Emmy Rossum Said This One Thing Totally Transformed The Way She Takes Care Of Herself

When people talk about wellness, it's often about the things they feel like they "should" do: how you should exercise, what you should eat, and how it's obviously super worth it to low-key spend hundreds of dollars on 10-step skincare routines. I mean, the list goes on and on. That's why, when Shameless actress Emmy Rossum talked about wellness in the January/February 2019 issue of Shape and, more specifically, how she's totally relearned how to take care of herself this past year, her thoughts are surprisingly refreshing.

While it's definitely true that most celebrities have rare access to all the five-star health and beauty routines out there, Rossum's philosophy is one that even we mere mortals can apply to our everyday lives. It's about listening to your body, and not pushing or forcing yourself to do things for your health that don't feel good or make you happy.

The Shameless star told Shape,

Last year I did an overhaul. I started listening to my body about what exercise and food make me feel good and how much sleep I really need. My relationship with exercise has always been a very healthy and committed one, mostly because it has helped me reduce stress and anxiety.

Rossum added,

But I’ve changed my workouts. I used to do a lot of intense cardio and high-intensity interval training, but I’ve scaled some of that back.

Rossum explained to the women's health outlet that she felt she was "in a pattern" of doing super intense workouts, because she thought she was "supposed to," and not because they genuinely made her happy. "I wanted workouts that made me feel more in tune with my body," Rossum told Shape. She explained,

I started doing Pilates-type exercises, specifically a program called GST [Grace Somatomorphic Technique], which is stretching based. It feels so good. You get the intensity, but it’s not like, Oh my God, how long do I have to do this?

And on top of all that, Rossum has come to the realization that booze just isn't her thing, since she said it only seems to cause her more stress and anxiety than it does help her unwind. She told Shape that "cutting back," and not having that glass of wine at the end of her day on a regular basis, has made a real difference in her life.

But listen, y'all: IMO, on top of all of Rossum's on-point wellness advice, it should be acknowledged that her strength and centeredness have been a huge guiding force in her career as well. The actress recently chose to leave Shameless (to try things like directing, according to Shape, which, hell yeah girl), but it is so worth mentioning that, in 2016, Rossum also successfully fought for herself to obtain an equal salary to her Shameless co-star, William H. Macy.

Rossum told Shape that that is another major point of pride for her — as it should be, TBH. She told the outlet,

I’m also extremely proud of what I was able to accomplish off-screen, with my negotiation for equal pay and the effect that had on other women in the industry and in general.

Emmy Rossum is really onto something, guys. In other words, she is definitely my new favorite role model.