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Kim Chiu —Photo by Marinel Cruz
“Don’t nurture hatred or anger,” said actress Kim Chiu when asked what the most effective way is to overcome emotional conflicts.
Kim, who just months ago ended her 12-year relationship with actor Xian Lim, has some advice for women struggling to find their confidence again after a difficult time:
“Control your emotions. That’s the first rule for me. Throw away that baggage. For example, if you consider someone your enemy, then naturally you won’t want to be near that person. You will try to avoid that person. That’s just punishing yourself, so it’s better to throw away all the negative emotions and live in the moment,” the actress pointed out.
Kim said she learned this lesson by observing her own father. “He doesn’t have any enemies. He’s just happy. He’s happy most of the time. He’s already 65, but he doesn’t look it,” she added.
Kim also spoke about how best to deal with aging: “Aging happens to everyone so I’m not worried about it. You can’t stop aging. You can either ignore it and let it progress naturally or try to slow it down. There are lots of ways, so choose what works for you. In the end, it’s all about self-care and self-love,” she said at the launch event for skincare brand Brilliant Skin’s new product, collagen drink Hello Melo.
“When you know you look good, you feel more confident when you meet people, and when you have confidence, you’re much more approachable, which in turn leads to a better mental state,” Kim said, adding that a happy personality also helps slow the ageing process.
Exercise is also a good way to prevent your body from ageing. “You need to keep moving. Brisk walking or running helps prevent dry skin. Once you flush all the toxins out of your body, you will look fresh,” added the 34-year-old actress.
Triathlete
Kim, now a triathlete, said she first tried running to combat asthma attacks: “Whenever I danced in ‘ASAP,’ I would get out of breath, and when that happened, they would put me on oxygen backstage. At one point, I passed out because I was trying to finish the dance.”
“So I asked myself, ‘What do I need to do to get stronger?’ First I ran marathons. Then I tried cycling. I discovered I liked cycling too, so I did duathlons. Then I tried triathlons and realized, ‘Yes, this is it for me!’ There’s a sense of camaraderie in my cycling and running groups. They don’t treat me like a celebrity, but they encourage me by saying, ‘Go for it! Go for it!’ It’s a really fun community to be a part of,” she said. “I also have some young mom friends at the gym. They’re the best! I want to be just like them when I’m in my 50s.”
Kim says she rarely has asthma attacks these days. “Exercise has really helped me. During the pandemic, they said the COVID-19 virus was targeting people with asthma, so I started running more,” she says.
Kim said another way she relieves stress is to go on solo trips every now and then. “I’ll go to the beach or stay at a rest stop. I don’t bring my phone, I don’t watch TV shows or the news. I’ll stay there for three to five days,” said the star of the romantic comedy series “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?”.
Listen to your body
“I listen to my body. It tells me what it wants to eat, what I should buy to treat myself and who I should spend time with. Pamper yourself every once in a while – a facial, nails done, hair treatment. You work hard so don’t sacrifice yourself,” she added.
Kim also said having a strong support system is important. “Aside from my ‘Ang Beki’ guys (Angelica Panganiban and Bela Padilla), the people I work with on ‘It’s Showtime!’ really help me mentally. I know I have to be happy because I have to go to set every day,” she began.
“I have my family. I have my mother, Tian Amy (Perez), and my father, Sir Ogie (Alcasid). My brothers are Von (Navarro), Darren (Espant), Ryan (Van), Kuya Jags (Fugeta) and Ate Khalil. We’re all really close, so if someone’s in trouble, we notice and we always ask how they’re doing. Outside of my biological family, of course, that’s something I’m grateful for.”
