Keke Palmer couldn’t be busier. The actor, who spent most of her early career hustling and striving, sometimes “to the point of exhaustion,” is now prioritizing “precharging” rather than recharging—and exercising right to say no. For the September issue of Women’s Health, Keke chats about the habits that keep her healthy, making self-care a priority, and more.
On the whirlwind promo tour for Nope, which will take her around the world: “We’re doing a lot of traveling for Nope. Korea, Germany, London, Paris, so many different places, which I’m excited about. But I also know it’s going to be extremely physically taxing. I’m going to be expending so much energy, talking, laughing, and engaging. And I don’t do anything half-assed. So if I’m talking, I’m talking; if I’m laughing, I’m laughing; if I’m engaging, I’m engaging.”
On the challenge of eating well on the road: “It’s trying to find the right things—to make sure I’m not always eating garbage because I’m getting too tired, or I forgot. I want to make sure my body is at its best.”
On making self-care a priority: “I’ve learned over the years that to keep my sanity, and to physically keep this machine running, I have to pour into myself as often as I can.”
On studying acting with her mother, Sharon, whom she still taps for career advice today: “My mom taught me how to break down characters and how to find the rhythm in the scene, whether it’s drama or comedy. I would love to present the Sharon Palmer [acting] method to the world someday, because she really is skilled. Honestly, my mom’s brilliant.”
On applying the same energy and discipline that led to her successful career to caring for herself: “It hit me that I have to practice loving myself the same way I practice acting.”
On the real secret to maintaining her well-being, learning how to say no: “I realized it’s hard to say no because we don’t trust. We don’t trust that if we say no the opportunity will come again. Or we don’t trust that if we say no we’ve made the right choice. Or we’re scared that if we say no we’re going to offend somebody. But I realized that saying yes to too many things was stressing me out the most. I’ve learned not to be afraid to rearrange things and to accept that I’m not going to be able to do it all without hurting myself.”
On her commitment to self-care and protection, which tells her it’s okay to slow down: “It’s been two years since I embarked on this whole ‘saying no’ thing. And I must say, I’m getting really good at it now. That’s the grace and the silver lining. Everything I’ve been through has taught me how to love myself more.”
The September 2022 issue of Women’s Health featuring Keke Palmer hits newsstands nationwide on August 16.
[Photo Credit: Djeneba Aduayom for Women’s Health Magazine]
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