All in mindset

That Time I Thought, "It HAS to be Valentine's Day by now..."

That Time I Thought, "It HAS to be Valentine's Day by now..."

Stephanie Ondrusek
feminism, mindset

If you're new to the fitness scene, welcome! The endeavor to begin a new habit can sometimes be a rocky one fraught with hiccups and false starts, making January a frustrating month for many.

If you find yourself there, hair in your hands and wondering why you even started again, know that you're not alone, and anything that hasn't gone according to plan is not a signal of failure, but a call to listen to your body and soul more deeply, asking questions to further refine your goals. What's worked so far? What hasn't? How has it felt? What's made it easy? How can you get more of that?

If you're a gym veteran, you may have had to make some space on your favorite Stairmaster or in the squat rack with the best mirror, which can also make January feel like a long month. If you've felt a bit frustrated, know that you're not alone either, and consider that anyone with the desire to share a space with you or with the courage to ask you a question is likely overcoming some uncertainty, and they'll find their rhythm soon enough (and you were new once, too).

Working on Your New Year's Resolutions?

Working on Your New Year's Resolutions?

Stephanie Ondrusek
coaching, mindset

I've been there too: wanting desperately to change. Not certain I could, but hoping I would anyway.

Wondering if it was possible, or if all of the messaging and articles and products were simply designed to play on my insecurities.

Aching for relief from questioning why I couldn't just buckle down for 30, 60, or 90 days and do what all of those ads promised.

"No One Ever Told Me It Wasn't About My Body Before." (probably not like the rest of what you're reading on New Years' Day)

"No One Ever Told Me It Wasn't About My Body Before." (probably not like the rest of what you're reading on New Years' Day)

Stephanie Ondrusek
body image, coaching, mindset, offers

“No one ever told me it wasn’t about my body before.

It was never about me. Nobody before you. I hope you know that has given me the ability to move in the world with less fear and shame; I can be entirely myself without disclaimers and I get to reclaim all of that energy and put it into things and people I love.

It has an impact on every single person around me.

No one told me that I can be as smart and insightful as I am and STILL not know that it isn’t my body’s fault and it isn’t about my body.

I can be a genius and still be fucked up by these things, but I don’t have to be anymore.”

And neither do you.

Tired of Constantly Trying to Lose Weight?

Tired of Constantly Trying to Lose Weight?

Stephanie Ondrusek
coaching, mindset, offers


The day I realized that I could use exercise for something other than losing weight, my world changed.

I’ve told the story before, but the Cliff’s Notes version: I was sick as hell (strep throat, no insurance, riding it out with some Popsicles and a blankie), no one by my side (I was deep in the swill with the most familiar of swine, to quote @hozier), and I just wanted to feel capable of one motherfucking glob-damn thing, so I picked up a barbell and saw what happened.

How to Handle Toxic People

How to Handle Toxic People

Stephanie Ondrusek
mindset

Do you know any toxic people? (lol, it’s the holidays; if yours are anything like mine, for at least one day between November and February, you’d rather rip each individual hair strand out of your head and reattach it than spend one more minute in someone’s presence).

I used to wonder what the common thread was relating all these "toxic" people. What was the common thing I was "falling for" every time?

How Do You Care for Yourself?

How Do You Care for Yourself?

Stephanie Ondrusek
coaching, mindset, offers

Loving yourself looks different for everyone, and it's important you find what it looks like for you.

For some, it's strength training. It can be meditating. It can be yoga. It can be cooking. It can be your favorite show on Netflix. It can be a manicure and a bubble bath and a glass of wine.

Those wonderfully-Instagrammable acts of self-care are important parts of loving yourself, for sure, but this picture is not complete. The ultimate act of loving yourself, imo — the one ring to rule them all, if you will — is to protect your energy.

Can I Share a Personal Story with You? (+ work with me!)

Can I Share a Personal Story with You? (+ work with me!)

Stephanie Ondrusek
body image, coaching, mindset, offers

I grew up in an emotionally abusive household, and I received a message from a young age that I wasn't good enough. For millions of reasons, but the point on which it all converged was my body.

My body became a physical manifestation of everything I wasn't: I wasn't tall, or thin, or unconventionally beautiful like my mother, or quiet, or succinct, or self-controlled.

I was too much, constantly spilling over the edges of my container, and my body was alleged to have reflected that.

It's effortless to pick on our bodies; the "flaws" there are visible, after all, so they're very easy to pinpoint.

The Difference Between Self-Love and Self-Acceptance

The Difference Between Self-Love and Self-Acceptance

Stephanie Ondrusek
body image, mindset

A distinction between self-love and self-acceptance:

#selflove is trending, for good reason: we deserve to feel safe, nurtured, and adored in our own arms. We're entitled to butterflies in our stomachs when we behold ourselves in all of our glory (and I'd encourage you to take time to do so regularly. #alwaysbefeelinyourself).

But if you're constantly pinching yourself in the mirror to focus on what doesn't measure up, self love can feel 45648 miles away.

You Don't Have to "Earn" Your Body (Fitness is Not a Punishment)

You Don't Have to "Earn" Your Body (Fitness is Not a Punishment)

Stephanie Ondrusek
body image, coaching, offers, mindset

Ready for some unconventional holiday season advice?

You don't have to "earn" your body (or mashed potatoes).

It's the language of the season, the undercurrent of every holiday-themed meal, but I don't find it productive. In fact, it often does more harm than good.

I think it's terribly destructive to use this language, not only because it sets us up on a food-as-reward-fitness-as-punishment cycle, but also because it reinforces an idea I am vehemently against.

Is Your Workout "Working?"

Is Your Workout "Working?"

Stephanie Ondrusek
coaching, mindset

Is your workout "working?"

A client came to me once saying that her workout didn't "work." She twisted her hair around her fingers, obviously nervous to say so.

"I love the feeling I'm getting during our sessions & in my own gym time," she said. "I feel stronger. I push myself harder, and I love feeling accomplished. I can lift more weight. I'm having fun. But it's just not...working."

Of course, because I am a fan of questions more than most other things, I asked what she meant.

Grit: A Reward You May Not Have Considered

Grit: A Reward You May Not Have Considered

Stephanie Ondrusek
mindset, coaching, offers

Honing our crafts takes reps under the bar, after all. To learn where we thrive under the pressure and where we cower in fear, we need to set out on the path.

When looking into some research on perseverence and change, I found that the highest performers work on their weaknesses the most. Seems obvious, no?

But it's the last thing most of us want to do.

We want to avoid them, find ways around them, out-muscle our weaknesses with our strengths.

Load More