An interview with Dr. Bharat Sangani
Stay active, from going to the gym a few times a week or a walk in the park with a friend two times a week, you need to stay active, the impact it has on your health multiplies overtime. Being active will improve your mental, physical health and emotional well-being. It has endless lifestyle benefits, the discipline developed will help you in all areas of your life, remember how you do one thing is how you do everything. Watch your confidence increase and also your social interactions, your mental health will improve, you will have more clarity and focus that are vital in the pursuit of your dreams.
When it comes to health and wellness, small, consistent changes often have the most profound impact. Daily habits, whether in nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, or sleep, can accumulate to create lasting transformations. In this series, we aim to explore the power of small, intentional actions and how they can lead to big health results over time. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Cristina Dovan.
Cristina is a Mindvalley certified life coach specialising in mindset and transformation, and writer who blends her passion for human behavior with her experience in digital entrepreneurship. She embarked on her personal development journey over five years ago and is now devoted to using her insights to help others transform their lives. Cristina’s story is one of growth and change, starting from her academic roots in International Relations to launching her own business in 2020. She lives in Coventry, United Kingdom, and is dedicated to guiding her clients towards realizing their full potential.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share a small health habit you adopted that had an unexpectedly large impact on your physical or mental well-being? What inspired you to make that change?
The small habit that changed my life was to integrate personal growth as part of my daily routine; this one small decision had a ripple effect, transforming every area of my life. Implementing small changes in every area of my life has made a huge difference for my physical and mental well-being. ‘Well-being is realised by small steps, but is truly no small thing.’ Zeno
Simple practices like going to the gym, reading daily, eating healthy and following my passions have built a strong foundation on which my future is unfolding. I have improved every area of my life from finances to relationships to mindfulness, personal growth it’s addictive. I started my personal development journey over five years ago, I went through a hard time, I wanted to improve my life and I bought a course that change my life, called the 5-week prosperity challenge. Ever since I have improved my life, started my business and became a life coach.
What advice would you give to someone who struggles with consistency? How can they build daily habits without becoming overwhelmed?
Practice makes improvement, consistency thrives on discipline, and motivation is fading quickly, when we do not see the results we lose motivation, whereas discipline keeps you going no matter the outcome. When you start implementing something new into your life, even if you fail just do not stop, keep trying, at first it’s overwhelming but it’s important to make small changes daily. I think one of the most important steps to create consistent change is to have discipline, discipline it’s like a muscle you have to develop it.
Discipline is the ability to create what you wish in your own life, means loving yourself enough to work on what makes you happy and fulfilled. That can look like freedom; working for yourself, making more money, chasing your dreams, being healthy and fit. It all comes down to mindset, having the right mindset can lead to building better habits in order to achieve your goals and you can only do that by having the discipline not only to make the moves towards your goals but also saying no to everything that doesn’t align with your vision.
Make a list with what you want and break it down into small steps; you need to implement these small steps into your everyday routine. Keep in mind that not everything is supposed to work for you, your journey is unique to you and you need to be flexible, you also need to know that growth comes with disruption and you need to make sure you will not give up, just adjust, learn and reflect, keep going.
Having discipline in all areas of your life it is a big sign of self-love, you are not sabotaging your future self; it means you love yourself enough to step away from what can harm you, loving yourself enough to say no to what can bring you anxiety and unnecessary stress.
How do you identify which habits are worth focusing on, and which might not provide meaningful results? Do you use any specific frameworks or tracking methods?
Self-awareness is key; introspection will reveal if you are on the right path, hence is the best way to track your results. Understand where you are, think about what you want and how to get there, implement small steps in your daily life and see if the results align with your vision, if not adjust, you have to be very flexible in the pursuit of what you want. Not everything has to work for you, failure and setbacks contain essential lessons for your growth and are only meant to lead you to your next venture so do not feel disheartened when something doesn’t go according to your plan.
Can you explain how compounding benefits work when it comes to daily health habits? Have you experienced any surprising long-term transformations from seemingly small changes?
Small changes always have the potential for positive outcomes, even if the outcome is slow it will definitely have a compound effect and it will lead to more long-term. Improving one percent each day it will lead to three hundred and sixty five percent in a year, which is a staggering number.
Every little step you take has an amazing effect on your health long-term, small changes lead to bigger ones, habits build upon each other in time. I have started so small, when I started to go to the gym I gave myself a year to lose the weight I put on in the past three years, I did not want to hate going to the gym or resenting eating healthy. It was hard and I wanted to quit in the beginning, but I was patient and kind with myself. I had tried different things until I found my way, I cannot live without going to the gym now, and I feel like I am missing on my whole day. A year later I not only lost the weight I planned, I am happier, I socialise more, just getting outside my comfort zone has helped my mental health improve as well. The small steps of just getting there every day have had an amazing compound effect on my well-being, couple that with personal development and I find myself, stronger, more resilient, happier, healthier, creating exponential personal growth.
