By Adriana Herrasti Coqui

03.10.2024. Firenze, Italia

April 2011. I could hardly breathe, I hadn’t slept well in weeks, maybe months, and I was taking all kinds of medication to keep my body holding on despite what I was going through. My life became a mess during the previous years, a situation detonated with the sudden loss of one of my siblings in 2007. That had a domino effect on a series of events regarding my family, my marriage and my job. It all went south. In a nutshell, I was walking through the perfect storm. I was officially burned out.

I reached rock bottom during the summer of that year.  And in one of my “get better trips” I decided to give myself a break and do all the things I had put aside for 20 years because of the lifestyle I used to follow. So, I finally put together all that I needed and flew to the magnificent city of Florence in Italy. I turned 40 that same year. I never thought for one second that this decision would change the course of my entire life.

I could write for weeks about how that experience improved my life in so many ways. But I can only tell you for now that what made the difference for me in my recovery process was basically the lifestyle I adopted during my staying in this beautiful city and its surroundings. I’ll mention some of the main aspects that influenced my change of habits:

Slowing down. As you already know, the rhythm of life varies from place to place, like city vs. countryside, sea vs. center, the North vs. the South, and Italy is not an exception. The lifestyle in Milan is different from Florence, Venice, Naples or Rome as you can imagine.

The first thing I noticed is how unaware I was of the highspeed at which I was conducting my life. It never crossed my mind that I could, in fact, slow down. But when I finally did it, a whole new world opened before me, and I decided to take it all in! Slowing down made me appreciate things that I didn’t even notice before. It was like all my senses finally tuned in on what was happening around me, clearly underlining what I was missing, and believe me, it was a lot! So, this was my introduction to my new way of living. In the Tuscan region I got the chance to slow down considerably. I finally found the perfect beat for me.

And then, tanta Bellezza!

One thing that no one can deny is the amount of beauty that you are exposed to when you are travelling in Italy, especially in the Tuscan region. You are surrounded by it in all senses: architecture, art, nature, food, wine, history, culture, the people… should I go on? 

Italy since ancient times has brought beauty in all senses into people’s lives as part of their culture, not only by creating it but by maintaining it over time. You can never get enough of what you see everywhere. The work done by the architects, artists and artisans, besides the landscapes particularly in the Tuscan region, make an immediate effect on our mood, just by the pleasure of perceiving them even in a small walkabout in their cities and towns. And let’s not forget about the flavors particularly of the Tuscan cuisine which act as a beautiful concert for our body.

Cultural Activities. Everyone knows about the richness of Italian culture since ancient times, not only about its history and the impact on the rest of the world, but also about how they embrace their art acumen in different disciplines at all ages. From kids to seniors everyone is involved with cultural activities all year long. There’s always something going on to do or see, to taste or listen to, and to stop you from scrolling your phone. Concerts, opera, theatre, art exhibitions, you name it! People as well as local governments promote all of these, and the whole community is really engaged.

But there are also certain habits as part of the culture in terms of the lifestyle, that kick into your system as a balm when you come from a burnout. These are very simple things that make a great difference in your day by day:

A) The pausa caffè, or coffee breaks.

The pleasure is not only about drinking very high-quality coffee but also taking small breaks in the morning and afternoon to enjoy that coffee. Italians don’t bring their coffee to their desks. Instead, they go out to the “bar” and then get back to work. It’s a 10-15-minute break (not more) that makes you move in the first place, give your brain a chance to pause, and believe me, this makes a lot of difference in your performance for the rest of the day.

B) Le passegiate. The walkabouts.

For me, this is one of the most beautiful things about the Italian lifestyle. “A fare due passi” or to go for a walkabout in any moment of the day, could be from 20 minutes to maybe an hour just to relax and clear your mind (or put it together). It can be whenever you need it, whether you are with someone or by yourself. 

This simple activity makes you feel better immediately and modulate your energy to keep going through your day or evening.

c)“Il dolce far niente” - the sweetness of doing nothing,

which I think that people underestimate in terms of the real benefits of staying still. Do nothing-not even scroll your phone. In an over-stimulated society, this is a complete luxury nowadays, and there are amazing things that happen during those periods of stillness that no one would believe. Stillness gives you the opportunity to wonder, to observe, to reflect, or just to breathe. But I guess you have to come to Italy to try it without feeling any guilt to see for yourself, otherwise you’d never believe me.

If you do these last two surrounded by nature, the positive effect is certainly much stronger.

So basically, it is the consistent pausing during the day or the week that gives your body time to recover energy that was lost long ago.

Eating your emotions. Food is one of the most mentioned arguments in modern life in terms of health and beauty. The diet industry has exploded in the last 60 years by developing all kinds of solutions, from “light products” to nutrition programs that have attracted thousands of people around the world, sometimes helping them, sometimes not. What I find interesting is the lack of auto-observation to understand thoroughly why we eat what we eat and even more, when we do it compulsively. By observing ourselves carefully means to really dive into the root cause of what doctors call eating disorders. When you are going through a burnout, it makes no sense to put yourself under more stress by adopting a diet that might increase your levels of anxiety or depression.

Italy is also known as one of the best places to eat around the world, not only for the delicious Italian recipes but also for the quality of the ingredients that they use. I’ve never been in a country where the culture of food is so present in people’s lives. Most of them know how to cook, even the children! 

Their culture around food, meaning what is good for your body, how to prepare it, finding the right ingredients, mixing flavours, and eating habits is so important for Italians as it should be for everyone. No wonder they eat so much “gelato” whenever they want!

It’s clear that Italy is not only about pizza and pasta. Its Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest around the world, so if you learn about it, it’s most likely that you’ll reach your optimal weight without putting in too much effort.

In my case, I connect a lot with food, it has a big impact in my mood and energy, and people who know me, know how much I appreciate a good meal. Being able to eat so well in the Tuscan region in my lowest moments as part of my recovery has been one of the best blessings I could ever have.

I couldn’t have learned about all this without the help of the people I’ve met during these years. I feel very fortunate and grateful to have found such great teachers and friends, who have coached me all along. And now they all are part of the collaborative network of My Way Experiences for everyone who wants to learn about a lifestyle that can improve the quality and enjoyment of life itself. My main philosophy is just to live life to its fullest. Come to Tuscany to reset your system, recharge, and start again, learning how to take care of yourself and your loved ones by indulging in what this great region has to offer.

Italy has a huge legacy to share with the rest of the world, it’s jut about taking the time to learn about it and enjoy yourself as much as you can. Salt and pepper taste basically the same all around the world, but the quality of the extra virgin olive oil makes a great difference in our meals and that is the legacy of Italy’s lifestyle in terms of the quality of our lives.

Buon viaggio!