CARE BY: Camilla Kjems

What does your morning routine look like?

I'm a mega B-person and every morning I think it's the most unfair thing in the world that I have to get up when the alarm clock rings. That's why my morning routine is an evening routine. Every evening I take a shower, cleanse my face, put on delicious creams, floss and brush my teeth, and in that way I cleanse the day and take care of myself from the inside out. From the inside by ending the day with a glass of boiled water with collagen powder as well as omega-3 oil and magnesium. Then I'm ready for bed and can get up as late as possible, drink a cup of coffee, put on makeup and be out the door in 10 minutes.

How do you best spend an hour in your own company?

Definitely by sitting down and reading a book, going to the sauna and winter baths, or by going for a long walk in nature.
I recharge when I'm alone, so I always make sure to put little pockets of alone time into my life.
Otherwise I'll be a grumpy mother, girlfriend and woman.

What is your best advice for showing self-love and prioritizing yourself in a busy everyday life?

Alone time – preferably every evening an hour before bed with calm, gentle yoga, meditation or just a long, cleansing bath.
This will calm your brain, and by getting into your body and lowering your adrenaline and heart rate before bed, you will fall asleep more easily.
– without having to struggle with monkeymind for the first half hour.

Have you made a decision in your life that has been particularly good for you?

The best decision I ever made was when I realized that I could no longer pass the responsibility for my happiness onto my partner, my children, or my job – but that I had to take full responsibility for my well-being and happiness myself. This led to a divorce, a breakup, many hours with a psychologist, even more hours on a yoga mat, and then… a new life!
You can read about that process in my first book, "You must dare to love first - the amazing thing that happens when you look your vulnerability, anxiety and loneliness in the eye."

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice on how to create a balanced life, what would it be?

It should be the importance of realizing that no matter what happens to you, the worst thing you can do is take on a victim role. Nothing good ever comes from the victim role. The only thing in life that we have any influence over is our own energy. How we deal with what happens. Whether we are what hits us (= the victim role), or whether we experience what hits us. That point is the heart of stoicism.
When we understand that we can never control our surroundings, but always have full control over how we choose to tackle life's events – that is, our mind-set – we achieve our full freedom.

Your best tip for a strong and healthy body and a balanced mind?

Phew – this is something I have struggled with my whole life, and I think the most important thing is to recognize that we will never be and should not be perfect.

Happiness and balance are not permanent states, but something we can achieve in glimpses. We can work on balance, and it becomes easier with age as we get to know ourselves better.

But listen to your body, be kind to it so it can stay strong. Exercise and eat healthily – and then ENJOY wine, good cheeses and cakes to the fullest when you get those kinds of sinful cravings. I think it's healthy to sin now and then, if it really gets your happy hormones going. Conversely, I actually think it can be downright unhealthy to live in a fundamentalist exercise and diet regime that leaves no room for joy, socializing and stimulation of all the senses.
The body is created to both perform and enjoy.

We see you as a power woman, a great family and career person, who at the same time exudes energy, calm and balance. Do you have any good advice for finding your way in life, believing in yourself and achieving your goals without losing courage along the way?

Become best friends with your intuition and follow the signs that the universe is giving you – that’s what my new book is about. I’ve always had a strong intuition that has guided me – and every time I’ve failed, it’s been clear to me that it was because I didn’t follow my intuition. People who believe in something bigger than themselves are scientifically proven to be both healthier and live longer. My intuition is my anchor in life. Find and listen to your own – and you’ll have the best guide in the world. Yourself.

Do you have an easy beauty tip that we can share with others?

I got melanoma when I was 17 and have stayed out of the sun ever since. It has meant that I now have far fewer wrinkles than many others my age. And keeping my diet free of lactose and too many carbohydrates has done wonders for my skin (I suffer from mild psoriasis).

So get out of the sun, cut down on carbohydrates and eat lots of good olive oil.

If you could freely choose an activity that would give you lots of energy, what would it be?

I have become very fond of reformer training and cryo treatments.
And I always get energy and joy from jumping into the beautiful ocean.
I live in the sea. I should have been born a mermaid.

Follow Camilla's inspiring universe at @camillakjems