She has largely stayed away from social media for the past year. But on December 11, Amanda Bynes took to Instagram to show off a new look. In a short video, the What a Girl Wants lead revealed she’d had a blepharoplasty procedure to remove extra skin folds around the eyes. “It was one of the best things I could’ve ever done for my self-confidence, and it made me feel a lot better in my skin,” she candidly explained. “It was one of the greatest things I could’ve ever done.”

The surgery is all part of her plan to move forward. Almost two years have passed since a judge agreed to end the nine-year conservatorship Amanda was placed under following a 2013 mental breakdown, and despite setbacks earlier this year, “she seems to be taking back control of her life,” an insider exclusively tells Life & Style, noting that the 37-year-old debuted a new podcast in December and has a coffee table book in the works. “Amanda even says she’s considering writing a tell-all, just like Britney Spears. She has been inspired by Britney and how she’s also gone through hell with her own conservatorship and come out the other side.”

Taking On Too Much?

Though she last appeared on screen in 2010, “acting isn’t out of the question either,” says the insider of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising graduate’s fresh ambitions. “She’s more than ready to get back to work. That’s where she’s focusing all her energy.”

While Amanda’s upped confidence is a good thing, some of those close to the former child star worry she might be overextending herself. After all, it was just last March that Amanda had planned to reunite with her one-time All That castmates at 90s Con in Connecticut — but a psychotic episode derailed her appearance. In the days leading up to the event, co-stars lost contact with Amanda, and later, news emerged that she’d been placed on a psych hold after being found wandering the streets of L.A. naked.

Then, in June, the troubled celebrity expressed thoughts of self-harm to police, which led to her spending a few weeks in a mental health facility. “There are friends and family who think Amanda’s beginning to take on too much,” shares the insider. “She’s been through a lot, so they’re worried.” Amanda insists her mental health is her top priority, though. “All of this stuff she’s got going may seem like red flags, but Amanda says it’s helping her stay on track,” notes the insider. “Amanda sounds great, and she says she’s happier than ever.”