Karen Kruger uses her skills and life experience to help women to make positive changes to their lifestyle and help manage menopause and life after cancer. Here, she shares her daily rituals, how she manages her energy levels, and how she juggles it all alongside motherhood.
I am a qualified Menopause Lifestyle and Cancer Coach. I have worked as a leadership coach since 2017 but in 2022 after my stage three breast cancer diagnosis I work as a cancer and menopause coach. Living with a cancer diagnosis changes so much and not just physically, but mentally too.
Cancer coaching is about focusing on the future and how to enjoy life after cancer. Menopause coaching focuses on guiding women to manage their menopause using diet and lifestyle choices. Together, we address concerns and develop strategies to improve well-being. I use my skills and life experience to help women to make positive changes to their lifestyle and help manage menopause and life after cancer.
Daily routines
I wake up at 6.00 each morning. I jump into my workout clothes and I do a 45 minute workout from 6.30. I am usually pretty exhausted, and it can be a struggle to get out of bed, but my morning workouts are my time in a (usually) quiet house. It is almost like meditation and gives me great head space.
As soon as I am done, I get my four year old ready for creche (soon to be school) and the older two up for school. My mornings, like many other parents, are very fast paced and require serious organisation skills and a bit of self-regulation!
Up until I got sick, I never put myself first. This was mistake number one. I thought it was selfish. It took my cancer diagnosis to truly know that tending to your needs makes you a happier person.
Once they are gone there is peace and quiet. I grab my breaky which is always Greek yogurt with fresh berries, raw nuts, oats and seeds. I don’t drink coffee but I’m a green tea snob with proper green tea leaves! That sets me up for the morning and I won’t need to eat until lunch.
I am a creature of habit and love my structured morning routine. I love the predictability of it. It helps me save time which is always a challenge with my busy lifestyle.
I do love to meditate and always feel such benefit from it. But I don’t get the time to dedicate to it. I love doing breath work and often do some self-taught deep breathing (!) and that really regulates my cortisol and I feel immediate relief. I do wish I had a slower pace of life so that I could do yoga with meditation at least three times a week… maybe when the kids are older!
I usually start work at about 8am. I tackle my emails first. It’s quiet in the mornings and I like to reply to my emails and identify what are my biggest tasks to tackle first.
I work from home, and it is so handy for my busy home life. I have a dedicated study/office space. It has a gorgeous view of the back garden and field behind our house. I love the space and can see Devil’s Glen from my window. That’s in Wicklow for those that haven’t visited before.
I don’t have a typical working day. I run group workshops and work with women on a 1-2-1 basis. I also have a podcast and that requires research, preparation, editing and marketing. I am a one woman show for the moment. I have certainly learnt a lot about technology, quite the learning curve! When I am preparing my workshops, I identify who my audience is and then look to tailor the content accordingly. I run workshops addressing life after cancer and then workshops for managing menopause using nutrition and lifestyle choices. I also spend time researching and reading to keep my knowledge up to date. I use social media to help with my marketing and often record tips to help women manage.
Managing energy levels
Working 1-2-1 and running the workshops are the tasks that energise me the most. I love working with people. I love to help and empower women to see that they can make lasting changes that improve their quality of life. I love to see them happy and feeling stronger than before.
On the reverse, I find anything to do with excel quite draining. I am not great with numbers, and it really drains my energy.
I am definitely better in the mornings and try to get the most done before 2pm. Going for walks really helps me. Even just going outside into my garden in winter or summer, just to get some fresh air. I find that really helps me. Doing a few stretches also helps me.
The highlight of my week is working with someone on a 1-2-1 basis, for sure. I really enjoy making a connection with someone, listening to their challenges and then working with them to find solutions. I love empowering others and seeing them so much happier and content with their life.
In terms of eating habits, I’m not too bad during the week. I am a vegetarian and eating protein is an absolute priority for me. I ensure I have protein in every meal. I try and eat a wider variety of food each week. I set a goal to eat 30 different plant-based foods each week. It’s so beneficial for good gut health, and I try to have different food each day. If there are leftovers I usually add in a new ingredient to increase the variety. I eat a lot of beans and pulses, love my avocado and sour dough. I have lots of nuts and seeds, too! I love my 85% dark chocolate at night with my cup of Chamomile tea before bed. That has been my routine for a few years now and it works for me. I get a nice bit of magnesium to calm the nerves before I sleep, and the Chamomile has a lovely calming effect too.
The night shift
After work, the night shift begins! Kiddies are collected from school. Dinner is made and then off to sports, which can be camogie, rugby, football or hockey! Then home and I usually work again in the evenings.
I usually work until about 9.30/10pm, but it is work I love doing, so doesn’t seem like work to me. I have my Chamomile tea and dark chocolate, have the chats with my older children and head off to bed at 10.30.
My most important self-care ritual is definitely my morning workout. I work out 4 days a week and have recently started a yoga session one morning a week. If I don’t have a workout, I am cranky. It is my time and my own head space.
I am not the best with my beauty routine. I wear mascara and eye liner, so I don’t spend much time cleaning my face. I put on peptide serum at night. In the mornings I put on my face moisturiser and then SPF. I only wear blusher, eye liner and mascara.
My ideal weekend looks like: workout in the morning, followed by a green tea and breakfast. A good long walk in the morning. Lunch with my mum, sister or friends and the afternoon spent with my children. That for me would be bliss… maybe I could squeeze in a nice facial or massage, too.
The juggle and the importance of self-compassion
The juggle with younger children and work is a real struggle. You are constantly wondering if you are doing the right thing. There is not enough time in the day. I do think people are more accepting of the juggle these days, maybe that was the one benefit Covid brought. Managing school collections, sports drop-offs, summer camps and making sure their device use is kept to a minimum. It is also very hard to eat well when you are working long days and busy with the children.
You have to be organised and sometimes it’s just not possible to eat well. The most important thing to do is be kind to yourself and not to berate yourself. There is only so much we can actually manage and as soon as you give yourself permission to think like that it does take some of the pressure off.
Having time to get jobs done and not to have pressure or deadlines really helps renew my energy and creativity. Working in the garden can also replenish my energy. Replenishing my energy would allow me to prepare meals, eat better and move to a slower pace of life.
Up until I got sick, I never put myself first. This was mistake number one. I thought it was selfish. It took my cancer diagnosis to truly know that tending to your needs makes you a happier person. It makes me a better mother, friend, sister and daughter. It does not mean that I sacrifice my children’s needs for mine, it means I factor mine in as part of it and that I am not at the bottom of the list. I think it is important for children to see that you can put your needs first and still have more than enough to give others. Identify what self-compassion means to you and weave that into your daily life for better balance.
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