In 2018, Lana Condor became an overnight teen idol with the release of Netflix’s much-loved film “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” in which she starred as Lara Jean. The movie became a trilogy, with “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” released in 2020 and “To All the Boys: Always and Forever” released earlier this year. Needless to say, Condor has been busy. The actor turned 24 in May, which, she said, prompted her to get serious about self-care. Glossy spoke to the actor about how she changed her habits, how she keeps her time on social media positive (she has 11 million Instagram followers) and what her nighttime ritual entails.
What did you do to take care of your mental health in the last year?
They call your mental health journey a journey for a reason. You have to actively work on it every single day. It’s really easy to just talk badly about yourself in your own mind, which is crazy. We have to be our own best friends. Why are we saying these bad things to ourselves in our minds? Every time I feel a negative thought about myself coming into my brain, I actively combat it with something that I love about myself.
Anthony [De La Torre, her boyfriend] and I have been doing this walking meditation. We walk in the morning with our dog and we listen to this meditation where you literally are chanting a mantra. You say, “Every day, in every way, I’m feeling stronger and stronger,” or “Every day, in every way, I’m feeling healthier and healthier.” With walking meditation, you’re saying these affirmations out loud, and because you’re walking, it sinks into your body better.
I also schedule how long I’m on social media or how much I read the news, making sure that it’s not consuming me throughout the day. That’s been really helpful, because it’s pretty easy to get down on yourself and down on the world.
On the flip side, is there something positive that you turn to social media for?
I am wildly obsessed with anime food videos. There are a bunch of Instagram accounts dedicated to clips of different anime shows, where they’re cooking. It’s so relaxing to me. So is [the YouTube channel] Tiny Kitchen from Tastemade. I love food and food culture, and I love watching food videos on social media. That’s a nontoxic way to indulge in social media. And also @goodnews_movement — I love that account. It’s easy to see a ton of bad news, but we never really see a ton of good news, and there are good things in the world.
Do you like to cook, or just watch cooking? No judgment.
I love cooking so much. The only YouTube videos I ever watch are cooking videos…My dream one day is to maybe have a cooking show or be in the food world in some capacity.
My relationship with food has changed throughout the years. I’ve always eaten for taste, and not to nourish myself. Now, I’m in this place where I’m cooking and eating to nourish myself and to put good things in my body for my well-being. I’m in a moment of being obsessed with my self-care, and I love it.
Why did you sign on to be an Olly ambassador, for its mental health-related products?
I use Olly. I’ve been [taking] all the vitamins and gummies for quite a while now. I originally started using them because I’m a big Whole Foods shopper. I thought to myself, ‘Oh, that’s such an easy way to get your vitamins, through gummies.’ It’s literally exactly what we would do as kids. It’s very aligned with [my approach to] health, which is trying to make it fun and trying to make it accessible to everyone. It can seem kind of daunting. Taking a ton of different supplements can feel overwhelming and tedious.
I love their Hello Happy gummy worms. When I take them, I feel like I’m just having a treat, not [that I’m] taking my vitamins. I also use their Goodbye Stress gummies quite often because…it’s been a stressful year. And then I’ve been using their Sleep gummies, I haven’t always had the best sleep routine. In this industry, your circadian rhythm gets all out of whack because you’re shooting at night and you’re sleeping during the day.
What’s your bedtime routine now?
I’ve been taking baths every night, which I’m obsessed with. I put a magnesium soak in the bathtub. I have this great CBD oil from Feals and then I’ll take the Sleep gummies midway through the bath. By the time I’m finished, I’m really relaxed and comfortable. And then I watch an episode of “New Girl.: By the time the episode is over, I’m asleep. It’s actually working for the first time in my life. But we’ll see how I do when I go back to set.
