17 questions for… Maria Godlewska, HEC Paris graduate

How are you? Very good, thanks!

Work life balance for me is... I will say, maybe controversial, but I care more about a good life than about work. In the past, it was the case that the importance of professional work prevailed among people. Now I believe that it is more important to prioritize yourself and your health, and only then combine it with work and professional success.

My 3 most important daily health habits are…

• Certainly care and, as funny as it may sound, washing your face. Even when I come home very late at night or in the morning, I follow my beauty routine.
• Breakfast – I'm not one of those people who runs to the office in the morning without eating a meal.
• Physical activity, but it doesn't always work. Even if I can't go to the gym or run, I choose to walk and I honestly love it.

The sport I practice regularly is... it depends on the season, but yoga is very close to my heart. I also used to dance regularly, but when I went away to college, my schedule was very irregular and it was hard for me to get into a routine. I try to run or do fitness exercises, but regularity varies.

I spend at least 3 hours a week on physical activity . But we often forget that walking is also an activity, and I like walking very much, so I will probably add up more of these hours.

My motivation for sports... is primarily health and staying in good shape so that I can do more. I was in the mountains with a friend and climbing to the top for 8 hours determines the condition of your body. Apart from fitness, sport gives me satisfaction, happiness and better sleep.

I meditate… but I don't do it regularly. I don't think I can do it yet, but I would like to get more into it. I think it can be fascinating and effective for maintaining your mental health and calming down.

My diet is based on... seasonal and healthy products. I try not to eat meat, but I wouldn't say I'm a vegetarian, because I do eat it occasionally. I approach my diet holistically. I'm glad that it's not difficult to be a vegetarian or vegan in Warsaw, because there are plenty of restaurants serving such dishes. I lived for a year in Paris, where people like meat and when you ask for something vegan, you usually end up with a fish option, and when someone eats vegan, they get additions to the meat dish from the menu, e.g. fries and vegetables. We are really lucky that there is such a large selection of vegetarian and vegan options in restaurants in Warsaw.

I end the day with... a care ritual. This is an activity that always accompanies me. Sometimes I try to read a book, but it doesn't always work out.

I spend... the classic 8 hours on sleep.

The thing that I do only for myself is... there are few such things, because I am a very extroverted person, so even meetings with people are something that I do for myself. Sometimes I try to do some classic activities with myself, such as a walk in the park, reading a book or visiting antique and ceramics shops. And this is my little routine just for me.

My little sins are... sweets, which I love, but it's not always such a big sin - I'm thinking here, for example, of dark chocolate.

Happiness for me is... two elements: living in harmony with nature, because in today's times of climate catastrophe it is a very important part, and living in harmony with people and surrounding yourself with an inspiring environment. I like to draw the best from the world, nature and people.

Luxury for me is... stopping and enjoying small pleasures, because when we do them, we often forget how important they are. There were times, and I believe there still is, a generation older than ours that associates luxury with material goods. For me, it's these little pleasures and time for myself, e.g. a bath with a mask after a week at the campsite, which is what I experienced right now.

My small, everyday steps in taking care of the planet are… first of all, you should focus on the big steps.

For me, everyday life involves activities such as: sorting waste, giving up shopping in chain stores, and doing thorough research if I need to buy something more expensive. I also try to limit flying, because it is something that many people forget - "we segregate garbage, but then we make other choices that are not necessarily good for the planet." That's why I try to pay attention to all my choices, but in fact we have to change many habits as a society and smaller or larger companies. We have to educate ourselves, that's why I did my master's degree in sustainability and I intend to devote my professional life to this topic. This problem is so big that it cannot be reduced only to waste segregation. I would also like to remind you that we can vote for parties or politicians who want to deal with this topic.

The advice I would give my 20-year-old self again is... don't worry so much. If you live in harmony with yourself and have deeper values ​​that guide your decisions and relationships with people, they will probably be good in some sense. It is also difficult to talk about good decisions, because what is the definition of a good decision? I'm known for overthinking and sometimes it just doesn't make sense.