Hi! We're Shanna Tai & Isabella Campos!
We have been best of friends since 2003 and our lives wouldn’t be as fun, as exciting and as bearable if we weren’t there for each other. Our friendship inspired a lot of people and we want to share our journey with them so we decided to start our Facebook page / Youtube Channel : TheGoodBS last November 2020. This has now become our online diary, friendship highlights one might say.
SHANNA - I am Shanna, a life enthusiast and a wanderer. I am easy going and spontaneous. I live for experience and I like to challenge myself by testing my limits.
I am a Speech-Language Pathologist and a Financial Advisor. I believe in the Japanese philosophy “Kaizen” which is continuous improvement and that is through learning, experiencing and changing for the better. As I am continuously learning in my profession, I feel fulfilled because I can also educate others and share my insights.
BELLE - Hello, I am Belle. I am a Speech-Language Pathologist by profession and I co-own and manage Therachieve, a therapy center in Cebu, PH that caters to children and adults with special needs.
How long have you been practicing your craft?
SHANNA- I have been teaching as an SLP for 3 years and as an FA for almost a year.
BELLE- I have been a therapist and an advocate for Filipino families as a member of a non-profit organization for 3 years now.
What’s your daily self-care ritual like?
SHANNA - Before pandemic, I am not really into self-care routines since I am lazy and I don’t feel the need. But during pandemic, a lot of people including me needed to pay attention with our mental health. I tried new activities at home to take care of myself physically, spiritually and mentally and that is when I included a self-care ritual (Thanks to my girlfriends for influencing me).
I usually do my self-care ritual at night. I consider my pole dance training as self-care because it helps me take care of my body and it's the kind of exercise that never bores me. It starts at 6pm until 9pm, then I go home and take a cold shower. At 10pm, I watch educational/informative videos, listen to podcast or read short scriptures or philosophies to take care of my mind and spirit. I light up my Rella candle then play my favorite songs too.
BELLE- I made it a habit to wake up at 7 am in the morning everyday, no matter what time I go to sleep the night before. I start my mornings with water cleansing and then prepare breakfast. Tabléa or a hot chocolate drink has been my staple drink each morning. I like to call it my “cacao therapy”.
My love for chocolate goes after my dad. I remember him telling me “to have started your day with chocolate, almost always guarantees that it’s going to be a good day”. Grounding myself and setting my intentions for the day early in the morning give me a sense of purpose and confidence over the plethora of possibilities of that day.
I also do at least 15 minutes of physical exercise everyday, in the form of high-intensity interval training, kick-boxing, or yoga. Being able to have a good sweat session before work always puts me in a better mood.
In the afternoons, whenever I need an energy boost, espresso is always the way to go! When I’m home, I brew myself a cup of long black coffee and pair that with a piece of cake or a cookie. I give myself quiet time, light up a candle, do my crosswords, and give cuddles to my dog.
My self-care ritual at night includes my skincare, complete with double-cleansing and a regimen that promises “chok-chok” skin. I always end the night with a short prayer to God and a smile; also not forgetting to set the alarm for tomorrow!
During the pandemic, we had this idea of forming our “WorkArt Club” where we meet weekly to have Sip and Paint Wednesdays and Sunday Workouts via Zoom. Painting and exercising together helped us connect and cope given the circumstances. These became our forms of mediation and a great time for bonding.
What products/items have you been using for your daily rituals?
SHANNA - I use scented candles that I got from Rella. I have It's Lit with white musk scent and Plant Lady with citronella scent. Both were wonderful to use at night, to fill my room with soothing aroma that can help me focus, relieve stress and regulate my emotions.
BELLE- For beauty or skin-care products I try to use products that have been reviewed by beauty gurus or have been dubbed as “holy grails” by the public. This can include a variety of Korean products or formulas suited to acne-prone skin. I’ve also included scented candles into my ritual, my favorite scent would have to be Love and Light by Rella.
What’s your sacred space like?
For both of us, we try and maintain a clear, decluttered, and open space, can be in our living rooms or the balconies. As much as we can, we like to get fresh air and sunlight. We both live in Mactan and are relatively near the best beaches in Cebu. When our schedules line up and are not too tight, we make time to recharge by the beach. Sun and sand are great healers!
What do you do to calm yourself on a stressful day?
SHANNA - I calm myself on a stressful day through pole dancing when I have training. Yes, I am calm when I sweat out and feel pain haha It makes me clear my disturbed mind, it makes me forget about my problems too. If I don't train, I usually just go to my room and listen to podcasts that talks about mental health or personal development. Sometimes I don't really pay attention to what they say, but I just play it because I tend to overthink if it's too quiet.
BELLE- My day-to-day stress relievers vary, but most often I listen to my favorite music and eat comfort food like Korean ramen noodles or anything with chocolate. I would also consider myself a cinephile, I love rewatching old movies but equally enjoy new ones. I also found kickboxing as an amazing outlet to relieve stress.
Follow The Good BS on Instagram @thegood_bs
subscribe to their YouTube channel TheGoodBS
Shanna on instagram @shannatai Belle on instagram @belleislife