Swim Search Finalist Jena Sims on Pregnancy Self-Care and Prioritizing Her Mental Well-Being

Jena Sims.Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images

July is all about self-care for SI Swimsuit, and this month your favorite models will share their best self-care tips. We’ll delve deep into the specific self-care routines of various models and Swimsuit community members so you can learn about the products and techniques they use to take care of themselves both physically and mentally. Get inspired by these SI Swimsuit models and prioritize your self-care routine with tips from the pros.

Swim Search finalist Jena Sims is a self-care queen. The non-profit CEO, who is expecting her first baby with her husband, pro golfer Brooks Koepka, says she really “prioritizes [her] emotional well-being.” Here’s exactly what that entails.

Talk therapy

“I’ve been going to talk therapy for three, four years and I used to just be so fearful of confrontation,” she admits. “I’m a people pleaser. I’m the queen of like, ‘no worries if not.’”

Sims adds that speaking with a therapist has helped her to be more assertive and set healthy boundaries with people in her life. She has also learned to believe that “‘no’ is a complete sentence.”

Fertility acupuncture

In addition to getting lots of sleep and drinking a ton of water, the 34-year-old says she began fertility acupuncture treatments when she was trying to get pregnant. When she and Koepka got pregnant, Sims announced the exciting news in May in an adorable Instagram post, writing “the best is yet to come.”

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A post shared by Jena Sims Koepka (@jenamsims)

She notes that while she was scared of acupuncture at first, it eventually became a part of her weekly self-care routine.

“It’s just relaxing and it helps the blood flow and [helps with] overall relaxation, digestion, anxiety,” she shares. “I go once a week and get my body poked at.”

Facials and buccal massage

In terms of luxurious self-care and treating herself, the fashion designer loves getting monthly clean ingredient facials from local spas in Florida, where she lives.

She also discovered—and quickly became a fan of—buccal massage, in which a trained masseuse-aesthetician goes inside your mouth and pushes, pulls and squeezes your cheeks, lips and jaw to alleviate tension and stress. The massage also encourages lymphatic drainage and helps reduce inflammation or excess water retention.

“I feel like I store a lot of my stress and it’s in my jaw,” she explains. “[The aesthetician] literally goes in there and releases the tension and really works the face muscles out. It is the most relaxing thing I think I’ve ever done. It lifts and tones and firms your face. I swear by it.”

Exercise

Sims began working out at home during the pandemic and never looked back. Now that she’s carrying a little one, she tries to listen to her body and does some prenatal or simple strength workouts for about 30 minutes a few times a week.

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A post shared by Jena Sims Koepka (@jenamsims)

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