meet mandy madden kelley
How do you make your health a priority?
I always, always listen to my body and I respond the best way I can. Fortunately, since health has been a huge priority for me for so long, I’ve established many systems that put healthy habits on autopilot. From my “skincare as self-care” routine with Kaia to my tea and supplements, prescription medication, and healthy eating and exercise, so many health-focused behaviors are now so ingrained in my everyday life that they’ve become effortless.
“In this photo, I was so overwhelmed and stressed.”
I had so much going on with my luxury pet accessories brand Pagerie and so many campaigns coming in for Mandy Madd, so I threw myself on the ground and my dog Hector came over and started sniffing and kissing me. He’s always there for me when I feel anxious.
My first baby, Hector, and I have such a strong bond. So many people assume I’m always professional and serious, which is what I mostly show on Instagram. But like most, I’m multidimensional. My family really brings out my playfulness and warmth, and of course, makes me incredibly happy.
How do you make time for your family, but also set aside time for yourself?
This is Kaia, my baby girl. I love her more than I can describe. Here, we’re doing our daily ritual of skincare as self-care. I’ve been making it a point to model the behavior of treating myself well. Creating those habits now will only better her in the future, and hopefully, help her see her worth. It’s such a great bonding activity, too. I have amazing memories practicing beauty routines with my grandmother, and I hope to pass those along to my daughter, too.
That said, for Kaia, my husband, and my dog to be happy, I have to be happy. When I’m not happy, they feel it. We’re so synced, especially now during COVID. They know when something feels off and I realize I need to take time out. It might feel selfish at first, but that time with myself allows me to process information and practice self-care rituals like throwing on a mask and reading a book. So when I’m back, I can give them 110%.
How does prescription medication and supplements affect your day-to-day?
Supplements, prescription medication, and tea are an absolute must in my daily routine because I do not take my health for granted.
I started taking an antidepressant about a year ago. It hasn’t been that long because I come from a very traditional family and my mom never believed in mental health. When I started taking my prescription medication, my life transformed. My outlook on the world was so positive and I just felt a sense of security inside myself. Some people naturally have a chemical imbalance. That’s me and I admit it. Prayers haven’t worked. Meditation hasn’t worked. And supplements haven’t worked.
“I have to be medicated and it has transformed my life.”
I’m also very deficient in vitamin D. When you have darker skin, the more melanin you have, the less you get sunburnt. Because I have a lot of melanin, I block the sun and my body can’t absorb vitamin D. It’s actually a fact that most people of color are deficient in it.
To that end, if you don’t have enough vitamin D, you can’t access calcium, so if you can’t access calcium, your bones get weaker. When I was pregnant with Kaia, I didn’t know I was deficient in vitamin D and I didn’t understand why I was having issues with my back like sciatica. My wrists were also clicking and causing me pain. So when I started taking vitamin D regularly, I noticed a huge difference in my mood and my energy. Even my skin looked better and my body wasn’t so stiff.
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