EXCLUSIVE: Janine Gutierrez Tells Us All That She's Been Up To And How She Learned To Embrace Change This 2020
We hung out with the actress over on Kumu's FYE Channel and talked about the true meaning of adaptability, mindfulness, and self-care—and why they're your biggest assets in times like these
Last week's Metro Chats guest Janine Gutierrez is a naturally nervous person. She worries a lot, and she doesn't like change. She tends to overanalyze and so, putting all of that together, it's made her mind the perfect playground for anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. It was awful and truly, truly bad in the beginning of the quarantine—but not anymore.
A lot, according to her.
A lot has changed, and interestingly enough, it has everything to do with embracing change, finally, and likely for the first time in her life.
Joining us on Kumu's FYE Channel, Metro Chats guest Janine Gutierrez told us all about how she got from Point A (a serial worrier) to Point B (a meditation-doing, Marie Kond0-watching, and hope-filled person) in the last few weeks. It wasn't a trouble-free process, but in the end, it's what makes her look forward to a 2021 where she'll be able to start the year with a much more open heart.
Check out more of what Metro Chats guest Janine Gutierrez shared with us below in the recap of her exclusive interview highlights:
Janine Gutierrez on Metro Chats
Janine Gutierrez on Metro Chats
Plans on hold
Quarantine's arrival disrupted some of her biggest work plans for the year (she had a movie scheduled to come out in April, and more films to shoot too). It also forced her to cancel her travel plans to Japan and New York. Then she ended up not being able to go to a Louis Vuitton event in Bangkok because the pandemic caused its cancellation. The most traveling she's done was head out to Palawan last month for a few days for her birthday, but other than that, this actress has been home-bound and it's been such a big adjustment for her, the kind of person to be away for work more than have time at home!
Fashion muse
Her last international event was NY Fashion Week in February! She was incredibly lucky to have been able to go, weeks before the world went on lockdown. "Fashion week is so much fun because you get to see so many models that you look up to and celebrities. It's such a fun experience to see everyone's looks," she says. (FYI: One of her looks from 2019 made it to Buzzfeed, and another from this year was picked up by The New York Post!). She credits her becoming an actress to her learning about fashion. She wouldn't have known as much as she does about clothes, labels, the histories of designers, and even beauty looks from the people she's worked with in the industry and even working with magazines just like Metro.
Cooking and vlogging
To use her time indoors productively, she's kept herself busy with cooking (she never had the time or the interest to learn, until now!) and shooting material for her YouTube channel. "It's something that I'm able to shoot even if I'm alone, even if I'm at home... It's been such a mood-booster for me to share videos and chat with everyone," she says. As for her cooking, she jokes that she's still an entry level "chef" whose only dishes are pastas and roast chicken. (Baking is way too advanced for her!).
Embracing changes
Communication and flexibility have been her biggest personal lessons from the last eight months. "I used to be the kind of person who always says 'I hate change,'" she starts. "But if there's anything 2020 taught us, you have to be ready for anything, adjust, or find another way. I learned the value of being grateful and really just going with the flow and making the most out of any situation," she continues.
Skincare and self-love
Because she's been mostly at home, she's become incredibly low-maintenance with her beauty and skincare needs, but that's not to say that she hasn't been experimenting with new looks! "One of the beauty tips that I can give is drink a lot of water, get a lot of sleep, and some sunshine when you can... It's healthy!" she quips. As for self-care beyond beauty, Janine was all about guided meditations and podcasts to help her deal with anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. The simple act of reaching out to family and friends to foster connection was more helpful than she thought it would be, too. Virtual or face-to-face, a sense of community definitely helped lift her spirits.
The benefits of meditation
Janine invites everyone to try out meditation and other mindfulness practices because they're not as intimidating as they sound. They're for everyone, and they can be done wherever, whenever. "It's really helped me so much to get in tune with myself and just stay in the moment and not just overanalyze or freak out," she explains, saying that she's always been a nervous person who struggled with not over-worrying about situations, until now.
A bookworm
She's big on reading classics, so take note and include her picks in your reading list! The first thing she read this quarantine was Edith Wharton's "The House of Mirth," and she strongly suggests everyone to check out Oscar Wilde's "Dorian Gray" and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "Love in the Time of Cholera." She's a lover of history, so she's always gravitated towards books that paint a picture of what people and society were like in a different period.
TV shows and virtual games
As for her fans who prefer visual treats over books, Janine gushed over Netflix's "Deaf U" (a documentary show featuring deaf students) and her guilty pleasure, "Real Housewives of New York!" She, of course, has also had her fill of K-Dramas, and the titles she loves include "Crash Landing on You," "Itaewon Class," and "Fight for My Way." (She's a massive Park Seo-joon fan, in case you didn't know). As for Internet games, believe it or not, she's into Among Us!
The things she misses the most
Though she's had a ton of fun discovering new things while indoors, there's nothing quite like the company of her friends—it's what she misses the most. "I haven't seen my friends since March! ...You really miss the people that you used to see everyday. You just have to make do with video calls, Zoom calls, group chats," Janine shares. Traveling and going to the cinema are a close second to this. She'd definitely love to do something where she can commune with nature, like going on a hike or spending a day by the lake.
Posing in front of the camera
She jokes about forgetting how to be in front of a camera because it's been so long since she's done a photo shoot or an onscreen project. Speaking of shoots, she talked about a ton of memories she had from her Metro Body shoot from five years ago. According to her, it was always in her professional bucket list to be part of the annual project that celebrates the finest and fittest in the metro, and it was one of her first Metro covers ever!
2020 vs 2021
Rounding up her entire experience of 2020 with just a few weeks left to go in the year, Janine picks the word "unexpected" to describe it all. "I have been trying to find ways to take these surprises and turn them into something good, that something good comes out of everything. 2020 took everyone by surprise!" she says. "Take it day by day," she adds. On the other hand, she wants her 2021 to be all about new beginnings, but taking everything we learned in 2020 with us. Lots of hope and open heart would be nice to start the next year with too, according to Janine.
Independent woman
Despite having much less work these days, Janine says work is cut out for her because she's just now really figuring out how to live alone without help. Doing her dishes, laundry, cleaning, while keeping her YouTube channel up and allowing herself time to just lounge around and enjoy downtime is harder than it sounds, she laughs.
Photos from @janinegutierrez
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