Meet Kristen Schwartz | Holistic Counselor & Coach.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristen Schwartz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristen, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?

I delivered an oral presentation in my last graduate school class and shared my quest for balance. I remember the look on my professor’s face, a look peppered with curiosity and confusion. I believed the myth of a work-life balance for much of my life and accepted it was out of my reach; the harder I worked to adjust the scale, the more unobtainable it felt.

I yearned to find the sweet spot between self-care and self-progress. I wanted to have all the successes society deemed worthy and believed taking time to care for myself was wasting precious time. I didn’t understand that long-term progress wasn’t sustainable without self-care.

For years, I would push myself; overwork, search for shortcuts and try things that weren’t in my wheelhouse. I put every ounce of my energy towards proving myself until I crashed. Then I would shift my focus on self-care, again, overwork, eat too little; I’d go until the pull to build something returned.

Back and forth until six years ago, when my spirit and eyes opened. Awakened and ready for change, I connected more profoundly to my intuition. I realized the balance I sought and the progress I coveted was in the prioritization of my well-being—the scale required an off-balance, tipped in favor of self-care.

When I put more energy into self-care and carve out time for stillness, presence, movement, and rest, I connect to my highest self, accessing clarity, ideas, and guidance. When I allow spirit to guide me toward opportunities and progress, I follow my souls’ path, and that doesn’t require forcing myself; overworking, searching for shortcuts, and doing things that aren’t in my wheelhouse.

It doesn’t require as much energy to create when your quest for success is set on a self-care foundation. The mind, body, and soul are working together, and you have the power of the Universe behind you.

Nowadays, I don’t strive to balance life and work; I pour into my life force and allow the inspiration to come to me.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

For an Empath & Highly Sensitive (perceptive) to thrive, we must embrace self-healing. I created Realized Empath to support the specific healing needs of the empath and highly sensitive person. Through self-awareness, we see our blocks; we learn to release what we perceive by healing our pain.

By acknowledging our needs, we begin to trust and deepen intuition.

By implementing boundaries, we feel safer in a hi-definition world.

By understanding and healing our trauma, we can restore our nervous systems and feel the peace we desire.

When we build a lifestyle that caters to our sensitive needs, we can thrive around any energy.

I work with clients one-on-one, in group settings, and have annual retreats. Realized Empath is a community of empaths and highly sensitive people healing and stepping into their full power.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a homebody, but I’m on a Thai food kick lately. If I had a friend come to town, I’d call Poor Calvins to grab a reservation. Poor Calvin’s is in Atlanta on Piedmont Ave, but if you’re a last-minute kind of person, you’ll miss out because they book up a week in advance. During the day, you’ll find me close to nature and dragging my friend along; lakes, nature parks, and mountains all a short drive away.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to thank Eckhart Tolle and his book The Power of Now. If it weren’t for opening his book on a flight to Iceland, I might not have realized the peace available to me during the darkest time of my soul. His words served as a guide of hope and focus, navigating me through the darkest parts. Eckhart, you will always remind me of the start of something that altered the trajectory of my life.

Website: www.realizedempath.com

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