Ashley Greene Is 'in a Better Headspace' After Dealing With Fame at a Young Age: 'I'm Really Proud'

Ashley Greene shot to fame when she played Alice Cullen in the Twilight films, which first debuted in 2008. Though she instantly gained a loyal fanbase, the star didn't realize the toll it would take on her.

"It hasn’t been easy. In the midst of the rise to fame — I felt like I was handling it all well … until It became very clear that I wasn’t. I had to completely reframe the way I absorbed and addressed stressful situations. There is not much that can prepare a young mind for the roller-coaster ride that came with instant fame in Hollywood and the pressures to maintain that fame, the pressures to present as a certain person. I’m very grateful for the position I was, and am in, but it hasn’t come without its challenges," the 36-year-old, who partnered with Aura Health, exclusively tells OK!.

"I reflect on the work I had to put in to get to where I’m at now, mentally, and I’m really proud. Thankfully, I have a strong support system around me; my husband, my daughter, my parents, and friends all play an important role in the better mindset I have now. I’m definitely in a better headspace than I was years ago," she adds.

The brunette beauty, who shares daughter Kingsley Rainnn Khoury with husband Paul Khoury, admits she had to "do a lot of work" and had to "be honest" with herself in order to get to the place she's in today.

"There are so many things I wish I could tell young Ashley — but the experiences I’ve gone through will allow me to arm my daughter with the tools she needs to navigate this world in a healthy way. I’m so grateful the conversation around self-love and self-advocacy has shifted and that we have access to education around ways to show up for ourselves. I’m so excited to see her make her mark in the world," she gushes.

Over the years, the actress has been open about her mental health struggles — she previously revealed she thought she was going to "die" after experiencing her first panic attack on Twilight's press tour — and she hopes to help others along the way.

"I’m a completely different person now than I was five, even 10 years ago. The biggest change is that I’ve taken charge of my life and my mental health. I’ve made the commitment to myself to work every day to better myself. I’ve certainly got work to do, but I do feel I’ve been able to separate my self-worth from my work a bit. Not completely if we’re being honest, but I recognize now that I bring a lot to the table — I have a lot to be valued and I have a lot to be grateful for. The work I’ve done on myself has helped exponentially, but having my daughter threw me into an entirely new realm," she says.

Since Greene is candid about her mental health journey, it was a no-brainer she wanted to partner with Aura Health.

"I was really excited to partner with Aura Health for multiple reasons. I fell in love with the offerings of the App and the ease with which I could use it. After using the App for a short amount of time, my husband, Paul, mentioned that I seemed like I was in such an amazing place and whatever I was doing, I should continue to do it," she explains. "That spoke volumes. I’ve also become a lot more transparent and open about my wins and my struggles. I think that choice stems from a few things … first was my reproductive health company Hummingway because I want to empower others to share their stories, and I felt it was only fair to share min since giving birth to my beautiful baby girl last year. Postpartum has been such a combination of moments of bliss and moments of complete overwhelm and struggle, and I feel like that narrative needs to be shared."

"So, I think being open about those two subjects really allowed me to be vulnerable and open up about my mental health journey. That being said, I was still extremely nervous to share my struggles which specifically tied to self-worth, adjusting to motherhood, running a business and the hardships presented by the film industry. But I’m extremely glad I decided to make the leap. Together we created an exclusive video series titled, 'The keys to rediscovering your mental wellness with Ashley Greene,' and I’m really proud to have used my voice to help others hopefully not feel so alone, and to know there are tools out there to help on their journeys as well," she says.

The app is super convenient, especially for Greene, who is a busy mama, wife, entrepreneur, actress and more.

"Having Aura Health and its personalized recommendations fit seamlessly into that chaos and knowing how easy it is to add it to my schedule has changed everything. I sleep better, I think more clearly, I feel the little changes in a huge way," she notes. "I find myself really utilizing the subliminal affirmations. Being able to support my mental health even while I’m asleep makes such a huge difference when I wake up in the morning. I love them because we have such a bad habit of talking negatively to ourselves and putting those affirmations in place is a really easy way to kind of reset."

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She concludes, "I hope that anyone who listens to my story on Aura Health will know they aren’t alone, and I hope it inspires people to be proactive about their mental health. I hope they understand that nobody has it all together 100 percent of the time, and we all feel lost sometimes. Coming off the biggest movie franchise in history with so much success didn’t prevent me from experiencing what I did. Nobody is immune to it, but it’s how we communicate and address those feelings that counts."