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MANILA, Philippines – Gretchen Ho wakes up at 3 am almost every single day to prepare for her morning show. Despite the early mornings, you’ll never catch her looking tired, stressed, or exhausted from the day before. Her secret? Enough sleep, a kick-ass fitness routine, and lots of self-love.
Despite what our Instagram feeds lead us to believe, no one actually wakes up feeling like a 10 in the morning. We all have those days when insecurity creeps in, making it difficult to feel confident in our skin.
Having a rough day? Here are Gretchen’s 5 surefire tips to help you take better care of yourself.
1. Love yourself – inside and outside
We’ve been told countless of times: inner beauty is more important than physical appearance. But that doesn’t mean you should to slack off when it comes to taking care of what’s on the outside. Back in college, Gretchen recalled that there was a time when she couldn’t stand looking at herself in the mirror.
“Feeling ko ang pangit ko (I felt I was ugly). I had acne. I didn’t take care of myself very well. I had that notion na, ‘Okay lang. Mabait naman akong tao. Kahit na anong itsura ko diyan, okay na.’ (It’s okay. I’m a nice person. Whatever I look like, I’m okay.) But I realized that affected me so much as a person,” she recounted.
“I read this in a book. You can say that ‘yung physical, wala lang naman ‘yan. Madalas ‘yun sinasabi natin, pero super mahalaga din pala na inaalagaan mo ‘yung sarili mo. ‘Yung outer disposition. Because sometimes, taking care of your outer self affects you internally… it can affect your confidence. It can affect the way you deal with people.”
(I read this in a book. You can say that the physical aspect, that’s nothing. We always say that but it’s important that you take care of yourself. Your outer disposition. Because sometimes, taking care of your outer self affects you internally… it can affect your confidence. It can affect the way you deal with people.)
2. Start your mornings with positive self-talk
No one can love and appreciate you like you can. Stop nitpicking yourself to death and instead practice positive affirmation. Instead of focusing on your “flaws,” learn to appreciate yourself for exactly who you are.
“Ginagawa ko siya na every morning (I do that every morning), I tell myself, ‘Ang ganda-ganda ko talaga (I’m so pretty). I’m beautiful. I love myself. I’m gonna be my best self.’ I’m not perfect but I love myself. It gives you confidence,” she shared.
3. Find a workout plan that works for you
A quick Google search about “quick weight loss plans” will yield thousands, if not millions, of results. Rather than desperately trying to lose weight in the shortest amount of time possible, Gretchen explained that nothing beats sticking to a fitness routine that complements your lifestyle.
“Find a workout that you love doing. It doesn’t matter if it’s running, boxing, Zumba, biking. Even just walking or doing “Hip Hop Abs.” Kahit ano, basta (Anything, as long as it’s) something that will make you sweat and something that will put a smile on your face. That’s number one.”
The best part: You don’t actually need to spend an hour working out to see results.
“Any workout is fine. If you’re gonna do it for 15 minutes, make sure it’s a little more intense. So ‘yung pace mo medyo bilisan mo ng konti (the pace, you can speed it up a bit), or go out into the sun.”
4. Squeeze in a workout even on days when you don’t feel like it.
After a long day at work, it’s easy to convince yourself that you need some downtime, thinking that you don’t have enough energy to workout. But according to Gretchen, a quick cardio workout or even strength training at home can greatly affect your mood.
“Dati sinubukan ko na kapag pagod ako or puyat ako, I’ll just stay at home but I feel worse (Before, I tried just staying at home when I was tired, but that made me feel worse). I feel sloppy… So whatever I can do, I do weights at home; squeeze in a workout because you should make it your lifestyle. You should be conscious about it. It’s not something na sagabal or hassle sa buhay (that will get in the way of your work or a hassle). It’s something that should be part of the daily life,” she shared.
5. Know when to rest
Lastly, never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. Not only is it bad for your health, sleep deprivation makes you look older and even contributes to weight gain.
“The secret to staying fresh is having good sleep,” Gretchen said.
– Rappler.com
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