Ciara couldn't have asked for a better teammate than Russell Wilson.
"From day one, we talked about the power of being equally yoked," the "Level Up" singer exclusively told E! News when asked the key to her strong marriage. "What I mean by that is, being aligned on pretty much every aspect of your lives."
Which is not to say that Ciara and her NFL star husband are exactly the same or never butt heads. "The uniqueness that makes you who you are, there's power to that, too," she said. "But it's so much easier, I think, when you agree on most of the things that you're gonna experience in life together."
If you're starting to feel lightheaded, do not worry, swooning is a common occurrence when reading about these two, who've been known for their nonstop #goals vibes since even before they tied the knot at a castle in the English countryside in July 2016.
"I'm his biggest cheerleader, he's my biggest cheerleader," Ciara continued, "and we really relate to the drive and the hustle of what we do. Having that foundation of being equally yoked is huge."
Faith is also central to their lives, and "that spiritual foundation is huge for us," the 37-year-old said. "Being able to pray together is beautiful."
Especially on the rare occasions when she and Wilson, 34, are not in total alignment. "Sometimes it can be a little uncomfortable," the OAM skincare founder acknowledged, "but there's no better feeling than knowing that you can come together and create resolutions, find the best ways to figure things out together."
And every week she looks forward to date night on Friday, one of the "little details" she credits with keeping the romantic side of their devoted partnership fresh.
But in the days leading up to Friday...
Sure, Ciara can get a little stressed.
"Sometimes I feel like life is coming at me fast," she said. "I have my three little precious babies that I gave birth to"—son Future Zahir Wilburn, 8, with rapper ex Future and daughter Sienna, 5, and son Win Harrison, 2, with Wilson—"but I also have my biggest baby of all, which is Russ," she added with a teasing smile. "Sometimes all three of my babies jump on me at one time, and I'm trying to do five other things, and they can be a lot."
(Plus, she noted, if you ask her husband, he's ready to expand their family, "like, four more times," Ciara said with a laugh. "But I don't know when that's gonna happen. I definitely look forward to expanding the bunch at the perfect time.")
After spending the majority of their years together going back and forth between homes in San Diego, Calif., and Seattle, where Wilson was the Seahawks' quarterback for 10 seasons, the family packed up and moved to Denver last spring when the 2014 Super Bowl winner joined the Broncos. But wherever they are, there's "a hodgepodge of everything happening," Ciara described. "Future's doing football, basketball, baseball, soccer, karate. Sienna's soccer, gymnastics, ballet, karate. Win, he comes in hot. He's like the Karate Kid right now, like, aggressive."
Hence her enthusiasm for Unlimited by Degree, an antiperspirant that promises to tackle sweaty situations, whether it's dancing and rehearsal or juggling three little kids (and one 215-pound, 5-foot-11 baby) or—relatable much?—that icky feeling when racing thoughts run amok.
"I learned that two out of three Americans experience anxious sweat," Ciara explained, and the idea of a person losing confidence—be it during a job interview or a first date, or any nerve-wracking experience—due to inconvenient underarm wetness did not sit well with her.
"Unlimited by Degree is about living life without limits," she said. "You should not be limited with doing whatever you want to do in your life. You should feel confident and fearless and go for it."
Of course, you could be in the middle of going for it and anxiety might still arise. Asked what some of her coping methods were to combat stress, Ciara said that she's "a big believer in praying."
"Sometimes I pray multiple times throughout the day to check myself, get myself in place, stop my heart beating fast," she shared. "Especially being a mom, I feel like something now has made me way more anxious about things than normal, especially when I travel, and I can get a little worrisome."
She'll also listen to calming music—or go for a drive in complete silence, taking in the scenery.
"Seeing the trees and just rolling along, in quiet, can be very soothing and very relieving," Ciara said. Or, if she's home, "taking a bath, getting in the hot tub. Those are a few of the things that I love doing."
Thinking about International Women's Day on March 8, she also credited the "fearless, very confident and ambitious" women in her social circle—including her longtime makeup artist Yolonda Frederick and besties La La Anthony, Vanessa Bryant and Kelly Rowland—who lift her up.
"I'm so blessed to have such an incredible group of girls," Ciara said. "There's something very powerful about being surrounded by that within your girl circle."
She'll be celebrating that energy in the new music she's working on—but won't divulge too many details about. Though, when asked about dream collaborations, she did say, "The people that I've been dying to collaborate with? I did."
But a packed schedule means the moments she takes for herself are all the more important—as are the nights she and Wilson devote to each other.
The red carpet-friendly couple have been known to get all dressed up for a fancy restaurant or practice art appreciation in a museum rented out expressly for them. But sometimes, Ciara confessed, "I just want to throw on some Uggs. You know, let's keep this simple and cute: Some sweatpants, rock 'n' roll, get our grub and go back home, and then watch a movie."
No matter what they do, she said appreciatively, "I think when you know that your partner is making an effort with you to keep your connection strong and to love on each other, it's so sweet—and it's so fun."
We feel our stress levels falling already.
Reporting by Ally Manor