Dr. Simone’s Mind Space

Survival tips for grey winter days

In today’s podcast live from sunny lake side promenade in Zurich, with my guest Marie from Southern California, we discuss how to survive grey winter days.

Winter and darkness, fog, rain, and lack of sunlight impacts many people’s well-being during the northern hemisphere.

 

What can we do to boost our energy and cheer up:

-Exercise, especially during the bright daylight hours. No matter rain or sun.

-Winter swimming, a pure endorphin booster.

-Meet and be active with friends.

-Head to the mountains for snow and bright sunlight.

-Go for a walk when it’s sunny in your area or grab lunch, a coffee in the pre spring sun (We promise, it’s a game changer!)

-Plan a trip to warmer sunnier climate.

-Light therapy, use a SAD lamp at home.

-Reach out to an expert before symptoms get too severe.

-Psychotherapy can support you through the darkest months of the year.

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

@optimalperformancezurich

@swipedbyaswiss

What’s positive about menopause?

Menopause has a primarily negative connotation. Long lists of symptoms both physical and psychiatrist ones. Yet, one can also look at the upsides of this transitional phase in life. The mature self, developed over years and many different stages of development. A journey of personal growth. The woman in menopause can have an incredible sex life, as a result of all the accumulated experience over the life trajectory. Menopausal women know what they want and often have the confidence to ask for it or even demand it. There is further no more concern about unwanted pregnancies, since fertility is out of discussion. This can result in pure pleasure, laissez faire, and simply being true to oneself and the needs. 

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

@optimalperformancezurich 

It needs a village to raise a child

Sitting at my favorite beauty studio getting my nails done, while baby Raphaël is being taken care of by the wonderful ladies here.

What a magic time for me and him too! It needs a village to raise a child. This is what I fondly believe! The more a child is exposed to different people the better for his future development.

We both decided that he needs to learn from an early age on, that there’s other people around him, that love him just as much as his parents do. It makes my mommy life so so much more enjoyable, having multiple helping, baring hands.

 

I always felt that quality time with anyone goes before quantity time. Especially, with a child, the quality of the engagement with the child is what matters and children mirror that back immediately. It is way more important to dedicate one’s full attention to a child under a shorter period of time, rather than spending all day and night with a child without being attentive nor present and genuinely interested. Less but focused attention can absolutely be more for everyone’s well-being!

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

@optimalperformancezurich

New business mom in style

To me, personal style in attitude and fashion during pregnancy, in the hospital, and postpartum are essential for maintaining a sense of identity as a woman.

This is why I put a lot of effort and time in rethinking my wardrobe. It’s been possible that way to wear the same as pre pregnancy, with a twist emphasising the confidence to be an entrepreneur, business woman, company owner, and simultaneously proud new mom.

 

Personal styling tips

• Dress for success
• Style that conveys self-confidence
• Repurpose you fashion accessories to become mommy essentials (i.e. Chanel travel purse became essential diaper bag)
• Keep it simple, yet classy!
• Use accessories to pimp up your style
• Fit all in a Birkin bag, instead of a multicolored, functional backpack
• Kelly to go and Chanel phone bag perfect company when out with your baby carry

 

Brands I’m obsessed with:

• Atelier Choux
• Bonpoint
• Tartine et chocolate
• Oscar & Valentine
• Il Gufo
• Livly
• En Soie Zurich
• Chantecaille Bébé
• Coolest family store Paris Smallable
• Antipope baby carry
• Cybex stroller
• Stokke crib
• Moon baby chair

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

@optimalperformancezurich

New mom back in shape

8 weeks ago our son was born. 1 week after the c section, I’ve illegally started running again. Listening to my body, starting slow and for me only short distances. What a feeling, the first postpartum run felt like freedom! So incredible, all the senses involved in that very basic run.

Yoga work outs were possible 10 days after c section delivery. Starting at home, then PT, followed by group training. Gaining confidence with every day and every movement, reconnecting with my body and mind.

Yoga work outs to bring back balance, strength, and grace. The longer you stay active during pregnancy, the shorter, and smoother the recovery. Headstand and forearm stand stood highest on the priority list.

Beside the me-time for sports, taking care of your inner and outer beauty is essential for new mommy health.

 

Sports tips

• Never stop moving
• Start with low impact activities
• Routines rock, 5min exercise a day
• Listen to your body, its signs
• Trust your instincts!

@drschwank 

@unesurcent 

@optimalperformancezurich

Phone-free spaces

Today’s podcast in conversation live from LA with Graham Dugoni. He’s American entrepreneur and founder of Yondr, the company that pioneered the concept of phone-free spaces. 

