Dr. Simone’s Mind Space

Me-time

While writing this podcast, I’m taking out me-time for myself. I’m getting a foot massage, as massage is my way of meditation. It’s crucial for our mental and physical well-being to have these moments of complete relaxation. Time to let the nervous system completely wind down and just be on relaxation mode. 

 

Research has shown that chronic stress, hyper arousal of our amygdala, has negativ impact on our health. Increases risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, overweight, mental health disorders, cancer, IBD, an in increase in inflammatory markers in the body, since stress causes an inflammatory response in the body. 

When stressed, especially chronically, we tend to have unhealthy habits, coping strategies, even destructive, self harming ones, and great difficulties in setting and sensing our boundaries. Difficulties to say no, in order to protect ourselves from exhaustion.

 

In times of stress:

-We can’t think rationally and clearly. 

-We act and react impulsively and emotionally.

-We have a hard time saying no.

-We can’t set boundaries to protect ourselves.

-We don’t feel our physical or mental limits.

 

—-> All these stress related aspects cause an even higher levels of stress and escalate the viscid cycle of the overall global stress burden.

—-> Outcomes vary, but in severe cases chronic stress and a longterm state of hyper arousal lead to mental or physical collapse, burnout,  severe mental breakdowns, neurological or cardiovascular emergencies. 

 

What can we do, if we have such chronic stress?

1. One of the best ways to reduce stress is exercise! Any form and any amount, simply taking time out for oneself, me-time, time to exercise. 
2. Routines rock! Changing a habits is immensely difficult! Even if we conscientiously know, that the habits absolutely don’t serve us. We still stick to status quo. It’s the place of least resistance, it’s familiar, cognitively easy, and causes the least cognitive dissonance. A state of imbalance and introspection. Routines help us a loooooong way to get out of these unhealthy habits. They also reduce the amount of cognitive dissonance: of balancing pos and cons with each option. They just make us do the thing we set out for. The more we strickt to our routines, the easier it becomes to make them our own and create new habits, your “new normal”. 
3. Seek help, changing years old habits won’t happen over night and often needs a radical change in scenery, environment, and in many cases best expert and professional support of people experienced in working with habitual changes. 
4. Change it before it’s too late and your house (your body and mind) already in flames. 
5. Seeking professional help is brilliant. Unfortunately, it’s often still stigmatised. There’s urgent need for a paradigm shift. Seeking support is a sign of strength rather than weakness. It shows an ability for introspection and self-reflection, rather then denial. 
6. Visit a retreats to set back the system and let body, mind, and soul reconnect. Ayurveda, TCM, and other forms of change in scenery, to reassess and establish new healthy routines and habits. 

 

@drschwank

@unesurecent

Staying active all the way through pregnancy: diary of a long distance runner

As a long distance runner, getting pregnant wasn’t an easy encounter. I’ve also given it a lot of thought about the amount of running I’d be able to do. Wether to be breathless, after only a short distance, feeling discomfort, due to stretched ligaments, the size of the belly, the weight gain, and general fitness.

Fact is, none of the concerns have occurred not even marginally!! 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

Living in two places with a newborn

As a global health researcher, that traveling is part of the profession, business flights facilitate the frequent long hall travels.

But now…how does traveling change with a newborn?

Obviously very much so! But yet, also not. We’ve decided to have both apartments equipped with all the baby needs, exactly as we do with our on lives.

Be flexible in your mind and expectations, but strive to continue your life lived before the baby arrived. We both strongly, strongly encourage each other to be a reminder of that! That’s why we’ve planned a long trip to  Asia, to keep up our passion for traveling, exploring exciting food, and have a highlight to look forward to, once the baby’s here.

 

@drschwank 

@unesurcent

Living in two places

Since many years back, I’ve lived abroad. In Shanghai, New York, Stockholm, and only recently returned back to Zurich for part of my professional and personal life.

Living in multiple places alway appealed to me and gave me the necessary challenge, both cognitively, learning Mandarin or Swedish, besides the cultural differences one encounters when living, rather than traveling on business or leisure trips abroad.

@drschwank

@unesurcent

Pregnancy journey in me-style Part 2

I never felt better and more self-confident in my body and mind then now. This particularly, after all the years of assisted reproductive medicine interventions. Years where body, mind, and soul, self-confident me were very out of sync. All these aspects of the self felt lacking a connection, driving on separate autopilots.

