Gretchen Ho and Dimples Romana share how they continue to stay positive and healthy amid life’s struggles
Do you feel tired and ready to give up? If you are, that’s perfectly understandable. It’s been almost two years since Covid-19 first came into our lives, and many of us are physically and emotionally exhausted. How, then, are we supposed to cope?
Having experienced these first hand, celebrities Dimples Romana and Gretchen Ho recently joined Ces Drilon for an interview in Bawal Ma-Stress Drilon to share their insights about how one can stay strong amid the pandemic and have that “di papatalo” attitude despite the challenges and changes that occur in their lives.
Gretchen shared, for instance, that she sleeps very late at night these days because she no longer has an early morning show, and she can lose track of time when watching videos—something that she admits is not healthy given that sleep is always important for good health.
Dimples, on the other hand, shared how working from home could actually be overwhelming, noting how it is often misconstrued to mean a lighter workload when in reality, the pressures do not lighten up. She also shared her sadness when her son asked her, “will I ever have a friend in real life?”, emphasizing how the boy has been affected by being cooped up in the house for an extended period of time.
Staying strong and positive
In the face of numerous life changes, never-ending demands, and overall uncertainty, both Gretchen and Dimples agreed on the importance of building inner strength through prayer, meditation, and having the right attitude.
Gretchen spoke on how she builds “mental resilience,” and how she has “trained herself to block bad things off” by tuning out negative posts on her social media feed which could otherwise affect her emotions. She has also chosen to take a proactive stance by highlighting good news, as she did when she brought enormous joy to Filipinos by reporting on the inspiring victories of Filipino athletes during the Olympics.
Prioritizing one’s health and getting vaccinated
Alongside this, Gretchen and Dimples also spoke on the importance of staying physically healthy and stressed the importance of getting vaccinated against Covid-19. Gretchen, who went with the Philippine Olympic Team to Japan, made sure to get her vaccinations, knowing
that it was a “personal responsibility” considering that she would be interacting with many other people.
Dimples said she understands that some people have fears around the virus, adding that the pandemic can make one fearful and paranoid, and therefore bound to believe misinformation about the virus. To those who are overcome by hesitation, she shared how she got over her fear of the needle by thinking of the wonderful things that vaccination will bring not only to her family but to society in general. For Dimples, getting vaccinated was “the first step for families and friends to get together again, to once again hug loved ones, and let children enjoy life’s many offerings.” Now, she is looking forward to the eventual vaccination of teenagers and children, envisioning how this will mean being able to enjoy so many adventures with her children once again.
Both women also shared the importance of being prepared for common ailments. For these, both Gretchen and Dimples recommend Tuseran Forte, which is clinically proven to be effective against cough, colds, and headaches. Tuseran Forte has helped them in ensuring they stay on top of everything and be always on the go.
An oath to never lose hope
Reminding people to be kind to themselves, Dimples added, “It’s okay to be afraid, but you have to learn to manage your fears. The pandemic has made us fearful, and it plays with our minds. But we have to remember that we have the power to deal with this. If we are sick, there is medicine for colds, cough, and flu. With Tuseran, maiibsan ang pag-alala.”
Amidst these fears and uncertainty, Dimples also urges everyone to remain hopeful and know that “there are better days ahead.”
Gretchen, for her part, pointed out that it inspires her to see that life goes on as she reminds us to keep going. “Wag papatalo… keep hope alive in your heart. Do your best with what you have and what you can.”
Wrapping it up, host Ces Drilon weighed in by inviting everyone with these parting words: “Let’s not just survive, let’s thrive.”
For sure, the road ahead will still be bumpy for us all, but just like Gretchen and Dimples, we can forge ahead with a can-do, “hindi papatalo” attitude one step at a time.
