What’s the first thing you do when you get out of bed?
I take a big breath, and say good morning, God. It sounds hokey, but what the heck, it grounds me and it reminds me of perspective, then I take a big stretch, and wiggle my toes to tell my body to get going. I also do a couple of minutes of breathing and praying, and at that moment my cat knows I’m up and rushes to me for his morning cuddles, and the whole day begins.
What gives you energy?
So many things contribute to energy, including having gotten enough rest, having eaten properly the day before, and having had a little fun and exercise: a bit of a trifecta, though there was a 4th thing in that list! Fun.
What daily habit or practice helps you thrive?
Both the body and the mind need to be in balance for me to thrive, so staying grounded through breathing, gratitude, hope, and meditation, as well as surrounding myself with kind loving people, and giving that love in return is helpful. The opposite is also true, so I need to guard against people whose energies are heavier, negative, or arrogant so I can have positive energy for the rest of those around me, and be productive in general. Habit: laughter, good food, kindness, and dreams
Name a book that changed your life.
I loved the book The Game of Life and How to Play it by Florence Scovel Shinn (the copyright is 1920s so that is awesome). It was the beginning of information regarding the power of your thoughts and words; a good reminder of purpose, intention, and how what you hear also influences you. That’s why it’s important to be around as much positive energy as you can too, the world is full of difficult times, difficult people, so the best thing I can do is influence my immediate circle of choices with as much positive energy and people as I can, since as we all know, life happens, things happen, weird health stuff can happen, and people, like in grade school, can be “mean” at any age, so my answer to that, is to keep it kind, loving, generous, and wise.
Tell us about your relationship with your phone. Does it sleep with you?
Great question, oh my, it used to until I realized that was insane: only if there is a family emergency, or if my husband is on tour in case anything come up, but otherwise it is in another room on OFF. I do not have kids, so if I was a parent, and they were away, I would have it near me to be a mama bear at the drop of a hat, of course. It’s important to recognize social media addiction, most of the need to be liked or have views can be disruptive to your normal day to day life, I’m glad I was older when social media started, I’d hate to think what might have happened had I been a teen.
How do you deal with email?
I have so much email, I do miss a lot of them until I can categorize them: animal rights, family, friends, work, advertisements, etc. There is a lot of spam, so I make sure to separate those. I must admit, I am overwhelmed with the over 200 emails a day, but I do have a few emails, so I need gentle reminders to check them! I will always respond to friends and family, and I have erased a lot of promo emails.
You unexpectedly find 15 minutes in your day, what do you do with it?
I love taking a walk outside in the park, under trees, and reconnecting. I also love talking to my girlfriends to check in, sometimes I do both. I have, though, lain down on the floor and focused on relaxation, and reconnecting body, mind and spirit, so when the next person comes to me at work or socially, I am open and kind, vs. erratic and judgmental.
When was the last time you felt burned out and how did you overcome it?
Just recently, life’s events, whew, very entertaining to live in this world, I must say. I had a chance to leave town a few days, be in cooler weather, spend time being creative, taking nature hikes, and seeing friends in beautiful Seattle, WA.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Surround yourself with cheerleaders, don’t worry about those who are “nay-sayers” and don’t forget your dreams, stay on course, believe, and eat well so your body is happy, and you can’t please everyone so don’t try to, all you can do is be kind, it’s O.K. to say no, and it’s O.K. to walk away from things that are hurtful, the anti “doormat” response (may gentle or sensitive people stay too long in situations that are unhealthy, so it’s o.k. to move away from those, so their spirit can be useful to themselves and others).
Share a quote that you love and that gives you strength or peace.
This too shall pass = that’s for the hard times. Enjoy the journey. And, do unto others…
Connect with Dr. Dani at: https://drdaniphd.com/