17 questions for... Kaka Rybicka-Gut, co-founder of Your KAYA

For me, work life balance is ... a concept that must be approached with great care. Especially when a large part of your life is devoted to work and building your own company. In my opinion, it is a series of smaller and larger actions that should be introduced to maintain this balance. It's definitely not something that comes easily to me, and I've been doing what I do professionally for 4 years now.

My most important daily health habits are …

1. At least 7 hours of sleep.
2. Drinking plenty of water.
3. Supplementation - I see that it has a huge impact on my well-being, performance at work, test results, health and how I feel every day.
4. Lots of cuddling, which has always been important to me. It produces the happiness hormone and it works very well for me.

The sport I practice regularly is ... dynamic yoga, which I practice at Yoga Beat Studio. This is the best activity that could have become a part of my daily habit. It doesn't have much to do with yoga, because this activity is very relaxing for the body, but it works brilliantly for my head. I can't imagine life without it.

I spend a week on physical activity ... about 5 hours just for training, but in general I move a lot every day. I like walking, I often leave for 10-15 minutes while working to walk around the office. My head rests wonderfully then. Movement has always been with me.

My motivation for sports ... is stress, which has accompanied me almost every day for 4 years and, unfortunately, is a permanent element of my life. That's why I do physical activity primarily for my health and my mind. And the fact that I also take care of my body and its appearance is a side effect. I have noticed that more and more of us need a moment during the day when we can completely disconnect, to not think about anything for at least an hour a day.

My approach to meditation is … unsystematic. If I were to compare it to something, I am a believer in meditation, but not a practitioner. I know it can be a great tool for permanent stress, but I'm completely out of touch with regular meditation. My husband Marek has been meditating regularly for some time now and it helps him start a new day well. In the summer I have episodes when in the morning I can sit in the sun on the balcony and meditate. I think it's great. However, in winter, when every minute in the morning is precious, I give up on staying in bed a little longer.

My diet is based on ... healthy meals, vegetables and fruit. Especially now, when the season for beautiful and tasty vegetables begins. I always try to choose those that can be eaten raw. I love salads, green juices from kale and parsley, but my diet also includes fries and pizza. I always try to find a balance in this.

I end the day by … reading a book or watching a TV series and I always do it in bed. This is the moment of the day when I can relax and prepare for sleep. Let's not forget about cuddling - I won't fall asleep until I cuddle a little.

I spend… at least 7 hours sleeping , but I try to make it closer to 8 hours. I don't exceed these 8 hours because I immediately get a headache. For some time now I have noticed that 7-8 hours is the optimal amount of sleep for me. I don't like sleeping until noon and I try to stick to specific times when I fall asleep and wake up. I believe that routine is a very important thing, especially when it comes to sleep and its quality.

The thing I do only for myself is ... a visit to my favorite beautician. It takes care not only of my skin, but also of my head. Visiting her always means an hour during which I am not there for anyone.

My little sins are … chocolate. I know it doesn't do me any good - even if it makes me feel better, it's a short-lived pleasure - but anyone who knows me knows I can't give it up.

Happiness for me is ... a mix of small and simple things. When I think about what happiness really means to me, it is definitely:

• A warm and safe home.
• The sun that shines in the morning when I wake up.
• The fact that I have a loved one next to me, whom I can always hug and rely on.

Recently, I have been appreciating such little things even more and looking for these pleasures everywhere. I try to approach it carefully, not to underestimate what I have, and I am very grateful for it.

Luxury for me is ... first of all, peace, which I often miss, but when I find it, even for a moment, it is a very magical moment for me, and travels are very developing and give me great joy. I don't have any material things that would be a luxury for me, but if you had asked me about it 5 years ago, I would have answered completely differently. I am glad that I am now cured of all the things and objects that I once lusted after.

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

• Ecological intimate hygiene products. Now it is obvious to me, but 4 years ago it was something that did not even exist in my consciousness. This is of great importance to the planet and to me.
• Tap water, which I am completely accustomed to. I find it very convenient because I don't have to carry plastic bottles with me.
• Your own shopping bags.
• Swap your car for a bike or electric scooter as soon as the weather gets warm.

When it comes to taking care of the planet, it's important to introduce long-term habits, not short bursts. To change something globally, you need to develop a permanent habit. Doing something once a month that has a big impact and then going back to what you were doing before won't change anything.

The advice I would give myself if I was 20 again is ... take it easy and give yourself more love. You still have time to find out what you want to do in life, and use this time wisely. Don't think about your career, don't stress about things that won't matter in hindsight. I believe that I used to worry unnecessarily about my appearance, which was the source of my insecurities, and now I can't believe that it could affect me so much.

The book I recently read and recommend is ... the brilliant "Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted". This is the story of the author of the book about her fight against extensive leukemia, which she contracted when she was only 23 years old. I believe that everyone should read this book, if only to look at their lives differently and start appreciating what they have. It's been a long time since any book, movie or podcast has made such an impression on me and aroused such wide-ranging emotions. On the one hand, I couldn't tear myself away from it, and on the other, I couldn't continue reading it because my heart was breaking into a million different pieces.