Dr. Simone’s Mind Space

Exercise whilst traveling

Pack your swim wear in your carryon, my mom always reminded us. In case luggage gets lost, you can still go swimming upon arrival at the holiday destination.

Bring your runners, your basic gym equipment or gym with your child. The perfect way of combining family time and exercise. Children love to run around, they love to imitate adults’ behavior, so exercise with them together.

Yet, a solitary run with a dip in the clear sea at sunrise or sunset can be exactly what you need to recharge your batteries. Take yourself an hour out just for yourself.

Couple’s time whilst exercising together can be a wonderful opportunity to combine to things with each other. Reward yourself with a lovely coffee or breakfast for two after a morning run, an afternoon tennis hour, or a cycling tour. What ever it is, exercising whilst traveling is a healthy and most often bonding moment, for the family, couple, and oneself.

Get your runners on and explore your holiday destination!

 

Happy active summer!

 

@unesurcent

@drschwank

@optimalperformancezurich

Vacation time: Balancing family time, couple’s time, and me time

It’s summer and on the northern hemisphere the typical summer school break. All parents try to balance their time off work or partially off with family time, couple’s time, and me time.

How to arrange and balance the different needs and expectations of family members during these precious vacation days?

 

What are effective ways to prevent and avoid tension among family members?

 

How to manage the balancing act of feeling relaxed during and after family vacation time?

 

How to do:

Give yourself some time to adjust to the new environment of being away. Not everyone gets into holiday mood at the same time, which can cause friction and unnecessary tension. Give each other time to land and express their needs and expectations of ways to relax and recharge. Try to reach a healthy balance of me time, couple’s time, and family time. Each one of us differs, in the amount of  me time we need. Try to make space for these needs me time.

 

Communication is key to avoid misunderstandings and misperceptions. It opens room to express needs, feelings, and expectations towards one another.

 

Make a plan of things you’d like to do, by yourself, as a couple, and a family. Discuss it with your family members, so everyone is informed. Of course, stay flexible for changes, but important not to compromise me time too much. We all need it to pass energy to others!

Same goes for couple’s time! Hire a babysitter to get a night out, just as newlyweds, so crucial, no matter the age of your children.

Family time can also be active time, hiking, swimming, practicing yoga together. Try it out and be surprised how much is actually possible!

 

Have fun, enjoy the sun!

 

@unesurcent

@drschwank

@optimalperformancezurich

 

Women: What’s needed to boost self confidence?

It’s so common for women to suppress and lower their personal performance, academic achievements, and success in public or work environment.

Why do we do that? I know it too well, from personal experience. Growing up in a very patriarchal society, with incredibly many obstacles to strive as a woman, it’s difficult to break free from the societal judgment. The disapproving eyes are everywhere. Unfortunately, way too often they can be identified as female. 

We can’t create a new position for women in society, if our female “buddies” aren’t inclined to uplift and encourage each other, rather than judging each other and acting out of jealousy. Role models and mentors are needed to uplift the young and not yet as self confident women.

The more we can inspire each other and support each others journey to succeed, the better. Together we’re strong, alone exposed to all the winds.

 

Check out: The glass-ceiling index, which shows in an excellent way female suppression and lacking career opportunities per country. 

 

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/glass-ceiling-index

 

@unesurcent

@drschwank

@optimalperformancezurich

Women in power: their key to success

This series will entail interviews and stories of inspiring women around the world. Asking them about their motivation, support and obstacles on their path to success. The series won’t follow any specific rules, just a natural way of interviewing women, who contribute to our global societies.

Motivation with this series is, to highlight the great accomplishments, with and with out parental, family or close childhood friends support to seek. The higher you rise as a women, the more people feel entitled to comment. The higher women rise, the more they are exposed. Like a landmark flag on a mountain peak, exposed to winds from all directions. The more women there are on the top, the less exposed each one of them is. Together we reach the top.

 

@unesurcent

@drschwank

@optimalperformancezurich

Living in multiple place pro and cons

Since many years, my partner and I are living in more than one place at a time. There are plenty of pros and also not to disregard cons of such a lifestyle.

The feeling of home can vary with regards to family and friends in the respective places. 

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

@optimalperformancezurich

Third Culture Kids

Third culture kids (TCK) are people who were raised in a culture other than their parents' or the culture of their country of nationality, and also live in a different environment during a significant part of their child developmental years (1). Third culture kids: Citizens of everywhere and nowhere.

 

@drschwank

@unesurcetnt

@optimalperformancezurich

 

References

1. Van Reken, Ruth E.; Pollock, David C.; Pollock, Michael V. (2017). Third Culture Kids: The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds (3rd ed.). ISBN 978-1857884081.
2. Useem, Ruth Hill; Downie, Richard D. (1975-11-30). "Third-Culture Kids". Today's Education.
3. Moore, A.M.; Barker, G.G. (2012). "Confused or multicultural: Third culture individuals' cultural identity". International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 36 (4): 553–562. doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.11.002.

 

Reinventing parenting: family vs. me time

After six months of parenting, a retrospection is beneficial. We have both chosen to start working, right after our son was born. Both a great feeling of accomplishment and yet also a feeling of missing out on the most precious family time.

The rollercoaster of emotions is something I was very aware of and prepared for, yet still caught off guard by how intense the feelings can be. You can prepare as much as you like, yet still not be ready for the challenges and the great joy a child can bring. Several times I noticed how I’ve been pushed to the limit of my abilities and patience. The unknown, the unpredictability are the most challenging aspects of parenthood. Even though I’ve been prepared for these situations, the degree of challenge was quite overwhelming, particularly on days being alone with the baby boy and working at the same time. Arriving at home with the baby and being hungry were the moments I wished having a helper 24/7 rather just a babysitter.

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

@optimalperformancezurich

Six months of parenting

It’s been and is an ongoing journey of self-reflection, introspection, boundary testing, and identity transformation. Recently, lots of self doubts, lack of self/confidence as a parent, particularly when being more than 24h alone with the baby.

It takes a village to raise a child. This phrase becomes extra relevant, when one’s partner is away. It’s such a great feeling of liberation to breathe and take a quick swim, nap, spend a lunch alone because a friend takes your baby for just a couple of mins or hours. I’ve personally done so from the very beginning and am privileged to have an amazing team of my two praxis colleagues, who are always there to help. If we as parents get our needs met, we’re able to attend and dedicate our time fully to our children.

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

@optimalperformancezurich

Injuries and heeling: the role of collagen

This is Agi explaining how growing up on a Collagen rich diet has benefited her with her injury and why it is important to supplement with Collagen, especially if exercising a lot and doing high impact sports like running.

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

@optimalperformancezurich

@agichristine

@formetta

@dr._vanessa_crai

Global travel with a 4 months old baby

Traveling long hall with a 4 months old baby for a month in Asia requires some serious packing and planning. Mostly in regards to what clothes and apothecary to bring.

The planning involves minimizing the luggage, but making sure we wont be freezing or stuck without the suitable outfits for humid climates, such as in Singapore or a crispy breeze on a mountain top in South Korea. 

The mix of living in two countries, in addition traveling, and both parents working, requires extensive organization and support of many dedicated helpers, babysitters, nannies, friends, and family. 

We can have it all, if we do reassure ourselves that we can. I'm a much better parent, dedicated, passionate, loving, when I get my self-care moments into my day. 

Organize yourself, dare to take and invest in support. Yet, it's everyone's business, how they decide to raise their children and live up to their personal expectations. 

LIVE AND LET LIVE, my number one credo, when it comes to children.

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

@optimalperfromancezurich