Jennifer Aniston's Definition of Self-Care May Surprise You

I mean, what can we say? Jennifer Aniston is one of the most beloved celebrities on this planet. She's an actress, producer, businessperson, and so much more. And who can forget her iconic roles in Friends, Horrible Bosses, Along Came Polly, and most recently, The Morning Show?

Now she's taking on the role of Chief Creative Officer of Vital Proteins, something that she says was just an organic and authentic decision because she already loved the products so much. "I've been using Vital Proteins since 2014 when my doctor said start incorporating this into your diet, and I just do what he tells me. And two months into it, I really could not believe it. My workouts were different, my joints felt different, and I just love when a product does what it says it's going to do. I was just sold and I love it," Aniston told THE/THIRTY. "So when they approached me, it was just a no-brainer, of course. I love this product, and I'd love to stand in front of it, and like most of the products that I've teamed up with, it's crucial to me that they are a part of my life in some way. So that I don't feel like an absolute fraud."

Aniston said it's been fun to be behind the scenes in her new role, collaborating on the product, figuring out what can be better, and working on the campaign. It's something she said was similar to being a producer or a director on a project.

As part of her new gig, we got the chance to chat with Aniston about her wellness routine, her self-care rituals (which might surprise you!), and what advice she would have for her younger self. See what she had to say below.

What is your personal wellness routine like?

In the morning, I wake up to walking the dogs and them doing their business. Then I feed them. Then while that's happening, I'm prepping. I'm making my coffee, then I will meditate, and then I journal. That usually takes me about an hour or so. And that's when I have the luxury of time, and if I don't have that much time in the morning, if I can only meditate for 10 minutes, then I meditate for 10 minutes. If I only have time to move my body for 10 minutes then I move my body for 10 minutes.

If my pickup time is 6:00 a.m., then you've got to get up at the proper time in order to get your shower in and do all your beauty prep, and everything. It's just really important, and I just notice such a difference in my day if I'm neglectful in any of those practices.

Yeah, it sets the tone for the day.

It really does. And you feel it when you've gone a day and you've missed out on any of those.

What do you do for self-care?

That. I mean, that's part of my self-care. My self-care is being with my girlfriends also. I mean, you could easily say I'd love to get a facial. Sure, I love a facial, I think that's extremely important, but I think for me, it's connection, and my girlfriends bring me so much joy, and I'm so inspired by all of them. They're all such brilliant women. That's important to me. I find that to be very much self-care. But I do believe in bodywork also.

I think of self-care as doing your meditation and your morning rituals. That's self-care, because if I don't do that, then I'm no good to anybody else for the rest of the day.

What is your philosophy on getting older and aging? The media sometimes seems to focus on age a lot, like "So-and-so is 40 and looks amazing."

You know I literally had this conversation the other day. I had a girlfriend who was turning a certain age, and it was bumming her out to the point where she couldn't make a decision, couldn't make a plan, and ended up hurting people's feelings who were trying to help make a plan. And I just remember saying, "You're going to be so upset when you're 85 and you look back at this beautiful age. You're gorgeous, everything is beautifully working, life is great. And we waste so much time."

I really believe this is a societal shift that needs to take place. Because why, how, and when did it start, when we were saying, so-and-so is 57, so-and-so is 22. Not men so much, by the way, if you notice. If there's a way to Google where that came from and when that started, I would love to know, because I think we need to eliminate that.

Just be the person—just be the human being that you are because the norms don't apply anymore. Because what we have learned nutritionally, scientifically, in technology, all of that, has gone leaps and bounds. What a 50-year-old or a 60-year-old used to do, used to be, used to act like, move like, does not exist anymore. It's not about trying to look a certain age. I just want to feel the best that I can feel at my age.

And also wording, dialogue, and language are important. Like, "Oh, they look great for their age." These are just old ways. … Society needs to catch up. I feel this is the age when people are like, "Oh, now you're at this certain age so now we're done with you, there's no contribution you make to society anymore, and we're going to send you out to pasture. You're done." It's like, "Wait, I just started. I feel incredible."

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don't age yourself.

I guess that goes along with what we're talking about.

I know. What advice would I give my younger self? Oh, sunscreen. Again, I keep saying wear sunscreen. Wear sunscreen.

I wish I didn't care so much what other people think and I just really stayed with what was true to myself. It's simple. It's just like, just do what feels good in your gut. Don't try to please everybody. Don't try to make everybody like you, because you don't like everybody. That was a great quote I just read recently.

And how has your wellness routine changed throughout the years?

I think I've become more interested in what it is that I'm putting into my body as opposed to just sort of going along with what everyone's putting into their body. Just being more aware, reading the labels, reading what's in them. But my routine has been pretty consistent over the years. I don't sit in the sun as much as I used to love to do, but I've found ways around that.

And also, boy, do we take for granted everything when we're in our twenties and thirties. So I would also say to my younger self, "Don't take this for granted. And take care of it, because it's all you got."

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