Welcome to the Capsule Chill-Out Club – the place where we chat to well-known Kiwi gals about how they cope with high stress, high cortisol and anxiety… and how the chill the f*** out when everything is getting just a little too much! Brought to you by our pals at Shark Beauty to celebrate the launch of the much-anticipated CryoGlow Cooling + LED Face Mask – a wearable combo of LED light therapy and under-eye cooling that delivers clinically tested skin-firming and acne-reducing results – we’ll be delving deep into what we’re all doing to stay balanced, level and, well, chill! Today’s features one of Aotearoa’s most impressive media mavens, Shit You Should Care About founder Lucy Blakiston – who has also just been awarded the title of Young New Zealander of the Year. On a crusade to make people, well, care about shit, Luce’s supremely Gen Z approach to news means she’s always on and always online – until she’s not.
Capsule x Shark Beauty
Kia ora, Lucy – MAN, you’ve had an absolutely huge few weeks, winning Young New Zealander of the Year AND appearing at SXSW – congrats, man! You’re so busy and full on – what’s your relationship with anxiety like for you right now?
I think at this point anxiety is scared of me! I’ve healed from my teenage anxiety so hard that I’ve swung in the other direction and am so comfortable being so myself in every room.
Overwhelm is completely normal (God, especially in this day and age!) – so when was the last time that you felt completely overwhelmed, and what did you do about it?
The last time I felt overwhelmed was when I had just flown home from doing the live show at SXSW in Austin, Texas, and that night I went to the awards show where I was named Young New Zealander of The Year. The way I dealt with it was by doing an Irish goodbye (slipping out the side door), having a big sleep, and getting in the nearest body of water I could find the next day.
What instantly drops your shoulders and relaxes you?
Putting my phone on the setting I’ve personalised called “extreme do not disturb”.
How are you generally with coping with overstimulation and high cortisol?
Anyone that knows me knows that I need like 48 hours of alone time for every 24 hours of hyper social time. So, I feel incredibly lucky that I’m allowed to be by myself a lot!
What’s your emergency anti-anxiety hack?
Find a small book, and make yourself read the entire thing in one sitting. There’s nothing better.
What stresses you out the most?
Airports and balancing other people’s emotions/ dynamics so that everyone is comfortable.
Do you have a favourite chill-out ritual that takes under 10 minutes?
Horizontal TikTok time!
One of the GREAT things about getting a little older is being able to get to know yourself a little better. Is there a thing you refuse to apologise for anymore?
Honestly, it’s needing to be by myself – or Irish goodbye-ing!
Is there a thing that everyone else THINKS calms you… but absolutely doesn’t for you?
I don’t want a massage. Ever.
What’s your go-to happy place?
Anywhere by the water, or anywhere with my little brother Ben.
If you have 10 minutes to yourself to focus on self-care, or do something nice for yourself, what do you do?
JUNK JOURNALLING!!!!! It’s where you make handmade little scrapbooks using recycled stuff like scraps, receipts, tickets and anything else you can find. It’s like a less polished version of scrapbooking.