We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jackie Ganz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jackie, so glad you were able to set aside some time for us today. We’ve always admired not just your journey and success, but also the seemingly high levels of self-discipline that you seem to have mastered and so maybe we can start by chatting about how you developed it or where it comes from?
I think I’ve always been a type A, organized, and controlled person. Self discipline has really come naturally to me. My mom tells the story of when I was getting ready to go to my second summer of sleep away camp, and she was overwhelmed with what to buy and pack (this was before Google). I whipped out a list I had made the previous summer of every single thing I brought with me. It was hand written in pink ink, pages long and I remember doing this like it was a no brainer. I was eight. I’ve had to work through the pluses and minuses of being self disciplined though. It’s made me a good student, a reliable person, regimented in my habits and checking things off my to-do list and able to juggle all the hats. It can also feed my anxiety and lead to burnout and depletion, so I have to consciously remind myself to find the lightness and fun and fill my cup.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
As a functional medicine health coach, I support my clients in feeling their best, whatever that means to them, wherever they’re at on their health journey. I’m honored to be a part of it. They might be coming to me on their own or because a doctor or practitioner wants them to make certain changes. I help implement those changes, finding the little crevices in their busy days to make lasting habits. I love how personalized this work is and how no two people are alike. Together we look at nutrition, movement, sleep hygiene, stress resilience, and creating a clean and supportive environment. I work primarily with women to regain their energy and free themselves from the constant food chatter and yoyo dieting. I’m passionate about gut health, balancing blood sugar and helping new moms nourish themselves and their growing families.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey?
Love. I come from an incredibly supportive, generous, kind and loving family. These qualities have always given me comfort in pursuing my dreams. I carry this with me into my work, my relationships and most importantly with my children wanting them to feel as loved and supported on their journeys.
Perseverance. My strength and resilience keeps me moving forward, as do the people in my corner. I’m still trying to figure it all out and probably always will be. I remain curious and open to possibilities and trust everything is happening exactly as it’s meant to.
Perspective. At the end of the day, I want health and longevity so that I can have time with the people I love. And I want that for my family too. Things can feel really important in the moment and it’s easy to get fixated, but when I zoom out I can see the big picture and it makes me get present, connect, and be less precious over the small stuff.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
This happens a lot actually. When I feel overwhelmed, like I’m spiraling or even beginning to have an anxiety attack, I put my phone, computer and anything that resembles a list away and I move my body. This looks different depending where I’m at and the kind of time I have — a walk, short Peloton ride, put on fun music and dance it out, a few sun salutations, anything to shift the energy. I get still and reconnect to my breath. This can be 5 minutes of deep breathing or 5 deep breaths. Or it can be a guided meditation (there are endless free ones online). I ask my husband for a hug because they’re a cure-all. When I’m finally feeling grounded from any combination of these things, I turn inward and ask myself without looking at a list, what is the one thing that feels important right now and I just focus on that. If it needs to get broken down into smaller steps, I start there. Sometimes I need to put everything away until tomorrow and that’s ok too. I’m always working on giving myself grace.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thepurepractice.com
- Instagram: @thepurepracticela
Image Credits
Marie Buck Photography, Paige Jones
