We love Jaime King. Since her early days as nurse Betty Bayer in the blockbuster Pearl Harbor, we’ve admired her beauty and poise (and killer style). However, what’s always stood out the most about the model-turned actress is her authenticity. Despite being immersed in the Hollywood scene, Jaime never seems likes she’s actually in it—we mean that in a good way. The mom of two is about as real and warm as they come with every person she encounters and has no issue speaking her mind—about anything.
How do we know all this? We recently caught up with her at a morning yoga session hosted by mega eye-care brand LensCrafters. In between cobra poses and downward facing dogs, we got to chatting about health and wellness and how Jaime still manages to prioritize both as a parent and successful business woman. In true fashion, the actress offered some honest insight on the importance of prioritizing mental and physical health and what it actually means to #treatyoself.
The Zoe Report: Has your idea of health and wellness changed since becoming a mom? If so, how?
Jaime King: One thing that's really changed is that I'm much more intentional about self-care. Every morning, I literally ask myself "How am I going to take care of myself today?" I am a better human being and a better mother when I'm taking time for myself and when I ask for help—which is hard for me. I try to take it all on on my own because I have no family here, except for my spouse and my best friends (thank God!). Asking for backup so I can take an hour every day to do yoga—that's my thing— is so important. Every day, no matter what, I'm practicing.
TZR: What is it about yoga that makes you want to prioritize it every day?
Jaime: It's what makes me happy and having an hour to myself. Exercise and moving your body should never be about going to the gym agitated and being around a bunch people that are in a consciousness of ugh. It can't be about forcing yourself. It has to be about finding what makes you happy.
TZR: You've been really vocal about the importance of eye health lately, which is something that isn't talked about a ton in general. Talk to us about what you've learned in partnering with LensCrafters and why eye health is so near and dear to your heart.
Jaime: When I was going to school for my masters degree, I learned a lot about anatomy and health and well-being from a cellular level. I've been deeply invested in wellness and nutrition for so long, so I've been acutely aware of what helps our sight. To me. it's not so much about prioritizing just the physical aspect of our eyes, but of how we truly see the world. How we take care of ourselves physically is really what we start to create internally.
I don't do partnerships with any brands or causes that I don't really deeply believe in. Eyes are such a delicate thing, and I've always felt the old eye exams— in which they dilated your eyes—felt so invasive. In fact, I avoided getting a prescription for glasses or contacts for so long because it felt so violating. I love that LensCrafters offers an exam that is so gentle—the science behind it is miraculous and so accurate.[LensCrafters now offers the Clarifye℠ digital eye exam that maps the curvature of your cornea to give your doctor a digital fingerprint of your eye.] As a mom, I'm especially appreciative of this because children are so sensitive, and I'm even more sensitive now!
TZR: Being a parent can be an overwhelming experience for anyone. And you have two little ones now! How do you keep a positive (and sane) mindset every day?
Jaime: Whenever I feel I'm getting down, I write down what makes me happy—really simple things. I'll also change my train of thought so that I'm asking, "What do I need to do that will put me more in line as a mom?" as opposed to judging myself on what I didn't do well that day. I focus on what I could do differently in the future and learn from that.
TZR: How do you spoil yourself? What do you do that's just for you?
Jaime: Honestly, getting really simple things done for myself is in some gesture a way for me to spoil myself. I don't go shopping at Barney’s—I am not an extravagant person. I'm extravagant only when it comes to human connection, as that's really all I want. I just want to sit on a street curb with someone I love and talk. That to me feels like I'm spending millions of dollars—but I'm receiving billions in return.
