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katjananouk

@katjananouk

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I didn’t plan for any of this.

We had a plan and we had been working towards it for a long time.

We spent 1.5 years preparing to leave the Netherlands, sold our house and moved to Southern Europe with our two teenagers.

And 2.5 months later, we were back.

There were things going on that I hadn’t seen coming and my mental health deteriorated to a point where I wasn’t seeing things clearly anymore.

Looking back, menopause and hormonal changes played a much bigger role than I realised at the time.

My husband made the call that we needed to go back, for the kids. It wasn’t easy. And it certainly wasn’t what we had planned.

Back in the Netherlands, I started HRT, and that made a big difference. My mental clarity came back. And we’re doing ok.

So no, I don’t think the emigration failed.
It just took a detour.

And maybe that’s a good description of where I am right now too. I’m not starting over.
I’m figuring it out, one step at a time.

Reinventing as I go. by @katjananouk

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18 days ago

Good furniture, good layout but than it still feels a bit off? I my current house it was the loose doorknobs that drove me a bit crazy. The big things come first when (re)design your interior but the small things make a huge difference as well.
What’s the thing in your home that makes the house feel a bit unfinished?
Comment CALMHOME for my free Calm Home checklist. (If the DM doesn’t show up, check your message requests.) by @katjananouk

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12 hours ago

A believe can be hard to get rid of, but you can. by @katjananouk

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4 days ago

by @katjananouk

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4 days ago

I used to say yes much more often.
Not because I wanted to, but because it was expected and I didn´t have the courage to deal with the discomfort of saying no.
I still feel guilty sometimes but I don’t let that guilt make the decision for me anymore.
Because every time I say no to something I don’t actually want, I’m saying yes to something else. My own time, choices and my own life.
That’s one of the best things about learning to say no in my opinion.

Midlife is the start of the best part of my life by @katjananouk

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6 days ago

Trying to focus as much as possible on the moment and not to think about ‘what if’ or ‘when…’. Life can’t be plannend and throws things at you all the time you could not have predicted. Learning how to deal with it and your mindset in the moment is the only thing you can control.
For sure not something I master and it highly depends on my mood or overall feeling but I notice that I am able to bounce back way quicker than I used to.

This movie was shot a couple of years ago in Bahia Brasil on a family holiday. by @katjananouk

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6 days ago

Sometimes forgetting something is the best thing that can happen.
The moment I notoced I forgot my phone we still could have easily turned to pick it up. But I decided not to as I could not grab it to distract myself with it at the party.
Nothing big but we get attached to those things so easily that leaving the house without it feels uncomfortable… by @katjananouk

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8 days ago

Happy Sunday!
Be sure to spend time outside today instead of sitting behind your laptop, phone or doing laundry. I’ll leave mine for next week.

Spending time outside is so good for you; for your overall wellbeing, mood, better day/night rhythm.
Last weeks have not been my best but movement, especially something outside, really helps me every single time. by @katjananouk

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9 days ago

I’ve been on oestrogen and progesterone for about a year.
HRT helped me a lot after our emigration fell apart, especially once I realised how much menopause had played a part in what happened.
But now I’m wondering if it’s still helping. I honestly can’t tell anymore.
So I’m trying to come off both and see what happens.
No advice. Just my experience and still figuring it out.
Anyone else in this HRT mess? I’d genuinely love to hear your experience. by @katjananouk

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10 days ago

Aren’t you embarrassed?

Yes I am, but I do it anyway! by @katjananouk

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12 days ago

This is what being productive looks like for me at 50.
Keeping my body and mind healthy and fit has become one of my main priorities.
I still want to be able to enjoy life for a long long time because there is still so much I want to enjoy. And to be able to do that I need my body and mind to stay healthy.
I have always been active and a few years ago I read that you train at 30 to be healthy at 50, at 40 to be strong when 60 and at 50 to still be strong at 70 and so on. With this in mind I see movement also as an investment in my future self.
Thats why today I made time for both weight training AND tennis. Both add something to my life, physically AND mentally.
This is alo a huge driver as to why I want to be autonomous with regards to work… I just need to be able to make movement a priority.

Do you prioritize movement and if so how do you do this? Especially in combo with an office job? by @katjananouk

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12 days ago

After I read a book about “Your Assertive Rights” I stopped doing quit a few things I used to do in autopilot. Because it was considered ‘friendlier’ to twist the truth (a bit) or to make up an excuses, when saying NO to something or someone.
I stopped (over)explaining my answers and it has taught me to keep my communication honest and stay truer to myself. by @katjananouk

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14 days ago