Wellness is a deeply personal journey, shaped by individual interpretations. Creative Director Emerald Elitou created the series ‘Ways To Wellness’ as a way to highlight professional women who use self-care practices to nurture their mind, body, and soul. Hopefully, this candid conversation with Julissa Prado inspires you to create your own self-care and wellness rituals.
In a world that often glorifies hustle culture, Julissa Prado stands apart as someone who refuses to subscribe to it, a stance she took after witnessing her parents get absorbed by its relentless demands. “My parents grew up in a culture where values are connected to work output— a man must go to work all day and a woman needs to clean all day with no help and no complaints,” she tells BrownStyle Magazine.
The Los Angeles native says this ultimately encouraged her to distance herself from the hustle mentality and instead, prioritize the simple yet vital act of getting a good night’s sleep. “In the hustle culture, there’s often the notion of ‘sleep when you’re dead’ or ‘I’ll sleep when I’m rich,’ but I believe that good health is the ultimate luxury,” Prado explains, noting that sleep has scientifically been proven to optimize the brain.
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She underlines the significance of restful slumber, emphasizing that without it, creativity can be stifled. In her view, the hustle mentality serves as a counterproductive force. “Creativity comes when you’re not forcing it, it comes when you’re happiest, most free, and not focusing on the project at hand.”
Ahead, get to know the visionary founder of Rizos Curls and find out how she’s embracing a Soulful Soft Life filled with self-care, travel, and wellness routines.
Discovering Her Ways To Wellness
Prado acknowledges that crafting her wellness routine posed its challenges, but her commitment to her daily rituals has been the key to her success.
“I’ve discovered the importance of tailoring my everyday routines to suit my needs and preferences. This principle extends to my beauty rituals, including hair care, teeth whitening, and skincare. Instead of rushing through these activities and allowing my mind to wander in a million directions, I’ve learned to clear my head and savor each moment,” she shares. “My beauty routine has transformed into a form of personal meditation. It’s a special time that centers me.”
Maintaining a consistent beauty routine is a tradition handed down from her mother. The mother-daughter duo firmly believes that “feeling and looking good” serves as the key to expressing inner confidence. “My routine not only boost my confidence, but also aligns my inner and outer self,” she adds.
Glowing In Her Soft-Girl Era
Prado’s deep-rooted connection to her family, her Mexican heritage, and the wisdom passed down through generations is an ever-present source of inspiration. And while she keeps her mother’s words with her at all times, she also delights in adopting habits she gathers during her journeys around the world.
“A recent trip to Japan had a profound impact on me and much of what I learned there has now been integrated into my daily life,” she notes, revealing she’s currently in her soft-girl era.
When confronted with mental roadblocks, Prado’s approach is rooted in self-awareness and resilience. She’s learned that while she can’t control external circumstances, she can control her reaction to daily challenges. Her strategy involves acknowledging the situation, creating a plan, and then releasing it.
If needed, she even uses physical actions like showering to wash away negativity and heading to the beach to have fun in the sun when she feels overwhelmed. Her soft life also includes finding solace in audiobooks, which she listens to while driving, running, or even cleaning.
Creating A Soft Life Routine & Maintaining Work-Life Balance
Beyond her fun and thought-provoking travel adventures, Prado is all about staying a step ahead of her busy schedule and maintaining work-life balance.
To start her day on autopilot, the busy CEO selects her outfit and breakfast ahead of time. She also stays away from her phone for the first hour of the day. This deliberate soft life approach sets the tone for a productive and positive day ahead. She explains, “Adding habits to mentally prepare for a busy day has been beneficial. I can be on autopilot until I reach the office and then I’m fully engaged.”
Prado’s dedication to wellness also extends to her nighttime routine. To the business professional, her bedroom is an oasis of tranquility— complete with a white noise machine, a sleep mask, silk pillowcases, and her cherished stuffed panda.
She also relies on the Colgate’s Optic White ComfortFit LED Teeth Whitening Kit to maintain her radiant smile, setting the stage for restful slumber. “My routine is as follows: brush my teeth, dry them with a tissue, apply the whitening serum on my teeth with the precision tip applicator, give it a beat for it to dry, and then pop in the LED device. Once the 10 minutes are up, I hop in bed and to sleep I go,” Prado details.
While they may be seemingly small investments, they contribute significantly to her overall ritual. “I really make sure I have eight hours of sleep to get a true recharge. I personally invest in tools for my nighttime routine,” she adds.
Her Words Of Wisdom For BrownStyle Readers
Prado chose the word “fun” as her guiding principle for a year, challenging the misconception that fun and professionalism are incompatible. By infusing fun into her work and daily life, she discovered a deeper sense of fulfillment. This is why she advocates for women to create boundaries and habits that allow for moments on their personal “happy list.”
The beauty founder’s “happy list” contains an array of joyful activities, including indulging in a bath with a luxurious bath bomb, savoring a chai latte while reading a book, and getting a professional facial.
Depending on her day, she rewards herself with one of these small pleasures. “I make sure to get facials every three months, these regular facials have truly transformed my complexion and skin,” she tells us, adding this shift towards prioritizing joy and self-care was a revelation.
The entrepreneur also finds that investing in well-being is key to living your soft life. “Don’t be afraid to truly invest in whatever tools or methods needed to ensure you are prioritizing your wellness,” Prado concludes.
