My story
Hey!
I'm Olya Amelina,
and this is my story.
I'm Olya Amelina,
and this is my story.
About 4 years ago, I realised I didn't live. Instead, I simply existed. All my feelings and stores of energy started fading away. I dedicated my life to my job. And without even understanding it, I pushed away everything and everyone, including myself.
Let me take you back to that time.
I am a workaholic. My job is everything to me. My clients are my friends; my colleagues are a second family. I spend the majority of my time somewhere between Dubai, London, Berlin, and Moscow. I love taking late night and early morning flights and cannot bear losing even one minute from my working time. I believe that the less I sleep, the less my body requires sleep. What a superpower! I love my job despite the complexity of the projects and the frequent requests from management to postpone vacations, work on weekends, or keep going well into the night.
The tipping point came when management once again requested that I cancel my plans to attend an important meeting. Of course, I obliged. Sitting in the aeroplane on the way to that meeting, I realised that nothing in my life outside of work brought me any joy. I had many ambitious goals, but all of them related to my career, work, and productivity. There was nothing about myself. I didn't have hobbies - and I couldn't even imagine what kind of hobbies would interest me. By then, it felt like I hadn't seen my parents and friends in forever. Over the weekends, I slept to catch up; making up for those nights I was spending preparing important presentations.
The tipping point came when management once again requested that I cancel my plans to attend an important meeting. Of course, I obliged. Sitting in the aeroplane on the way to that meeting, I realised that nothing in my life outside of work brought me any joy. I had many ambitious goals, but all of them related to my career, work, and productivity. There was nothing about myself. I didn't have hobbies - and I couldn't even imagine what kind of hobbies would interest me. By then, it felt like I hadn't seen my parents and friends in forever. Over the weekends, I slept to catch up; making up for those nights I was spending preparing important presentations.
That meeting I was on the way to was very successful. But I didn't feel any satisfaction. At that moment, my thoughts turned to balance. How can I place myself a the centre of my own life, find a sense of harmonious equilibrıum, and create a space where work is no longer at the centre of things but rather just a part of things?
A year later, I decided to quit my job - and in turn leave behind a good salary, the prospect of career advancement, and comfortability of knowing I had security. I didn't know what exactly I was going to do. The only thing I was certain about was that I wanted to devote my life to something more meaningful.
By the time I quit, I was deathly tired; the kind of exhaustion that cannot be remedied easily.
My immunity shut down. I was often sick. My face was covered with acne. The pains in my neck and back became familiar and constant companions. I could sleep for 12 hours but never felt recovered - and it was challenging to get out of bed when I did wake up. My emotional state turned into a ticking time bomb. No one knew when it might explode, including me. Only later did I discover that all of these are signs of a real burnout.
As a solution, doctors tried to treat the symptoms by offering antidepressants, vitamins, and physical therapy. Unfortunately, treating the symptoms rather than digging deeper to understand the root cause doesn't always yield results.
Realising that there was nowhere to turn to and no time to wait, I began to read about how the body works and what could be the cause of my problems. I immersed myself in reading international research studies about human physiology and articles by experts who focus on the holistic approach - an approach that considers physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
A year later, I decided to quit my job - and in turn leave behind a good salary, the prospect of career advancement, and comfortability of knowing I had security. I didn't know what exactly I was going to do. The only thing I was certain about was that I wanted to devote my life to something more meaningful.
By the time I quit, I was deathly tired; the kind of exhaustion that cannot be remedied easily.
My immunity shut down. I was often sick. My face was covered with acne. The pains in my neck and back became familiar and constant companions. I could sleep for 12 hours but never felt recovered - and it was challenging to get out of bed when I did wake up. My emotional state turned into a ticking time bomb. No one knew when it might explode, including me. Only later did I discover that all of these are signs of a real burnout.
As a solution, doctors tried to treat the symptoms by offering antidepressants, vitamins, and physical therapy. Unfortunately, treating the symptoms rather than digging deeper to understand the root cause doesn't always yield results.
Realising that there was nowhere to turn to and no time to wait, I began to read about how the body works and what could be the cause of my problems. I immersed myself in reading international research studies about human physiology and articles by experts who focus on the holistic approach - an approach that considers physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
That's how I found Precision Nutrition - one of the most respected companies in the international health industry.
Precision Nutrition caught my attention with their purpose: to help people worldwide discover the joys of living a fit and healthy life. Essentially a healthy lifestyle shouldn't be a burden. You shouldn't want to jump out of it in any convenient situation, but rather vice versa. It's a lifestyle that makes you feel and function well. It helps you develop and achieve your goals. All these ideas undoubtedly hooked me; I had never thought about health in this way before.
Previously, I thought that to live healthy means to sacrifice something. Later, I understood that a truly healthy lifestyle requires no sacrifice, which is entirely different.
I decided to become a Level 1 Precision Nutrition Certified Health Coach. Even though it wasn't 100% clear what the whole story was going to be about at that moment, I believed it was the right thing to do to get fit again.
