17 questions for... Barbara Goździkowska, owner of the Absolu aesthetic medicine clinic

Work life balance is ... a state to which I aspire. An important element of my everyday life is work, which is my passion and I do it with great pleasure. I recently changed my life and after 25 years of intense work in a corporation, I started my own company. Now I approach it differently because my company is "my baby" and I don't even think about whether I work or not. I'm doing what I've always wanted to do and it gives me really good energy and great satisfaction.

My 3 most important daily health habits are…

1. A positive attitude towards life and rejection of all negative energy. The state of my mind is very important to me because it affects how I feel and react to my surroundings. I try to have good energy every day, establish relationships with good people and limit any complaining or judgment of others.
2. Daily training gives me a huge boost of energy and space for further activities during the day.
3. I have a healthy and well-balanced diet, which I am very careful about.

The sport I practice regularly is ... cardio, endurance and strength exercises. I have been running all my life, but unfortunately I can't do it anymore, so I had to choose another form of activity. I walk very regularly and swim from time to time.

I spend 4 to 5 hours a week on physical activity ... not counting walks. 

My motivation for sports ... is the good mood and free endorphins that practicing sports gives me. I always have great satisfaction after training.

My attitude towards meditation is … optimistic. I believe in the power of meditation and think it can be something fantastic, but I haven't explored this skill yet. I'm probably not ready for it yet, but it's another step ahead of me.

My diet is based on ... healthy, balanced and varied meals. I like vegetables, I eat meat and fish, because protein in the diet is important. I don't deny myself a small amount of carbohydrates. Food is a pleasure for me, so even when it is healthy, it must be tasty. During the pandemic, I learned to cook and I believe that it has a positive impact on the quality of the meals I eat. I eat very consciously.

I end the day by … winding down. Often it is listening to music, talking or taking an evening walk with your partner.

I spend… 7 hours sleeping , but I would like 8 hours. Unfortunately, I don't really have time for this. I make it a point to go to bed at regular times so that my body has a chance to rest. I believe that sleep is number one when it comes to recovery. During a very stressful period in my life, when I slept less, I felt worse during the day. I try to approach sleep very consciously.

The thing I do only for myself is ... Friday training with a personal trainer with whom I have been training for 8 years. This is the most wonderful time of the week for me. I believe that properly tailored training, on the right muscle groups, makes certain pain problems cease to exist. We can eliminate many negative things ourselves by being more aware of ourselves, our body and our needs.

My little sins are ... a glass of white wine, prosecco or champagne. I know it's not the best for my body, but I like to treat myself this way on the weekend.

Happiness for me is ... simple, everyday pleasures and being together with people . I am an extrovert - I get joy and positive energy from people. I have a great family, a wonderful husband with whom we have been together for over 30 years. I really appreciate the fact that we are healthy and can go on trips together, cook a meal together or go for a walk.

Luxury for me is ... the ability to travel. I have always loved traveling, but I have always been aware that every plane flight generates enormous environmental pollution. I believe that traveling is the only luxury worth spending money on.

My small daily steps in taking care of the planet are … 

1. Paying attention to water use, because we don't have enough of it in the world anyway.
2. Consciously choosing packaging and limiting to a minimum the products that I have to buy in unnecessary packaging.
3. Segregates garbage.
4. I buy less and more consciously, knowing how much water and dyes the clothing industry uses.

The advice I would give myself if I were 20 again is ... Pay more attention to relationships and the people around you. I underestimated some people and I regret it very much, because I lost contact with many valuable people, and this is actually the most important thing. Material needs, rapid career development and achieving professional goals are important, but the most important thing is attentiveness and attention to relationships with people.

The book I recently read and recommend is ... because when I started my company, I took on a new role - I don't read books unrelated to dermatology or aesthetic medicine. I look for inspiration from others in areas in which I need to improve.