Joanna Gaines: What I’d Tell My Younger Self

Joanna Gaines has a message to her younger self.

The former HGTV star sat down with her personal trainer Don Saladino for his “Stronger” podcast to talk about both physical and mental health.

And during the conversation, she told Saladino that when she was 16, her family moved to Austin, Texas. Joanna went from a private school with 25 people in her class to a massive high school.

Joanna says she shut down emotionally, feeling overwhelmed and out of place. The “Mini Reni” designer says lunchtime was the hardest. “I’d never been in a room with that many people before,” she told Don. In fact, she hid in a bathroom stall every day for three months.

And when she thinks of 16-year-old Joanna, this is what she wants to say to her.

“I would tell that girl that one day, you will feel seen and you will feel valuable. And what I mean isn’t because of the fame, none of that. It’s because I have a husband who values me in such a way that he calls me up and out. I have these beautiful five children and I feel the most known when I’m at home,” said Joanna.

Joanna went on, “To be able to tell myself that one day you will feel seen and noticed and valuable I think would be that encouragement that I needed at that moment because I felt very alone.”

Joanna Gaines Says She’s Thankful for That Hard Season

While Joanna Gaines would love to comfort her 16-year-old self, she wouldn’t go back and change that experience if she could.

The designer told her trainer, “Would I ever erase that? Absolutely not. Because it gives me the empathy for people that are experiencing that at whatever season of life. But I wish I had known that truth earlier, so that I didn’t feel the need to hide.”

Joanna Gaines Practices Positive Self-Talk

Joanna Gaines says in addition to teaching her how to train her body, Don Saladino has taught her the power of positive self-talk.

“For me, it’s saying things that are positive to myself. That feels just as hard as when Don says ‘Jo, do 15 push-ups,” the former “Fixer Upper” star admits.

“Saying that positive thing like ‘you are amazing, you’ve had five kids, look how strong you are,’ I have to like turn the tide of my mind and start going the other way until it’s natural and until I believe it, and that requires this mental strength,” she admits.

Joanna continues, “I feel like now it’s starting to match up to where when I do leave, my mind feels strong, and I feel like ‘oh Jo, you ARE killing it’ and my body feels strong too, but it starts with that positive, just start saying all the things about yourself that you’re so proud of.”

Chip & Joanna Gaines Give Magnolia Team Time With Trainer

Chip and Joanna Gaines aren’t the only ones benefitting from Don Saladino’s training.

In an Instagram post, Joanna revealed that they have hired Saladino to train their staff, writing, “We got lucky and convinced @donsaladino to come out to Waco and train not only @chipgaines and me but our @magnolia team too!! 💪💪”

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