A year of study turned my world upside down. I realised that the human body is a multifunctional and fantastic system in terms of its capabilities. I came to learn that basic things such as eating mindfully, getting enough sleep, doing sports, devoting time to hobbies, and managing stress and emotions can make your health work in your favour by helping you achieve any goal you desire.
Reading this, you probably think that I haven't given you any new insights. You have known this all along. There's probably a high chance that you've already tried to integrate all of these things into your life. But for some reason, they didn't take root, right? Unless we know how to apply knowledge and put it into practice, it remains just that; facts and information. In most cases, using knowledge in real life, practising new habits, and maintaining them for years ahead is the hardest thing.
Previously, I thought that to live healthy means to sacrifice something. Later, I understood that a truly healthy lifestyle requires no sacrifice, which is entirely different.
I decided to become a Level 1 Precision Nutrition Certified Health Coach. Even though it wasn't 100% clear what the whole story was going to be about at that moment, I believed it was the right thing to do to get fit again.
A year of study turned my world upside down. I realised that the human body is a multifunctional and fantastic system in terms of its capabilities. I came to learn that basic things such as eating mindfully, getting enough sleep, doing sports, devoting time to hobbies, and managing stress and emotions can make your health work in your favour by helping you achieve any goal you desire.
Reading this, you probably think that I haven't given you any new insights. You have known this all along. There's probably a high chance that you've already tried to integrate all of these things into your life. But for some reason, they didn't take root, right? Unless we know how to apply knowledge and put it into practice, it remains just that; facts and information. In most cases, using knowledge in real life, practising new habits, and maintaining them for years ahead is the hardest thing.
Remember I wrote at the beginning of this story that I would like to devote my life to something more meaningful? At some point, I realised where that meaning lies; helping people to make their lives better. As a result, I decided to become a Health Coach not only to help myself get fit again, but to support others in learning how to apply knowledge about health in practice, adapt it to their authentic lifestyle, and feel the benefits long-term.
Fast forward several years and I have managed to achieve a balance that I couldn't even imagine before. Now I know where my energy goes and comes from. My own and my clients' experience proves that a mindful life helps in achieving the most ambitious goals while remaining in harmony with the inner self. Listening to the inner-self helps define the direction flawlessly. It becomes clear when to slow down so you can rest and recover. It dictates when to switch to a higher gear because it's the optimum time for a personal record. This approach has functionality in all spheres of life; personal, professional, sports, and more.
Fast forward several years and I have managed to achieve a balance that I couldn't even imagine before. Now I know where my energy goes and comes from. My own and my clients' experience proves that a mindful life helps in achieving the most ambitious goals while remaining in harmony with the inner self. Listening to the inner-self helps define the direction flawlessly. It becomes clear when to slow down so you can rest and recover. It dictates when to switch to a higher gear because it's the optimum time for a personal record. This approach has functionality in all spheres of life; personal, professional, sports, and more.
I believe that life is a book, and every day we write a new page of this book. Whether the book of our life will be vibrant, colourful, and full of exciting adventures or not depends on us - and us alone. My current life in Istanbul and the people around me shape the ideal environment that helps me grow and endlessly enjoy my present. I immerse myself in health coaching that fills me up and gives me great pleasure. I even began to devote time to discovering new passions and interests that I just didn't have time for previously.
I read professional and academic literature - books, studies, and expert articles that help me develop as a coach. I enjoy fiction for pleasure. I grow flowers and other plants at home, which unexpectedly turned out to become a natural calming remedy for me - and distraction from outside stress. I am passionate about Crossfit. I feel butterflies in my stomach when I watch Crossfit Games and feel gratified that I am a part of one of the most united and mentally and physically toughest communities in the sports world.
Crossfit helped me reveal another part of myself. One that had been hidden for so long by work and stress. I am a fighter. It took me a while to discover a sport where I could express my personality, allow myself to go wild, and get a portion of endorphins and positive emotions in the meantime. Maybe one day this attitude will bring me to the Crossfit Games... who knows?
I read professional and academic literature - books, studies, and expert articles that help me develop as a coach. I enjoy fiction for pleasure. I grow flowers and other plants at home, which unexpectedly turned out to become a natural calming remedy for me - and distraction from outside stress. I am passionate about Crossfit. I feel butterflies in my stomach when I watch Crossfit Games and feel gratified that I am a part of one of the most united and mentally and physically toughest communities in the sports world.
Crossfit helped me reveal another part of myself. One that had been hidden for so long by work and stress. I am a fighter. It took me a while to discover a sport where I could express my personality, allow myself to go wild, and get a portion of endorphins and positive emotions in the meantime. Maybe one day this attitude will bring me to the Crossfit Games... who knows?
Hello again! I'm Olya Amelina. I'm 36 years old. And now I can tell you without any doubt that I live life to the fullest, and my feelings and emotions have never been more vivid!
