Demi Moore has earned a reputation as one of the more private figures in Hollywood. But the star — whose films like St. Elmo’s FireGhost, and About Last Night were among the most iconic movies of the ’80s and ’90s — has let her guard down in her new memoir, Inside Out. The actor and activist (she co-founded a non-profit, Thorn, which leverages technology to fight child sexual exploitation) has very clear reasons for wanting to tell her story — “the story of how I learned to surrender,” as she describes it: “Because it’s mine. It doesn’t belong to the tabloids or my mom or the men I’ve married or the people who’ve loved or hated my movies or even my children. My story is mine alone; I’m the only one who was there for all of it, and I decided to claim the power to tell it on my own terms.”

From her childhood to her marriages to her struggles with addiction issues, the actress isn’t holding anything back. She writes about… 

… Body image: “I was sober, sure, but all my anxieties just shifted over to food. If I got on a scale, it could ruin my entire day. I even put a lock on my refrigerator door at one point.”  

… Motherhood: “I would have done anything to take care of my girls. I felt an almost primal need to protect them.”

… Self-care: “Because of Ghost, I learned how to breathe, and that helped me begin to unlock my feelings, to connect them in a healthier way.”

… And so much more.

Here, Moore chats with Thrive about her morning routine and how she sets herself up for success.

THRIVE GLOBAL: What inspired you to write this book now? 

Demi Moore: The “now of it” kind of found me! 

TG: Was the process of writing therapeutic for you or was it stressful? 

DM: Both.

TG: What are some of the ways you practice self-care? 

DM: Meditation. Scheduling time for myself.

TG: What is your morning ritual. How do you set your day up for success? 

DM: My day starts with my dogs; they are my alarm clock! After I take them out and before I pick up any of my devices (because once you pick them up you can be sucked down the rabbit hole), it’s my time to meditate and set my intentions for the day. Whether that is five minutes or 45 minutes doesn’t matter — that’s the essential part of my morning. 

TG: How do you prioritize when you have an overwhelming amount to do? 

DM: I stay focused on what is in front of me. We can really only do one thing at a time; I ask for help when needed and find joy in whatever I am doing.

TG: What brings you joy and optimism? 

DM: Removing judgements and finding forgiveness of myself and others. This opens the way to loving myself and others — which brings me limitless joy and optimism.

TG: What is the best advice you’ve received? 

DM: That you are the best you there is — no one is a better you than you — so don’t waste time trying to be a lesser someone else, be YOU.