Our expat community thrives on connection, and here at jingkids, we’re all about our readers, and what they need and want in order to maximize their time here in Beijing. Every week, we will feature a prominent member of our expat community and get to know them a little bit better.
Caroline Trautwein is a psychologist who loves to encourage people to live well. She is from Germany, where she studied and received her PhD in psychology. She currently holds the position of Professor for Business Psychology in the distance learning program of a German university. In 2016, she moved to China with her husband and 1-year-old son. She and her husband now have three children. She has a license in Pilates mat training and has worked as a personal trainer.
What’s on your mind?
A lot of day-to-day things are on my mind: Two of my children just started on-campus school after a six-month-long break: How are they adjusting emotionally and academically? My students are on my mind: How can I help them to engage with the study content in a meaningful manner? How can I write the textbook I am currently working on in an engaging and motivating way? Friends in hospital quarantine: When will they finally test negative and be released? Family and friends in Germany: How do we cope with being separated for so long? Our move back to Germany next year: How will we transition, especially the kids? What should we take, what should we leave? Where and how will we live? Society: How does it change under the influence of Covid, war, global warming…? How can we live better and happier?
What motivates you to get moving every day?
Sometimes, when I am tired at night, I wonder about that too. But then I just wake up the next morning, get up and keep going till everything is done for the day or the clock hits nine, and I use the rest of my waking time to read and wind down before going to bed.
What keeps you sane in all the madness?
Apart from my religious faith, my daily workouts: Shortly before Covid hit, I signed up for a 21-day fitness challenge with Well Women, and am forever grateful. Since February 2020, I workout for 30 minutes daily. This has helped me to become fitter and reconciled me with my body. It is also where my journey with fitness-related nutrition began.
Join Caroline in her upcoming Well Fitness Challenge where she will share about her journey with fitness and nutrition. While she is not a professional dietician, she hopes she can encourage other women to find an approach to nutrition that serves them well. She plans to have a four-week series with four articles introducing four different approaches to nutrition, which she herself has personally tried and tested. Moreover, the challenge will include activities in the Well Fitness group that encourage the participants to try out the four approaches by themselves and share their experiences, so that we can all learn with and from each other.
Scan the QR code in the poster below to join the challenge!
Images: Caroline Trautwein
