'Don't Be So Hard On Yourself': Model Nina Agdal Shares Her Best Tips For Staying Happy & Healthy

When Nina Agdal first burst onto the scene, she was known for her Victoria's Secret campaigns and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photoshoots — but since then, the model has learned that feeling good both mentally and physically is more important than how you look.

These days, the star takes an "all-year-round" approach to taking care of herself, but she admitted to W that she's "had very different relationships over time with fitness, wellness, and nutrition."

"The whole thing of the 'hot girl summer' or 'summer body' or all of these terms, can be extremely triggering to a lot of us. They put pressure on us to get in shape for the season coming up, and that’s extremely hard on our mental health and our self-esteem," she noted. "I really believe in finding something that can be a lifestyle and a healthy habit that makes you happy."

When asked if she had any advice for her younger self, Agdal had plenty to say.

"The first thing that comes to my mind is: don't be so hard on yourself," she suggested. "I think especially with women, we’re just so tough on ourselves in terms of if we eat a piece of cake, then the next day, we have to torture ourselves in the gym."

The blonde babe believes that kind of mentality can "almost make your body reject what you’re doing."

"It’s about letting go a little bit and trusting your own body," she insisted. "You have to start listening to what your body needs. Like intuitive eating, I truly am a believer in that."

"I’m the same with movement: your body is going to tell you if it wants to go for a run, or if it needs to stretch, or if it needs nothing that day," Agdal added. "But finding that inner voice is the biggest trick. It starts by letting go and not being so tough on ourselves."

Her outlook is the basis of The Agdal Method, a health and wellness app she launched last March.

"I want to make people feel good," she noted. "Whether that’s a workout or encouraging them to change their life in the smallest way they can."