‘Love yourself first’: Fann Wong & Calista Cuaca share ways to handle stress & what puts them in a good mood

If Fann Wong had her way, she would love for her eight-year-old son Zed to be by her side all the time. 

It’s a sentiment that’s also shared by her husband, fellow actor Christopher Lee. 

“Maybe because we only have one child, we will miss him whenever we are out by ourselves. ” Fann shared. 

She even has a motto — “we leave no man behind”, to describe how the three of them would choose to spend time together whenever possible.

Nonetheless, Fann is also able to make the most out of the “me time” she gets when Zed is in school from 7.30am to 5.30pm.

During this time, she “de-stresses” by going for a run or exercise in the morning.

It seems that no matter who you are, the stresses of being a working mum who has to juggle both career and family will creep in on you.

And what are the tell-tale signs when she’s stressed? Surprisingly, silence is the loudest indication.

“When I’m quiet and don’t want to talk, my mum will know that ‘oh she needs her space’, and she’ll leave me alone.”

In such moments, Fann would distance herself from son Zed in order not to affect him with her negativity.

The basic rule, in Fann’s books, is to “take care of your own mental wellness first”. “Only by loving and pampering oneself can one exude happiness and spread joy to others,” said Fann, who indulges in activities she enjoys such as baking or reading a book.

She added:“It’s dangerous when you don’t know what makes you happy, so it’s important to take time to listen to yourself to know yourself better.”

Having a strong support system is also very important. 

“Surround yourself with people who are your cheerleaders for life, and you’d feel like the most fortunate person.”

Start treating yourself right

It’s a belief that rings true as well for 23-year-old Calista Cuaca — a social media superstar and Gen-Z style maven, who also happens to be the daughter of well-known Singapore socialite, Jamie Chua.

Despite the confidence she exudes in photoshoots and on Instagram, where Calista has 311,000 followers and counting, that self-assured state didn’t come easy.

“Everyone struggles with their self confidence at some point in their lives. For me, I’d turn to my family members or best friends, because I’m a believer of always surrounding yourself with people who always support you and lift you up.”

One of those people has to be her mum Jamie. 

“My mum has always had my back and pushes me to be more confident about myself,” said Calista, who shared her tip to others who may also be going through that phase in their lives.

“Stop focusing on how other people view you and start treating yourself with what really makes you happy. When you start treating yourself right, you’ll start to realise that how you view yourself is what truly matters.”

Just like Fann, Calista fits in things in her schedule which uplift her and make her happy, “so I always have something to look forward to”.

This includes her morning coffee runs or night walks with her precious dog, Mavis. 

“My dog Mavis inspires me to use vegan and cruelty free products as I want the best for her, without sacrificing being environmentally conscious and thinking about our other animal friends.”

From loving ourselves to loving our planet

Being environmentally friendly and sustainable is something that Fann herself has become mindful of in recent years, thanks to her son.

Fann shared: “Zed will get upset when I use a plastic bag from the supermarket and ask why I didn’t bring a reusable bag.

“He’d also tell me…one individual cannot do much, but millions of individuals can do a lot,” added Fann. 

Although a big part of the reason why Fann tries her best to lead a more sustainable lifestyle owes to her son, she also strongly believes that “we can leave the best parts of our planet for the next generation”.

She leaned into that mindset when it came to a collaboration with Cloversoft,  an eco-friendly Singapore business that provides safe plant-based household essentials.

For their most recent campaign, Fann and Calista had created their own laundry tub design concepts with personalised messages in partnership with Cloversoft. 

Calista too, credits her mum for leading the charge at home in “being as environmentally friendly as possible”. 

“My mom farms her own produce at home, she also has her own chicken farm for eggs and fertiliser for her produce. In general, we try to use as little plastic as possible.”

Her creation for Cloversoft’s laundry tubs — designed to hold its plant-based laundry detergent pods — are based on the uplifting things in her life “where I find joy and positivity”. 

And when it comes to doing the laundry, both have their unique set of requirements.

“It’s definitely a must to separate white from coloured clothing! I once accidentally washed a white Gucci hoodie with a red shirt and of course it turned pink- never doing that again!” exclaimed Calista.

For Fann, her must-do is to ensure her laundry is done everyday.

“Laundry in our home is a daily affair. The clothes have to smell nice, but not too pungent that it irritates my nose,” said Fann, adding, “I also make sure that the detergent doesn’t contain too many chemicals which can trigger my sensitive skin.” 

Cloversoft is back with their Making it Yours campaign, Season 2 this year, to encourage everyone to go care for their mental health and embark on their individual healing journeys. 

Through this campaign, three limited edition laundry tubs will be launched, each with a unique front design and interactive activity at the back. Currently, the designs created together with LeiaLauren and Fann Wong are available, with Calista’s design launching soon in October. Get your free limited edition laundry pod tubs when you purchase three packs of Cloversoft’s laundry pods. 

To find out more, click here.

This article is brought to you by Cloversoft.