NILES, Ohio - Civil unrest over the death of George Floyd reached coast to coast and it took prominent leaders to keep everything together all while dealing with the pandemic.

One of those leaders was Former Atlanta Mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, who was right there during it all.

Bottoms was the keynote speaker at Unmute the Uncomfortable, a Mahoning Valley symposium on mental health awareness at the Eastwood Mall Event Centre

During the event on Friday, she reflected on a time when civil rights protests often caused tensions to boil over in her city. It was a difficult time for the former mayor and current senior advisor to the president, that resulted in her having to balance prioritizing her city and mental health. 

"Mentally and emotionally we were all going through it, especially in the summer of 2020, and dealing with this pandemic that none of us have faced during our lifetime. So, for me it was just about getting up every day doing the very best that I could do," Bottoms said. 

During the summer of 2020, the outspoken leader tested positive for COVID-19. She said she found herself physically and mentally exhausted with the pressures of her professional and personal life.

Bottoms highlighted the importance of taking a break, going to therapy, and managing stress. The mother of four said she wants women to know that they don't have to do it all.

"I had an opportunity to talk with my therapist, and she said something so powerful to me. She said strong women push through and they have heart attacks and they have strokes and they have high blood pressure. She said powerful women stop and feel. They assess and then they learn the lessons and then they move on. So in this season of life I am completely focused on being a powerful woman." Bottoms told 21 News.