EXCLUSIVE: All The Reasons Why Megan Young Is #QuarantineGoals
Spending most of the year under quarantine isn't a bad thing if you choose to make the most of the situation
With just one hand, you could probably count the number of people who can say that they've not only adjusted well to life in the new normal, but also thrived.
Make sure to count Metro Chats guest Megan Young, because she's definitely one of them!
Imagine, Metro Chats guest Megan Young has accomplished the following: become a Kumu co-host (and establish her own streaming account), monetize her love for video games, sustained content creation that she works on with her husband Mikael Daez on YouTube and Spotify, and—wait for it—lost (not gained!) 10 pounds by discovering a home exercise routine that worked for her. She has accomplished so much that her goal for 2021 is to sustain all the good stuff she started this year, because with or without a pandemic, she has pretty much struck gold with finding the perfect formula for what it means to work from home!
Can anyone say productive?
Speaking to Metro Chats guest Megan Young in an exclusive interview on Kumu's FYE Channel about all her quarantine activities and more, we rounded up the highlights from our conversation!
Check out the gallery below:
Megan Young on Metro Chats
Megan Young on Metro Chats
On joining the Kumunity
It might have been Megan's first time on Metro Chats with Metro.Style, but the beauty queen is a regular on Kumu! In case you're late to the party, Megan has actually embraced the inner techy girl in her, which means she's pretty much, well, queen of the latest streaming platforms, gaming communities, and all things "adorkable" on the Internet. In fact, she and her husband Mikael Daez even host Kumu's M/W/F game show "Quiz Mo Ko!" every 9 p.m. Like other Kumu streamers, being a part of the "Kumunity" has become a huge deal for her, as it's been the next best thing to going to physical shoots, meeting with industry friends, and interacting with a "live" audience - all things that she misses from the old normal!
Productivity during quarantine
It's great that she's been able be productive (i.e. go back to work) some weeks ago, but really, Megan smiles, for at least eight weeks in the beginning of quarantine, all she was doing was playing video games, day and night. It was because of the suddenness of mandatory nationwide quarantine and everyone's lack of preparedness for working from home; no one knew what to do, how to do it, and who to ask for help! "Para akong nakabakasyon na hindi. Kasi, at the back of my head, [tinatanong ko], 'Paano kaya kami kikita?'" Megan admits. It was the kind of worry shared by everyone in the entertainment industry that was forced to pause projects indefinitely or cancel them completely.
A gamer girl
But even with work finally picking up for Megan, there's no way that you can take her away from her video games! She's a gamer girl through and through, but if there's anything she did to balance how her #1 hobby requires her to sit and be immobile all day, it was to embrace home-based workouts. She never gave much thought to them before as she frequented the gym and Pilates studios, but the name of the (wellness) game has changed for her now. "The one thing na iniiwasan namin ni Mikael is to just lounge around. One we do that, we're not staying healthy," she explains. Besides, it was great to lose all the post-wedding weight she gained in January, Megan jokes, because it was definitely a time when she let herself indulge in all the yummy things there are to indulge in. It's back to eating well and incorporating physical activity, no matter how brief, in her routine these days.
Staying fit
To be specific, Megan is a big fan of the fitness app SWEAT: Kayla Itsines Fitness. Body weight workouts are her go-to. She lost 10 pounds since her wedding, improved muscle tone, and gave her and Mikael something new to bond over. If you're looking to workout with a partner, Megan suggests the YouTube channel HASfit that features routines designed for couples. Both are great for people wanting to exercise but don't know what moves and equipment to even start with; the apps will take care of that, and all you need to do is follow the routine as best as you can.
A beauty queen's beauty secrets
Skincare-wise, Megan is just as fuss-free. On a regular day, she mostly concentrates on pre-bedtime skincare. Step 1 is to remove all makeup (especially on days when she needs to go on-cam for work). Step 2 is to cleanse with a facial wash, and Step 3 is to moisturize. There's nothing to it. In the past, she'd indulge in a once-a-month trip to the derma, and that was that. However, she advises that diet plays a huge role in simplifying beauty. The cleaner you eat (and Megan now makes sure she eats as clean as possible), the more effortless glowing your skin will look and feel. (Her tip for those with a sweet tooth: Solenn Heussaff's choco chip cookie recipe!).
Gaming discoveries
As for Megan's avid gamer fans, you'll be interested to know that she's made a few gaming discoveries including "Genshin Impact" (which reminds her of "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild"). "I learned a lot of my techniques and strategies from Mikael," Megan shares, as she describes her husband as way more intense gamer than she is. His game of choice for the longest time? None other than "DOTA 2!"
Relationship goals
Speaking of being a newlywed (Megan and Mikael have been married for eight months now), Megan reveals that there's really not a lot that's changed between her and Mikael. "The relationship is still very much strong. What's cool about it is that even before we got married, super open na namin sa isa't-isa," she says. That includes being transparent about all things under the sun that non-married couples might find difficult to talk about, like finances. (They've been so great at managing their relationship that they even have a podcast, #BehindRelationshipGoals, on Spotify where they talk about a lot of timely and universal topics that a lot of couples would love to learn more about).
What she misses about the old normal
If there's anything she misses the most about life before lockdown, Megan's answers are simple: she misses heading out to the Pilates studio (mostly because she'd just paid for a package right before quarantine was declared, she quips), and getting her nails done. She had the same set of nails for half a year, Megan laughs, because she'd just gotten them done for an international shoot when the entire world closed borders down and plans like hers turned into dust.
Digital content queen
You'll find Megan online a lot these days as she's definitely investing in her digital platform presence. It's the future for celebs and content creators like her, and with or without the pandemic, becoming an Internet personality is really the way to go. It's why she's building a presence on Spotify with the podcast #BehindRelationshipGoals she shares with Mikael (her online gig that she prepares for the most and takes the most seriously), on Kumu (where it's mostly just quirky looks of her day to day activities), and on YouTube.
Content creation
Megan is definitely one of the few celebs who have thrived under lockdown and found a niche in the most uncertain of times. But that's because she prepared for it, and it didn't just happen. There was a ton of work that went into content, editing, meeting deadlines, and even transforming her home into a work-friendly environment. "We have to do everything by ourselves... At the beginning it was really tough because we had to learn everything along the way. My advice for other people, content creators, and even people in our industry who are wondering 'Ano bang gagawin ko?', it would be to just try it out. It's scary, but there's nothing worse than not trying it, having second thoughts. Just go for it. You never know what would come out of it," Megan shares. That, and be yourself! Your audiences can tell if you're trying to project an online persona that's not you.
Bigger and brighter 2021
Looking towards the future, Megan doesn't want to jinx her 2021 plans. That's because she and Mikael jokingly said that 2020 would just be all about work; earn now, play later. Little did they know their plans would unravel this way, under a pandemic, so for next year, all Megan wants to visualize is everything she's doing this year, but bigger and brighter (a lot more video game-related content, she hopes).
Pageant memories
Miss Universe PH pageant season brought to mind her own experiences on the Miss World stage. It's been seven years since Megan bagged the Miss World 2013 crown, and she's pretty much still in disbelief about how it's been that long, but it still feels like yesterday. She has mostly good memories of the experience and is incredibly thankful that nothing untoward had happened to her. She witnessed her fair share of cattiness, she laughs, but from afar, thankfully.
Check out fresh episodes of Metro Chats on Kumu's FYE Channel every Thursday evening.
Photos from @meganbata
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