What are “5 Health Habits That Lead to Great Results ”?
1. Embrace personal growth for long-lasting happiness, your mindset will make the difference between living a stressful and unfulfilled life to living a meaningful life and finding your purpose. Personal growth is a life-long journey and it is about becoming the best version of yourself. This entails getting out of your comfort zone, challenge old habits and limiting beliefs, cultivating the habits that will result in achieving your dreams, it requires patience and kindness for yourself. The small daily habits you implement in your routine will lead to lasting transformation.
2. Stay active, from going to the gym a few times a week or a walk in the park with a friend two times a week, you need to stay active, the impact it has on your health multiplies overtime. Being active will improve your mental, physical health and emotional well-being. It has endless lifestyle benefits, the discipline developed will help you in all areas of your life, remember how you do one thing is how you do everything. Watch your confidence increase and also your social interactions, your mental health will improve, you will have more clarity and focus that are vital in the pursuit of your dreams.
3. Practice self-care, this is not about pampering yourself and indulging in expensive shopping sprees, it’s about being kind and patient with yourself when becoming someone you’ve never been. Forgive yourself for what you did in the past, heal your trauma, the baggage from the past is limiting yourself. Eat healthy and stay active, self-care will set you up for success; you do not want to be successful but feel miserable. Practice mindfulness and be present, relax and embrace the process, sometimes things do not go the way you expect, you are developed during the process, if you resist the process it will take longer to get to your destinations.
4. The power of being present, entails trusting the process while you work on yourself, it will reduce anxiety about the future and it will make you feel more centred and calmer. The most important aspect of being present is practicing gratitude, acknowledging where you are and what you have will wire your brain to bring in outcomes that are more positive. Reduce stress by journaling, taking the problem out and look at it from an objective point of view, helps more than you think. Take breaks from social media, build better connections by attending events in person, and join groups to explore your hobbies, the sole interaction with other people, listening to them, engaging in meaningful conversations does wonders for your overall health. Social connections foster happiness and longevity, having a group of friends to talk to is priceless.
5. Nurture discipline, it means that you show up when there are no results; you do not give up when it is hard. This will increase your confidence, when you struggle with low self-esteem confidence comes from taking action. Set clear goals and make sure you show up every day, consistency is key. Greatness takes time, there are no shortcuts to greatness, athletes and entrepreneurs keep their vision in mind at all time, don’t forget your why. Accountability is another important aspect of building healthy habits, it reinforces discipline, it is only up to you to put in the work, do not blame others, and remember you are the creator of your life.
What role does mindset play in forming new habits? How do you maintain motivation when the results aren’t immediately visible?
Mindset is key, we have to understand the importance of self-awareness, vision, consistency and discipline and if we are not equipped for the journey, we might fail to reach the destination. When you start working on yourself and develop your discipline, you will work even when you are not motivated. The beauty of having a growth mindset is that it keeps you going when it’s hard because you understand the process, you understand is hard but not impossible, so attitude is very important, your attitude towards the failure and setbacks will keep you motivated.
Make sure you care for yourself, feed your mind with positivity, and stay away from drama, toxic relationships and behaviour. Focus on your why and understand that some things are meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Work on yourself harder than anything else in your life and read as if your life depends on it because it does. However, make sure to implement all you learn, cultivate good habits and reflect on everything, critical thinking is very important, without it you are like a boat in the storm, lost and confused because there is a lot of information out there. Regardless of what you want to do in life, a growth mindset can set you up for a happy, fulfilled life. You are a work in progress you are worthy.
How can our readers further follow your work?
I am on Instagram; coachcristina_
LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristina-dovan-76882895/
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About The Interviewer: Dr. Bharat Sangani is a cardiologist and entrepreneur with over 35 years of experience, practicing in Gulfport, Mississippi, and Dallas, Texas. Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology, he specializes in diagnosing, treating, and preventing cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and hypertension. In 1999, Dr. Sangani founded Encore Enterprises, a national real estate investment firm. Under his leadership, the company has executed transactions exceeding $2 billion, with a portfolio spanning residential, retail, hotel, and office developments. Known for his emphasis on integrity and fairness, Dr. Sangani has built Encore into a major player in the commercial real estate sector. Blending his medical and business expertise, Dr. Sangani created the Life is a Business mentorship program. The initiative offers guidance on achieving balance in health, wealth, and relationships, helping participants align personal and professional goals. Now based in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Sangani continues to practice cardiology while leading Encore Enterprises and mentoring others. His career reflects a unique blend of medical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and dedication to helping others thrive.
The Power of Daily Habits: Cristina Dovan On How Small Health Changes Can Lead to Big Results was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.