Everyday Kindness with Ida Paras
We at Madekind Naturals believe that being kind to yourself, and the planet is very important -- hence our name. We’ve gathered stories of strong and inspiring women to share their journey and how they’re coping with our new normal today: for themselves and the people around them.
These are stories about Everyday Kindness. ☺️
Ida Paras is the founder of The Movement Studio @wearetms and a personal trainer/coach.
1. How are you? How have you been feeling about the times we’re in, especially now that we’re mostly confined indoors, and unable to travel and move around as much as we used to?
Ida: This lockdown has been an absolute rollercoaster ride. This is the first time I’ve ever had extreme emotional ups and downs as I’ve always been able to adapt quickly to any situation. I don’t think I need to explain why 2020 has been kind of a unique year for everyone.
2. What forms/sources of relief/comfort have you found for yourself during this time? Can be small or big— just feel free to share what you’ve been doing to help boost your mood/find happiness during this time. (examples: self-care routine, reading books on wellness, cooking, etc.)
Ida: At the start of this lockdown, I quickly decided to invest in a home gym. I started out with a simple squat rack, barbell and some plates then soon after augmented to with dumbbells and kettlebells from my group fitness gym, The Movement Studio, when it became apparent that this whole thing was gonna exceed the initially planned ONE month. That worked for a while. Somewhere down the line however, simply getting out on my PJs was somehow becoming the most tedious thing. That’s when I knew I had to be more proactive in adapting to the lockdown life. I don’t know how accurate those personality tests are, but I’m deeply extroverted.
So I sought out inspiration. I found “12 Rules for Life: the antidote to chaos” by Jordan B. Peterson, “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek, “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek, and “Drive” by Daniel H. Pink. Books recommended to me for marketing, but turned out to be excellent sources for introspection. 12 rules in particular, resonated with my current head space so I even enrolled in Jordan Peterson’s online course on mastering personality! It’s super interesting!
I am used to setting goals for myself, especially when it comes to fitness and nutrition. So much like how I always advice my clients to start small- I chose to set mini goals to help me develop new good habits. With plenty of introspection, I came to realize that I needed to change some things if I wanted to improve my mental health — and life in general.
3. What about for your loved ones, or even your community? How have you connected with others during this time? We’d love to know what efforts you’ve made to bring light to those around you, no matter how big/small!
I always make sure to stay connected with my circle, I make sure to talk to them at least once a day just to check up on them and know what’s up in their neck of the woods. Right after the ECQ, we made sure to have small get togethers or workout sessions together to make us feel connected every month -- it’s been something we look forward to each month! It’s so special.
Designing TMS SweatHome Xstream has been so fulfilling. There’s something about getting people to move together, pushing harder than ever but absolutely happy in the moment despite the distance and the physical limitations! We’ve had Movers post on social media boasting their weight loss and showing off their push-ups (which they never previously thought possible) and thanking us for providing them with our stream. That kind of impact for helping others is what it’s all about you know! Getting people to continuously chase their next best version is what keeps me going!
4. Lastly, what does kindness mean to you? Any other words of advice or any tips amidst this time?
Ida: Be ACTUALLY kind to others instead of using it as a bludgeon to enforce your views or ideologies on others. 🥰
