August was a magnificent month that started in Nice, France, and ended in Milan, Italy.
The first two and a half weeks of this month were still my summer holiday, which, of course, makes it special. I got to frolic in a sunlounger in Nice, go for long walks gawking at architecture, taste new foods and fill up on sunshine. While in Sweden, travel by train up to the area of Värmland, to spend time with friends in a very Nordic and dark nature that is the opposite of the Mediterranean beauty (which I prefer). 

Taking time out is essential for me. When I got back to my office by the middle of August, I had notes and action lists to start to tick off. My brain always goes into creative mode, giving me ample amounts of ideas when I provide it with room for reflection. Not just professional projects and client assignments, but also for personal development, what I want to do more of, less of and experience in my lifetime. Time is precious; there is much I want to experience and achieve. I don’t take it for granted. Also, I take this time to get back to centre, to evaluate what is important to me and what I am willing to let go of, to make room for my new vision and next iteration. 

At the end of the month, I had the honour to travel to Milano for a work trip. I spent my days at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore at the EuroCALL conference, immersing myself in lectures, research and perspectives on computer-assisted language learning. This was a new context for me, and I enjoyed myself immensely! I return with heaps of notes and ideas for the project this is related to, with lists of new books to read. 

Books Read: 5 

One particular book that I found interesting was “Heavily Meditated” by Dave Asprey. It went into great detail about what happens to your brain and body when you do specific healing modalities. I was highly motivated to do my breathwork and meditation before reading this book, and now I am even more so. And to try a few new modalities on this journey that I am on, to increase my energy and resilience. It’s not just about healing your body, it’s also about healing your heart and soul, or your nervous system, if you will.

Courses:

During the summer, I put my AI studies on hold at Wharton. I look forward to getting back on track in September, when my travel schedule will be lighter.  

Wellness

I’ve doubled down on my walking. Ensuring that I have a walk after dinner. It’s not just the knee issue; it’s also the benefits for digestion and increasing everyday movement outside the gym or hot room. 

Breathwork is now part of my everyday routine, sometimes multiple times a day, depending on my needs to regulate my nervous system to achieve the optimal state. On that note, I also tried out a new, for me, guided breathwork session at a studio in Gothenburg. I appreciated that the group was small, but a key lesson for me is to stay away from caffeine before I head into this type of session. The struggle with myself was real!  

Supplements:

Urolithin-A: still working through the course. All in all, slightly less recovery time. No news since last month. 

The only noteworthy supplement is Creatine. I’m building up my level slowly, but due to living an entirely plant-based life for so long, I think I get more noticeable benefits than people who have consumed meat. The cognitive benefits are very evident for me. If I had a night with less sleep, I find that creatine helps counteract the effects of the lack of sleep for me.  

Saved podcast 

Aspire with Bozoma Saint John: Why Playing Small Is Sabotaging Your Success (and How to Stop) is something that I listened to on the plane to Sweden. It was my first podcast after a break from podcasts for a while, and this is a real gem to start with. I find Bozoma Saint John inspiring, and I wish more women could have some of her confidence in the world. This went straight to my saved list, and I will listen to it again very soon. Her perspective is much needed, and Emma Grede asks her interesting questions to unpack new layers from Bozoma, which I really appreciated, as I’ve not heard about those parts before.  If you are a woman with a dream whispering to you in your heart that you are more, can do more, you’ll love this episode.