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5 Stress-Busting Secrets That Keep Kristin Chenoweth Feeling Happy and Healthy

Just one look at her radiant smile, and it’s clear that Kristin Chenoweth loves to celebrate. And after a year of not seeing loved ones, the beloved star of Broadway’s Wicked, The West Wing, and Glee is thrilled about the start of the holiday season.

“It was heartbreaking to be apart from everyone, and though we’re being very careful because of the Delta variant, I’m clinging to Bible verses about trusting in God and counting my blessings,” she says. “I can’t wait for the holiday music, food, laughter, and being with family — it’s all a gift!”

Read on for Kristin’s tips for staying healthy, happy, and making every day a celebration, even in the midst of stressful times.

Grab a healthy snack.

“I’m big on doing small things for big health benefits,” Kristin shares. “Healthy snacks are a little thing you can change to feel great! One thing I love are Cinnamon Brown Sugar Belvita crackers instead of regular crackers (Buy from Amazon, $18). They’re full of fiber and vitamin B — it makes me feel good eating them! Vitamins are big helpers for me, like zinc, vitamin D, and iron, since I’m anemic. I don’t take a multivitamin: I only take what I am deficient in, and I feel great.”

Color for calm.

“These days, I always travel with coloring books, colored pencils, and a pencil sharpener,” Kristin says of the peaceful hobby she’s embraced. “When my mom gave me the set, I thought, I’ll never use that, but she was like, ‘It will calm your mind.’ And after a couple of months, I picked one up and went through it like crazy. Now I’m obsessed. Like my mom said, it does clear your mind and help you sleep!” In fact, studies show that the repetitive motion of moving a pencil across paper slows your pulse and triggers calming alpha waves in the brain, lowering stress by 45 percent.

Skip a shampoo.

“My hair is so fine that not washing it every day is my secret to its youthful volume!” Kristin says. “The more you wash, the limper it gets. So instead, I use Oribe powder shampoo and wash it every three days to keep my hair shining.” (Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo — Buy from Oribe, $48)

Exercise lying down .

“In the pandemic, some people revved up their exercise, but I went with the lying down exercise technique!” Kristin laughs. “Recently, I have been trying to get back to getting 10,000 steps in a day, and since my weak point is my core, I’m working more on literally lying down and engaging my core because I have a bad neck. Sit-ups trigger my neck, so I lie on my back and contract my abs for 10 seconds at a time. If I can do that a few times a day and get my 10,000 steps in, it’s a good start!”

Take ten — for real.

“I battle stress all the time,” Kristin admits. “But I have a really good boyfriend who always says, ‘Let’s take a 10-minute walk. Let’s just breathe.’ Sometimes, if I’m working a lot, I’ll tell whoever I’m talking to, ‘I need to walk around the block.’ There’s something about that walk that has changed me in the past year. Just being in nature, taking a real deep breath, and noticing things that I didn’t notice before getting back on the phone and getting back into rehearsal has changed my life. If you take just 10 minutes — a real 10 minutes — it makes all the difference.”

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This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

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