washing my hair, plucking my eyebrows, going for walks/jogs, things of that nature.”

The Definition of Beauty, In Her Own Words

We all have our own perception of beauty. For Daveena, beauty is everything to her. “Some examples are strong features, unique traits, bold voices, being different, standing out, looking ‘different’ and so many more. These are all things that I consider to be beautiful. I personally try to keep the mindset that beauty is in everything, and everyone deserves to feel beautiful. Inclusivity and representation are everything to me.”

We hope Daveena’s story has inspired you the way it inspires us, to not let your insecurities bring you down and to keep striving forward.

Do you have your own story to tell? Drop us an email at: contact@happyhormones.my 

Daveena’s Instagram: @daveenaaa