Cara Delevingne Talks Prioritizing Her Mental Health and Her ‘Journey’ to Finding Balance (Exclusive)

"A lot of the time I think you can get used to bottling things up and pretending like everything's okay,” the actress and model tells PEOPLE

Cara Delevingne admits that finding balance in her life will always be a goal in progress.

On Thursday, Nov. 21, the 32-year-old attended the L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth Celebration and opened up to PEOPLE about being a mental health advocate and what she’s learned about her own journey.

“I think one of the things I never used to get right in my life was balance. And I think it's a journey. It's not something that you can just learn overnight,” she explains. “But for me, I really think it's about checking in with myself because a lot of the time I think you can get used to bottling things up and pretending like everything's okay.”

The model and actress says there’s “power” in saying no and being able to recognize when you need a few moments to yourself.

“It's putting yourself first in those places, and then you can also do your job better,” Delevingne adds. “I think the more time that I had to have a break, the better I could come back and be committed and present in the job that I do and realize what my motives were and what actually makes me happy.”

“And part of that is definitely helping people and inspiring people by being honest about my own adversity or resilience,” she continues.

Related: Cara Delevingne Reveals Her Surprising Eyebrow Hack and Details ’Simplistic’ Makeup Look (Exclusive) 

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Delevingne has been open about her struggles with anxiety and depression over the years. The Carnival Row star says she’s been able to prioritize her mental wellbeing and whenever she feels good “on the inside” it’s “the best feeling in the world.”

“I think breathing practices are really important because it helps me get out of my head and into my body,” she tells PEOPLE. “And I think feeling connected to yourself is the first step, and being able to connect to others because if you're not connected to yourself, you're disconnected.”

“It means you are not present, you're not there,” she continues. “And I think you are in your head a lot, which is part of the reason... That's where, for me, all my insecurities come from, is my head telling me messages about myself, which may not be true or just unhelpful. So it's really getting out of that place.”

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.