Regaining confidence and trust in my body though pregnancy, is the most unexpected experience of my life. I anticipated feeling miserable, nauseous, depressed, anxious, and severely challenged with the hormonal and bodily changes. Yet, I feel the complete opposite, strong, self-confident, full of joy and amazement of the energy and power I have to master all the life challenges with ease. Never felt more balanced in body, mind, and soul. I often reflect over the fact that my attitude certainly impact the way I feel. Since I consider the bodily changes as reassuring, that everything goes well in my pregnancy, it’s much easier to cope with them.

I further noticed, that since my pregnancy, I’m focusing way more on the positive, rather than the negative sides of things. This is new and very exciting to me. Having lived through several ivf years, feeling depressed and low, observing myself being more positive and self-confident in the attitude towards life; is exactly what I envisioned to convey to other women. Key for a fulfilling, independent life as a woman: Loving yourself for the one you are is essential! This means taking care of yourself, go on a date with yourself and embrace me-time. Be confident in what you wear and show this to the world! We vastly underestimate how the way we dress makes us feel and what it conveys to the surrounding.

 

It’s been my goal to try and keep up a fashionable, independent, self-confident look. A goal, I persuaded all throughout my life, but even more so as pregnant woman and mother-to-be. How I dress?

 

Sporty, elegant with a twist. Something about the look needs to mismatch the expected style credo.

 

Inspo 1: Combine boyfriend washed shorts with Chanel little black jacket.

Inspo 2: Work with accessories, contrasting shoes to an outfit, a colourful bag, scarf, jewellery, just explore, experiment, and have fun.

Inspo 3: Never go full outfit in brands or one brand top to toe. Mix and match, brands and no brands, old and new.

Inspo 4: Always wear stunning underwear, lace is what I wear. Never wear bra and bottom in the same style, like all French women do, miss matching is the way to go!

Inspo 5: Shoes always pimp up every outfit! Try to match the shoes either in color or make a sharp contrast with them! Easy to do also when the belly grows and only tights fit.

Inspo 6: Use colors you love, wear different shades of them for a complete look. Monochrom is obviously always a great choice too and works extra well when pregnant and wanting to reduce the appearance in size.

 

Regarding women’s choice of fashion, their outfits, and lifestyle preferences - with or without being pregnant - every woman should have the freedom of choice and feel entitled to it too!! Women need to support each other and strengthen each other in the choices and decisions each and every one of us made, make, and will take in the future.

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

Pregnancy in style and why it’s important! Part 1

How often didn’t I think, why do women dress like this when pregnant and postpartum? Why do they stop caring for their looks?

Society puts so much emphasis on women’s bodies, and sometimes I wonder if pregnant and postpartum women just want to hide away from being seen and judged. Hide away under large sweatshirts and pregnancy kilos, as a protective envelope.

 

I’m sad about this hiding, which women end up or put themselves into. It’s leading to personal dissatisfaction, relationship issues with their partner, due to feeling less attractive and there with loosing sex appeal, and reduced sexual desire. When women’s libido drops, their focus primarily targeted to their child, partners often feel excluded, frustrated, and seek pleasure elsewhere. A partner engages in an affair. Nobody is to blame here, it’s only a common pattern, unfortunately happening more often then needed.

 

Because…..

Women way too often focus on everyone and everything else, but themselves. Then they feel dissatisfied and completely out of balance. They lack me-time, time dedicated to personal hobbies, friends, their career. Too often this lack of focus elsewhere, but predominantly focussing on the nuclear family, results in maternal gate keeping and its consequences of a frustrated, angry, and at times even violent partner, who feels excluded.

 

Small adjustments can make a huge difference:

A) Take out time for yourself (i.e. a date night by yourself, a 40min run, a 30min massage, a swim in the lake and a coffee after that, an apéro with a friend, anything you love to do all by yourself).

B) Be confident in your body. Take out the essential time to exercise. Especially, after having a baby, exercise is vital and a welcome escape from the new and intense routines. It’s the best self-confidence, mood, and health booster! So go out and run, yoga, swim, bike mm.

C) Feel empowered in your clothes, rather than hide away under large oversized clothes (PS: I’m a huge fan of oversized clothes, as long as they’re oversized on my body and I don’t need to buy oversize because I can’t fit in regular clothes!).