 

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Graham went on to earn a political science degree from Duke University in 2009. He has a longstanding interest in sociology and philosophy of technology, and this interest eventually inspired the creation of Yondr. 

 

Invented in 2014, Yondr uses a patented system of lockable phone pouches to create phone-free spaces for artists like Dave Chappelle, Jack White, and Madonna, as well as school districts around the world.

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

@optimalperformancezurich

 

 

Seasonal affective disorder SAD

Winter and darkness, fog, rain, and lack of sunlight impacts many people’s well-being during the winter months. It’s named seasonal affective disorder. This specific seasonal depression affects people around the world and occurs when days get shorter.

 

How do I know that I’m suffering from SAD?

-If you are not depressed or low in mood during the rest of the year and only in the winter months, it’s most likely SAD.

-If you lack vitamin D.

-If you lack time outside.

 

What can we do to reduce symptoms of SAD?

-Exercise, especially during the bright daylight hours. No matter rain or sun.

-Winter swimming, a pure endorphin booster.

-Meet and be active with friends.

-Head to the mountains for snow and bright sunlight.

-Plan a trip to warmer sunnier climate.

-Light therapy, use a SAD lamp at home.

-Reach out to an expert before symptoms get too severe.

-Psychotherapy can support you through the darkest months of the year.

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

@optimalperformancezurich

 

 

Returning to myself

Friday our beloved son was born. My husband is incredibly engaged, changed most diapers, takes care of the feeding, and cooks for the three of us. He’s absolutely incredible. It’s the partner I’d wish any working mom!!! It’s such a relief and joy to carry the responsibility together. We complement each other and help each other out. It all comes very naturally, magic really.

An aspect however, we both need to work on, is the focus and enjoy the baby bubble.

 

@drschwank 

@unesurcent

@optimalperformancezurich

Baby countdown

Sitting getting my nails done, working, and mentally preparing for tomorrow’s c section.

Yoga PT will be the perfect power flow I need, in order to feel grounded for the operation and life changing experience tomorrow.

Decided that yoga is essential as preparation. I’ll be doing it from our practice and maybe my working colleague and dear friend joins me. Quality time pure and what I truly need. Tomorrow, I’ll be running together with my sister and then to the hospital. Why not, I feel it’s exactly what I need.

@drschwank 

@unesurcent

@optimalperformancezurich 

Final countdown till the baby arrives

This is a description of the final days before the baby arrives. Fixing all the last errands, a trip to our home in Stockholm, buying all the baby essential, mommy essentials from Totême, Prada, Chanel, and co. Meeting all my professor colleagues in reproductive health, as well as our hero, our ivf doctor and CEO of the very best fertility clinic in Scandinavia.

Then an incredible snowstorm hit Sweden! Everything stoped and stood still, people snowed in their homes! I was supposed to meet my PhD professors in person, but both insnowed at home!! All my errands and meetings were planned me using me race bike, 9 months pregnant, but instead I ended up running around in the craziness of a snowstorm! Luckily, I decided to buy new Nike winter runners! A true life saver, save also as 9 months pregnant women.

Comes yesterday, constant snow and everything looking pretty grimm to make it on a plane today. This uncertainty was definitely not what I needed!! Worrying I wouldn’t make it home for my delivery! This feeling of being out rather than under control is very stressful! That’s what I propose to all mothers to be in the last days! Go to massages, try to relax even if you’d whole system is on to-do-mode.

 

Example: Yesterday, I had 5 meetings at Karolina Institute and due to the crazy snow, 2 ended up remote. That’s why I acted immediately and next to the yoga booked a 30min Ayurveda massage. The very best I could do to treat my body AND soul. But even better was the special treatment by the daddy-to-be! He’s really gone above and beyond to spoil me with his cooking and organising our Stockholm home to look beautiful upon my arrival. Further, he’s also experiencing the final countdown feeling. That’s so nice not to be alone!! He’s running all the errands for his company, meetings, car winter driving training to be the best driver for his son.

 

To does: Well, we all can’t avoid to be in the fixing countdown stress in the last weeks before the baby arrives. That’s just to be accepted!

Therefore…

1. Book in specific down time session: exercise, yoga the best, massages, especially for head and feet to keep you grounded.
2. Say NO. Cancel and really don’t have any bad feeling about saying no.
3. Most importantly, enjoy the time together as the two of you! Such a precious time for you. Cocoon into your home, go for champagne apéros, to relax.

 

Don’ts: It’s important to try to relax and not stress around too much! Easier said than done! Stress and nervousness is normal!

Couple’s arguments: normal, yet unnecessary! Try to talk, rather than having escalating fights!

 

@drachwank

@unesurcent

@optimalperformancezurich