She’s endured more heartache than most people suffer in a lifetime, but Love Island's Malin Andersson has emerged stronger than ever.
The star, who tragically lost her mum to cancer in 2017 and her four-week-old daughter Consy in 2019, says, “I thought I was healing a year or two years ago, but I was really just trying to cope. But that’s normal with grief and trauma, you just try to get through every day. This is probably the first time in my life where I’ve felt physically and mentally strong, without covering anything up and putting on a brave face. It’s a weight off my shoulders.”
Here, Malin, who’s mum to daughter Xaya, one, tells us how she stays positive...
Manifest your dreams
Malin is a big believer in manifesting. “I want to find real love,” she says. “But you can’t just envisage your future and assume it’ll happen. You need to be specific and write down what you want with intention.” She adds that it’s essential to believe you deserve your dreams. “You need to know you are worthy, because manifesting comes down to what you believe you are capable of having,” she says. “This might mean you need to work on your confidence and rewiring any limiting self-beliefs. When you do that inner work, you’ll start to see things flow.”
To help with self-limiting beliefs, Malin turns to guided meditations. “I do them every evening, for around 20 minutes,” she says. “I listen to them in bed and it’s changed my life. It’s helped my confidence, and it’s stripped away a lot of the bad stuff I’ve allowed people to say to me, especially in abusive relationships. I use an app called To Be Magnetic.”
Focus on your breath
Malin loves breathing exercises, and takes a little and often approach. “I set three alarms, one in the morning, one at lunch and one in the evening,” she says. “When each alarm goes off, I do my breath work, look around me and take time to feel really present. I breathe in for as long as I can, slowly, then I exhale and let it out. On my exhale, I think about things I’m anxious about, or traumas that are on my mind. Sometimes I think of Mum. My mind is always racing, but this helps me be in the moment.”
Look for new beginnings
She has suffered unimaginable trauma, but Malin, 30, looks at everything as a learning curve. “When you’re at rock bottom, it feels like everything is over,” she says. “But you have to have hope. I had to remain hopeful for the future and know that these feelings pass. You will have a new day, but it’s up to us what we make of that day.” Malin – who is now a motivational speaker – also believes hitting rock bottom can become a new beginning.
“My mum’s death was the start of a new life for me in a way that I’d never imagined,” she explains. “If she didn’t die, I wouldn’t be where I am today – I’d still be a spoiled brat, relying on her. Even when we feel like everything has ended, it’s the start of something new.”
Make yourself accountable
Malin says her mind is “10 times stronger than it was,” and that exercise has played a “massive” part in that. She goes to the gym five or six mornings a week, where she does strength training and a HIIT session.
“Exercise calms my mind,” she says. “It’s a great stress buster. A few years ago, I would have done it for aesthetics, but now it’s about building strength and leaving with massive endorphins.” If you struggle with motivation, she suggests making a commitment to work out with a friend. “Find an accountability partner,” she says. “My PT used to throw pebbles against my window to wake me up!”
Try crystals
Crystal healing has been around for centuries, and fans include Adele and Victoria Beckham. Malin is also a big believer – so much so that she’s launched a 17-piece crystal jewellery collection, Meanings by Malin, with @Sayitwithdiamonds. It includes rings, bracelets and necklaces. “My love of crystals began when I hit rock bottom in 2017,” she says.
“Whenever I’ve gone through something, I’ve bought a piece of jewellery with a stone in it. I’ve got loads of crystals in my house, including a huge pointed quartz, tourmaline, obsidian, amethyst and a rock salt lamp. Sometimes I’ll hold one while I do a breathing exercise, or I’ll wear a quartz necklace if I’m feeling anxiety, because it can clear certain negative energies. Crystals have helped me through difficult times.”
Write down your thoughts
Malin has had a tough time with relationships – Consy’s father was jailed for leaving the star battered and bruised, and she split from Xaya’s dad, Jared, last year. But gratitude and journalling keep her positive.
“Sometimes I struggle with feeling lonely,” she says. “Xaya is the best thing that's happened to me and when she’s away from me, I feel lost. It can be hard to stay positive, so recognising what you’ve got in front of you is really important. I use a guided journal and in the morning, I fill out what I’m grateful for. It definitely helps my mood.”