“As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.” These are the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a literary celebrity of his time. It is this same philosophy that is echoed in Bianca Zaloumis’ new mantra – BIY (Believe in Yourself).
A British national, but one who calls Oman her home, Bianca Zaloumis woke up very differently one morning. “It was on that day that I decided to put myself first and it felt amazing. For the first time in years I cared about my own wellbeing and putting everybody else aside,” said Bianca, “That is not to say I don’t care about them or love them; but I realised that by taking care of myself mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually I am able to be a better mother, wife and lecturer.”
Going forward she wholly adopted the B.I.Y (Believe in Yourself) philosophy; the core of which is fitness, healthy lifestyle, focus, healthy mind, and willpower. “No one matter what it is that I have to do, be it fasting, working, cooking, or entertaining my kids, I always make sure I spare at least 40 minutes for myself,” Bianca Zaloumis explains. “It saddens me when I speak to friends, family and colleagues and they always give reasons as to why is just not happening for them.”
We caught up with the mother of two, to gain some deeper insight into her BIY philosophy. Here are some excerpts from the interview…
Could you elaborate a bit more on your BIY ideology and what it entails?
BIY stands for believe in yourself. It is a process. It all about focusing on myself in order to be a better individual and then spreading it to lift others.
Have you faced any hurdles and how did you overcome them?
I used to suffer from anxiety and mild panic attacks.. I had alot of fear in me and self doubt. I had a choice-either to continue this way or to over come it and that is how my transformation started. I changed my mindset and one day at a time I took bigger steps. It wasn’t easy but it also wasn’t impossible. I realized how precious one is. I started doing things that I love most in order to be in that state such as exercising, baking, changing my social circle, focusing on positivity, if something doesn’t serve me, I keep away and I also focus alot on healthy eating.
What is the most common issue you see amongst those you guide?
A lack of motivation and consistency. They like to stay in their comfort zone. Blaming age, their jobs and kids as a reason for not doing anything and not changing their lifestyle and simply not wanting or willing to change.
How do you plan on taking this forward?
As my husband is Omani, I am based in Oman so I’m working on something and plan to start next year.