D) Stay firm to your decisions. Don’t second guess or let yourself be influenced by others and others comments. You know yourself best. Believe in yourself!

E) Wear the style YOU love! Don’t let others influence you by what they would wear!

@drschwank

@unesurcent

Let’s talk about our uterus

No female organ is talked more about than the female uterus. As if it’s a public god, people, particularly men think they can decide over it, in politics, society, religion, family, and partnerships. My guest, Natalia nuclear power expert and physicist discuss our uterus from multiple angles and provide women ways to set boundaries for their personal integrity, particularly in relation to their uterus. 

Enjoy and get inspired. Female empowerment starts with knowledge. 

#itsawomensworld #unesurcent #drschwankinsights

@drschwank

@unesurcent

Parent coaching focus: Emotional parenting

Learn how to support social-emotional development in your child from birth to age three.

 

It's so important for parents to help their child learn how to cope with their feelings. Learn how parents are their child's guide in sharing the joys and coping with the challenges, starting on day one. Starting in the earliest months of life, well before they can use words to express themselves, babies have the capacity to experience peaks of joy, excitement, and elation. Babies can also feel fear, grief, sadness, hopelessness, and anger.

 

What can parents do?

Use illustrative books to show your baby different emotions. Including fear, anger, sadness, all colors of emotions that exist, and have their legitimacy.

Researchers have found that even more than IQ, your emotional awareness and ability to handle feelings will determine your success and happiness in all walks of life.

 

Emotional coaching  used by parents builds confidence and helps toddlers to teens to grow socially, emotionally, and intellectually.

• Learn the best ways to respond when your child is sad, angry, or scared
• Discover how to use emotions as opportunities for connection and teaching
• Learn how to set clear, consistent limits while helping your child problem-solve

 

How can we learn children to understand and regulate emotions?

The podcast supports parents, educators, and caregivers how to emotionally coach their children. By increasing emotional awareness and communication skills, parents improve their emotional responsiveness and, in turn, create emotionally intelligent children.

 

The podcast provides an understanding of what emotional intelligence is, why it’s important, and how to use it to help establish a solid emotional foundation for your child.

 

Take home learnings

• Understand the importance of Emotional Intelligence
• Learn how to recognize, respond to, and validate what your child is feeling
• Learn how to be an effective emotional parent
• Discover ways to express understanding and empathy
• Learn how to set limits and problem solve with children

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent

Parent coaching focus: How to help your child learn to cooperate

To get our young children and toddlers to cooperate, we need to help them understand how our requests and rules are good for everyone.

 

Cooperation is the ability to balance one’s own needs with someone else’s. We often think of cooperation as children doing what adults want. That is compliance. True cooperation means a joint effort—a give and take that is mutually satisfying. To develop a cooperative spirit in children, we need to help them understand how our requests and rules are good for everyone.

 

How to go about?

Take turns

Between 6 and 9 months, babies can begin to engage in back-and-forth interactions. They also learn to imitate. Give your child time to copy you.

Explain your reasons for limits and requests

At three years old, most children use and understand language well enough to handle simple explanations.

Take time to problem-solve

You can help your older two- and three-year-olds come up with solutions to everyday dilemmas and encourage cooperation at the same time.

Do chores together starting at an early age

Let your child grow up experiencing the benefits of cooperation.

Give specific praise for cooperative efforts

Point out why and how their contribution was important.

Give your child choices while maintaining the rules

Offering choices shows your child respect, and respect creates a sense of collaboration.

 

Resources

https://www.zerotothree.org/

@drschwank

@unesurcent

Coaching and Engaging Families in Early Intervention Services

Families need to play an important role in early intervention services in order to support their child’s goals and development. Although there is no “magic wand” to ensure family engagement, there are a variety of evidence-based strategies designed to support greater family involvement in early intervention services.

 

Services

• Parent coaching model offers a means to build parents’ confidence and competence in the context of home visits.
• Supervisors, coaches and mentors offer onsite sessions, webinars, keynotes and presentations at parent school conferences.
• Visits can involve parenting tips, role play
• Listen to the separate podcast on: 1. Tips on helping your child learn to cooperate; 2. Learning ways to support your child’s social-emotional development from birth to age three.

 

@drschwank

@unesurcent