17 questions for...Katarzyna Bąkowicz, PhD in social communication, business advisor and coach

How are you?

Very good, thank you for inviting me to the series of 17 questions to…

For me, work life balance is... finding a middle ground in a busy world and the ability to set internal boundaries regarding whether we live for work or work for life. It is also extremely important that work is, to some extent, a pleasant part of life. I love my job, which requires me to set boundaries even more. Without rest, we are not effective in our work, especially when we work in a creative profession.

An experience that changed a lot in my life was a trip to a friend who lives on the German-French border in the Black Forest. In that town there are practically only millionaires who play key roles in managing the German economy. I noticed a certain pattern there. At 6 p.m. the streets become empty, people sit in restaurants, and in the space you can hear bottles of wine opening and feel the fire of barbecues. At 6 p.m. there is simply no one working there anymore. Over the last year, I managed to introduce this mode into my everyday life and it turns out that you can do many things, you just need to prioritize them appropriately.

My 3 most important daily health habits are…

• A good and healthy breakfast, in the form of millet. Eaten in peace and quiet, without any nerves and without thinking about work.
• Sleep, of which there must be the right amount. Even though I get up very early, at 5:30, I make sure to sleep well and qualitatively.
• Walk. Regardless of the weather, situation or time of day - I have to go for at least 40-60 minutes of walking every day.

The sport I practice regularly is... any activity I like to do and I do it primarily for myself. I really like Nordic walking, I ride a bike a lot in the summer, and I have been practicing yoga at home for many years.

I spend… 10-12 hours a week on physical activity . Always at least an hour a day, but definitely more on weekends. Work taught me this. 2 years ago, when the pandemic started, I had a very intense time. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. I conducted classes with students, and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. I conducted other professional activities. During the break between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. I went out for pole skiing and ate lunch. If I didn't organize it this way, I would go crazy and it is naturally dictated by biology. A deprived brain simply doesn't work properly, and a walk helps it get oxygenated, which translates into a better mood and good results at work.

My motivation for sports… is the mental and physical health benefits that come from it. In my case, it is better well-being, good immunity (because regardless of the weather, I always go outside) and better sleep. When I still worked from the office, I often walked home. I have the impression that during this walk I left behind all the stress and negative emotions that had accumulated in me throughout the day.

I meditate because… I know from a scientific perspective how good it is for the functioning of the brain. However, I have consciously decided that it does not take up very much time in my life. “Instead of doing nothing, do something” – my yoga teacher taught me this and I stick to it. Even if I have to spend 10 minutes on it, I do it every day, not an hour once a week. This regularity is easier to do and more effective. I also believe, as research shows, that people who meditate make fewer mistakes at work, make better decisions, and this has nothing to do with the choice of the path of spiritual development, but with the impact on the brain and our biology.

My diet is based on... conscious eating for over 20 years, which resulted from various health problems. I don't eat meat, but I eat fish and seafood. I don't eat dairy products and try to avoid sugar. I love various groats and Italian cuisine.

I end the day by… reading. A few hours before bed, I try to let go of everything and read something that interests me and is not related to my profession. Most often, I choose books in the areas of art and philosophy, that is, something that will leave me with interesting reflections. I don't watch TV before bed. Sometimes I have movie nights, but I know how negatively it affects falling asleep.

I spend… at least 8 hours sleeping. Less is not an option.

The thing I do only for myself is... I'm good to myself, but that doesn't mean I'm not good to others. The truth is that it is healthy to take care of ourselves first, because only then will we be able to take care of others. I know that my creativity at work, my usefulness to my family and loved ones will only be valuable if I am in control with myself on a mental and physical level.

My little sins are… exceptions to the rule. From time to time it may be a double cheese pizza or lying on the couch all day and doing nothing. However, I don't think about life in terms of sins and non-sins. I follow what I feel at a given moment. If I feel like drinking sweet tea with honey and eating a piece of cake, I allow myself to do so and, most importantly, I don't feel guilty. It will do less harm to eat something than the frustration of not being able to eat something.

Happiness for me is... a sense of fulfillment and peace. I am happy when I feel inner, true, deep peace, independent of external factors.

For me, luxury is... the ability to achieve peace and happiness. For me it is not related to material objects, because luxury in the material dimension is one thing and the feeling of luxury is another. The capital of the modern world is no longer money, as it used to be, but the possession of free time and the ability to dispose of it.

My small, everyday steps in taking care of the planet are…

• Conscious consumer decision-making. I like to reward myself sometimes by buying something. I have a weakness for cool shoes, but I make my purchases very consciously.
• For several years, I have been buying clothes only from Polish producers. I check where they were made, how they were made, from what fabrics, and I am very pleased with it, because it turns out that they are much better quality clothes than those that could so far be bought in chain stores for comparable money.
• Conscious nutrition. I have a natural allergy to food waste and I can proudly say that I don't do it. I changed the shopping system. Several times a week I go to the local store and buy what I really need at a given moment.
• I support local sellers and often buy from cooperatives, where I know there are no margins charged by large retail chains. In a way, such activities help me support people who work like me, i.e. develop their businesses.
• Segregates garbage.
• I have a car that I only use when I need to transport something. I use public transport every day.

The advice I would give myself if I were 20 again is... be more brave, don't be afraid of what others will say, do what you feel, what you think and don't look back. I knew then that I wanted to destroy the system!