The Rihanna-Approved Wellness Tip Tinx Swears By

In Chill Chat, Bustle sits down with stars to discuss all things wellness, from their favorite skin care products to their hacks for getting a good night’s sleep. Here, Tinx shares her morning routine, go-to smoothie combo, and the one workout she’ll never do again.

Christina Najjar, better known as Tinx, has been dubbed the internet’s big sister on TikTok. The influencer sprang forth with relatable content in 2020, and she’s been sharing her thoughts and advice with her 1.5 million followers in FaceTime-like videos ever since.

Whether she’s talking hangovers, dating, or her love of towel time, Tinx, 33, always finds a way to toe the line between being a normal girlie and that girl. One minute she’s jetting off to Paris for fashion week, and the next she’s picking at a pimple or lying in her pajamas with her legs up the wall.

The vibe was the same as we chatted over Zoom about her self-care routine. Tinx is certainly an influencer — she just collaborated with Sakara to create an exclusive meal featuring her Tabasco Green Jalapeño Sauce, for one. But she also struggles to drink enough water and squeeze in workouts.

Below, Tinx chats with Bustle about her famous “rich mom walks,” how she deals with stress, and the four non-negotiables she has to do every day.

Walk me through your morning routine.

I try to get up around 6 because I do believe that mornings make the day. It's the quiet time before the rest of the world rises.

I'll feed my cats, dry brush, listen to positive affirmations, and then I’ll try to journal. I'm not going to say that I drink hot water with lemon next, I promise. This is an ideal morning, and it definitely doesn’t happen every day.

I actually need to mainline coffee, and if I’m doing [a] Sakara [meal plan], I’ll also have their granola with almond milk. Then I have to go outside and get in a walk, even if it’s just for five minutes.

What’s your favorite workout right now?

It's so hard to find time to work out when I travel, but I will always go for a walk. I call it rich mom walking with my followers — it's our joke. I always try to do my 10,000 steps a day, especially outside.

When I have more time, I love to go to Hot Pilates in Los Angeles. I also love Forma Pilates, Pvolve, and The Sculpt Society. I want to be a yoga person so badly, though. Every year for the past five years, my New Year's resolution has been to get into yoga, but it just doesn't stick for me. It might be because I prefer workouts with fun music.

What’s one workout you’ll never do again?

I really just don't like running. It’s stressful and overwhelming, and it doesn’t make me feel good.

For me, a workout has to be low-impact. I'm not a jumper or a hard worker-outer. I like gentle. There are a lot of studies coming out showing that lower impact is actually better for women’s hormones, especially when you’re stressed, and I believe that.

What’s one topping you need to have on your salads?

I need a crunch and I need something softer, whether it's a super crunchy carrot, a nut, or a crouton. And obviously an amazing dressing.

How do you take your smoothies?

Back in the day, I read this book called Body Love by Kelly LeVeque. She says that you need to have the “fab four” in your smoothies: a fat, a fiber, a protein, and a green. I've always used that as a framework to help me to make a balanced recipe. I'm always putting chia seeds in there, too.

Which TikTok trends have you been loving lately?

I really miss the dancing on TikTok. It felt like we were all more united when we all had one song to think about all the time.

“I'm not going to say that I drink hot water with lemon next, I promise.”

How do you cope with stress and burnout?

I stick to my four daily non-negotiables: I have to walk every day, read for at least 20 minutes, drink water, and see my friends. Those things kind of keep me grounded. Whether I’m catching up with a friend over FaceTime, text, or at coffee or dinner — that really fills my cup.

How do you stay hydrated?

I always think about this interview that Rihanna did ages ago where she was like, "Honestly, whenever I'm in a bad mood, or I feel ugly or something, I just drink a huge glass of water, and I always feel better." That really stuck in my mind. Every time I'm like, "Oh, my God. I feel terrible,” I'm like, "Rihanna would say to drink a glass of water."

I have what I call my emotional support water bottle, and I always keep it with me. I feel like if you love your water bottle, you're more likely to drink the water. I have an array: the Stanley, the Bkr, and the Simple Modern.

How do you like to spend your days off?

I grew up in London where it rains 365 days a year, so I take full advantage of the fact that there’s a beach 40 minutes from where I live now. This is such a millennial Instagram infographic, but there’s a saying that's like, "Salt water is always the answer — sweat, tears, or a dip in the ocean." If you're feeling upset, you should work out, cry, or go to the ocean. Between those three things, you will be sorted out. It’s so cheesy, but it’s true.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.