Gisele Bündchen Reflects on "Tough" Times After Tom Brady Divorce

On or off the runway, Gisele Bündchen takes things one step at a time. 

In fact, the supermodel believes that you’ve “got to rise” to life’s challenges—like she did when she was dealing with ailing parents at the same time of her relocation to Florida with kids Benjamin, 13, and Vivian, 10, for then-husband Tom Brady‘s three-season stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before their divorce last year.

“It’s been very tough on my family,” she told People in an interview published Sept. 18. “It’s been a lot—in every area of my life. I feel like whenever it rains, it pours.”

The 43-year-old continued, “With all the different twists and turns that life takes, all we can do is the best we can given what happens in our surroundings.”

However, as Gisele noted, focusing her attention inward was what helped her stay centered during difficult times. From meditation to daily exercise, she said self-care is just as important as having a strong support system since the “only person that’s going to make those choices is you.”