Inspiring Women Magazine May 2021

of some unexpected “detours”. Through 2016 -
2018, I had the opportunity to work in Switzerland
and, as a result, I had the chance to discover
Europe weekend by weekend. I visited Germany
several times and something about the country
just drew me in; I simply knew I wanted to live
there. It took a little over 2 years, a divorce, a
career change, a slight identity crisis, worldwide
travels, and a creative travel ban exception to
finally make the move. It was 100% worth it.
The definition of wellness
My definition of wellness is largely based on
positive psychology and is more closely aligned
with the terms “well-being” and “flourishing”. The
idea is that human beings don’t just want to
alleviate their suffering; they also want to live a life
worth living. One that allows them to grow their
capacities for love and compassion, creativity
and curiosity, work and resilience, and integrity
and wisdom.
Getting involved in wellness
Unfortunately, it wasn’t until I fainted at work –
due to stress – that I started to prioritize my
physical and mental well-being. Since that event,
I’ve made my personal well-being non-negotiable
and help others do the same.
My wellness training
I’m both self-educated and formally trained. I am
self-educated when it comes to well-being and
formally trained as a coach. As I mentioned above,
I came to well-being because of a personal need to
prioritize my physical and mental health. As a
result, I continuously use resources that are
readily available to me to learn new skills and
methodologies. Resources like, books, onlinecourses,
and conferences.
Working at home
My coaching training, however, was formal.
Considering that the coaching industry isn’t
regulated and anyone can call themselves a
“coach”, it was important to me to train with an ICF
accredited program for added credibility. My
training took 12 months and hundreds of hours of
pro-bono coaching to get certified. It was well
worth it – for both my clients and myself.
Misconceptions
The biggest misconception about me is that I’m
always happy because my work focuses on wellbeing.
It’s true that I focus a lot of time and energy
into my well-being but I’m human just like
everyone else. I go through emotional and
physical highs and lows just like everyone else.
The only difference is that I know this is normal for
everyone, including myself, and I meet myself with
compassion (instead of judgment or punishment)
if and when I’m going through a low period.
My tip for wellness
Self-compassion! I cannot emphasize enough how
powerful and transformational self-compassion is.
Women are so hard on themselves, in general, but
particularly when things don’t go as planned or
something goes “wrong”. Self-compassion – which
really just means being kind to yourself – moves
you from a place of blame, shame, or judgment to
forgiveness, empathy, and acceptance. All, within
an instant. If you’re interested in trying it out, next
time something goes “wrong,” speak to yourself
like you would speak to someone you deeply
care about.
The benefits of working with me
Me at play
The top five benefits my clients receive from my
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