My name is: Katie Sandler.
I’m known as: Impact Coach Katie Sandler.
My expertise is in: Mental health, mindfulness, how to get unstuck in life and how to live with purpose. I also have expertise in helping others reach their potential, while making a positive impact on the community.
I stay physically healthy with: The gym, cardio and weights. Physical therapy is a must for me considering my history of paralysis and my connective tissue disorder (Ehlers-Danlos).
I love to drink green juices; I live for cucumber, celery, kale, lemon, turmeric and ginger juice! Occasionally, I throw in a carrot or a beet for more antioxidants and fiber (trick: a little goes a long way!).
Otherwise, I drink fresh black coffee and participate in intermittent fasting, carb cycling and the 80/20 rule. I practice mindful movement and light yoga, regular meditation, massages, facials and swimming/floating. (Though nowadays it’s more about getting on my mat and being present, I really love two studios here in Fort Lauderdale: The Yoga Joint and Bombay Room Yoga.) I horseback ride when I can; I snowboard when my body allows. I flow with what my body needs. Some days it’s easy and other days it’s not. But I truly believe that a body in motion stays in motion, and a mind in action stays in action.
I keep my emotions balanced with: My emotions stay balanced with psychotherapy once a week—this is a religion for me. I work to embody particular attitudes such as compassion, curiosity and non-judgement, which enable me to live authentically and self-soothe when need be. Friends and family are a huge part of my life. Regularly relying on my support system definitely helps keep me balanced.
I find that exercise, horseback riding and spending time with my dogs in amazing snuggle sessions are also great ways to stay centered. To balance long work-weeks, I like to plan fun nights out with friends.
Lighting candles, incense, sage and using aromatherapy are rituals, particularly when I am struggling. I think that when it comes to keeping your emotions in balance, different times call for different coping strategies. The key here is remembering that we are humans with fluid states of being; and we just have to learn to ride the waves as they rise and fall.
I’m intellectually stimulated by: I geek out over TED talks, new research in the neuropsychology arena and the evolution of cannabis culture. (Lately, I’ve loved Larry Smith’s “Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career” and Robert Waldinger’s “What Makes a Good Life?”) I also read pretty regularly, though I have a weird process: I pull out three to five books and read parts of them at the same time. I rarely finish a whole book from cover-to-cover, but I find that this keeps me on my toes. I absolutely love trainings and seminars, whether they’re on finance, mental health or nutrition etc. Retreats are a must—they always end up serving exactly what I need. I secretly read The New York Times brief from time-to-time.
I was recently transformed by: A travel experience, where I ended up stuck in and out of airports for over 52 hours. I could tell you it was the Brené Brown Netflix special, which was also amazing, but that doesn’t compare with my travel experience. It challenged me in a way I have not been challenged in quite some time by reminding me about what it means to be human, to be fluid, to be resilient and kind; to connect, to pray, to keep moving. It was an “aha!” moment, and I stand for “aha!” moments.
In the last six months, the ritual that has become so important for me is: My go-to ritual as of late is a green juice, black coffee and minimum of 30 minutes of cardio in the morning (or whenever I can get it in), at least four times a week. I spend the 30 minutes of cardio listening to music and/or practicing introspection. Sometimes, I consciously tune out and people-watch—it’s my guilty pleasure.
Here’s how you can do it too: Go for a walk during lunch or wake up early to fit a nice sunrise stroll in. You’ll never regret taking the time to work out, but you will always regret not making time for it.
It helps me live my process because: Summer is such a chaotic time of year for my schedule. So, anything I can do ritualistically to keep me grounded and focused is a must. The best part is that it doesn’t have to be too complicated.
Take a “Moment” to learn more about Katie Sandler’s journey here.
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Photo by Nareg Taimoorian.