How do you make your health a priority?

I exercise every day. I hike, I do Pilates, and boxing when I can. Boxing is great because it gives me a release when hitting something. If I don’t work out, I feel like shit. I feel sluggish and I don’t sleep as well. So I’ve learned that I have to prioritize it in order to be mentally balanced.

I also think about meditating every day. Some days are better than others. It depends on the news cycle. I wish I could say I turn off my phone, but I don’t and it really affects my mental health because I tend to obsess over the state of the world.

Taking care of my skin is also something I consider just as important as taking care of my health. It is health. The health of my skin, the vibrancy of my skin reflects the health of my body. I know if I’m neglecting it, I see dullness. And everything internally, mentally, and spiritually is all going to dull as well. It’s an excellent reminder that the importance of self-care is self-love.

What do you do to self-soothe and calm down?

I was always coloring as a kid.  I didn’t have as fine-tuned colored pencils and coloring books as I do now, but it was something that I always did to help self-soothe and refocus.

During COVID, I picked it up again as a way to A. get off my phone, B. keep inspired and keep color in my life, and C. keep my eye sharp. It brought me back to those self-soothing moments I had as a child and loved so much. Coloring really calms me down, slows me down, and keeps me totally in the moment. I notice if my mind starts wandering while I’m coloring, especially since the books I use are very precise, I start coloring out of the lines.

“I think that’s such a good metaphor for life that if you’re not laser-focused, you start getting sloppy.”

There was a moment when COVID was really stressful and I was coloring everyday. I paused for a bit, but I’m going to bring it back.