Nataliia Zahorodnova: “It Is Not in a Happy Person’s Interest to Justify Themselves or Feel Guilty, and Therefore Betray Themselves”
Femininity does not require definitions. It cannot be confined to a ready-made image, does not repeat someone else’s scripts, and does not depend on how accurately we correspond to someone else’s idea of what a woman should be. It emerges where there is enough freedom to hear oneself, enough courage to choose one’s own path, and enough love not to betray oneself for the sake of someone else’s approval.
For Nataliia Zahorodnova, choosing oneself begins with paying attention to one’s own state. To what one truly wants. To the signals of the body, inner needs, emotions, values, and the things that shape the quality of everyday life. Her professional work exists precisely at this intersection: health, psychology, coaching practices, and lifestyle modification.
Today, Nataliia is working on her own educational program, in which she seeks to bring together her professional experience and personal understanding of feminine strength in one space. A space built not around the demand to become someone else, but around love for women, their health, uniqueness, and right to a life that brings joy. This autumn, we speak about self-trust, modern femininity, inner resources, psychological well-being, and the power of everyday actions.
Ms. Nataliia, I feel very close to your words: “I learned to listen to my intuition, and it became my inner support.” It seems that throughout history, a woman’s sense of self-trust, self-worth, and inner freedom has been one of the greatest values. What does a woman who genuinely trusts herself look like in your worldview? And how, in your opinion, does a person learn to choose what is best for themselves without feeling guilty or needing to justify their choices?
A woman who trusts herself is a woman who trusts her inner voice and her own path. She does not criticize herself, compare herself to others, or compete. She is calm and balanced.
A person learns to choose themselves out of the desire to be happy. In principle, this is a basic desire of every living being. No one wants to suffer. People want to enjoy life.
And here it is important to be able to distinguish one’s true inner desires from desires imposed from the outside.
It is not in a happy person’s interest to justify themselves or feel guilty, and therefore betray themselves.
That is why such people are very good at sensing external manipulation and falseness. They are highly selective and protect their personal boundaries and inner comfort.
Especially today, I would like to talk about femininity. The world increasingly offers women dozens of roles, expectations, and behavioral models. How do you personally see modern femininity? And what helps a woman not lose herself among all these external scripts?
What a wonderful question. You are right: the media, films, celebrities, our cultural and social environment, and countless other factors shape people’s ideas about femininity. And everyone has their own understanding of it.
It seems to me that we are living precisely in a time when women are coming to understand that being feminine means feeling and recognizing your authenticity, never trying to replicate someone else’s style, behavior, worldview, or life path.
I am not against being inspired by other women. On the contrary, I believe it is very important. But what truly makes you feminine is a deep understanding of yourself, the development of your own personal style, creativity, curiosity, kindness, inner light, and warmth.
When speaking about quality of life, people often think first of external changes. Yet it seems to me that any genuine transformation always begins much deeper. At what point, in your opinion, does a person stop simply changing their life and begin rebuilding themselves?
True transformations come either as a result of life crises or from a person’s own inner decision to develop and become better every day. Then there is no need to wait for life to strike in order for hardship to become a stimulus for change. And even when difficulties do occur, a person knows that, despite everything, they are strengthening their inner foundations and moving forward. Sometimes you need to start from zero again and again. It is important not to blame yourself for mistakes. I believe there are no mistakes, only experiences. It is important to remain flexible, to know how to analyze, set goals, and move toward them at your own pace, enjoying the process. Then external changes will not keep you waiting either.
Your professional field is closely connected with lifestyle modification, combining knowledge of psychology, coaching technologies, and non-pharmacological approaches to health. If we speak not about individual habits, but about a life system as a whole, where does a person’s inner resource begin, in your opinion? And what helps make these changes not temporary, but a natural part of everyday life?
Inner resources begin with self-acceptance, with continually learning about yourself, your true desires, needs, and states.
People who complain about a lack of resources are often under prolonged stress, ignoring the body’s signals that something is wrong. There is a disconnect from oneself, which can result in a lack of energy, apathy, health problems, and constant dissatisfaction with oneself and one’s life.
And when we talk about change, as you correctly noted, it is a system of four components to which we need to give equal attention in order to maintain an ideal balance between them. These are four types of energy: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
Physical energy is health, overall vitality, strength, and endurance. This is where it is worth starting. Quality sleep, healthy nutrition, exercise, regular check-ups, timely correction of hormonal imbalances, and addressing micronutrient deficiencies.
Emotional energy is a state of joy, harmony, and calm. Remove toxic people, empty conversations, alcohol, and other harmful habits from your environment. Spend more time with your family, with a good book, and with people who support you. Add creativity and music to your life. Travel.
Mental energy is attention, memory, and logic.
In addition to learning, self-analysis, and memory training, digital detox is very important here, as are walks in the fresh air without headphones, what I call the “default mode” of the brain.
At times when you are not loading yourself with any information and simply walk, dream, sit with your eyes closed, or “drift among the clouds,” something very interesting happens. During this time, the brain processes past memories, evaluates emotions, and builds plans for the future.
Spiritual energy is an understanding of your values, purpose, and meaning in life.
Health and mindset are inseparably connected. Do you agree that genuine healing begins much earlier than the moment a person changes their diet, physical activity, or daily routine? What role does psychological well-being play in this process?
Of course. It is very difficult to maintain physical health in the presence of stress, anxiety, and negative emotions, as these factors weaken the immune system, contribute to vascular problems, lead to hormonal imbalances and sleep disturbances, and can contribute to disordered eating and psychosomatic conditions.
I always recommend seeking support from a qualified professional, such as a coach or psychologist, if you see that you are unable to cope with your emotions and life circumstances.
In your professional work, you operate at the intersection of health, psychology, and coaching practices. Today, people have access to an enormous amount of information, yet this does not always change their lives. Why, in your opinion, is knowledge often not enough? And what actually helps a person move from awareness to real change?
Only actions lead to changes in life. It is important to shorten the time between making a decision and acting on it, while you still have that inner insight and before your brain has had time to find arguments against it. For example, if you decide to start exercising, immediately look for a sports club that suits you and sign up for a trial session, or better yet, purchase a membership right away. And this applies not only to exercise. Look for role models, people whose achievements and results impress you, and draw inspiration from them. Take educational courses where you can gain in-depth knowledge in areas that interest you, as well as practical guidance on how to apply that knowledge in life. Find mentors and like-minded people. Read books for personal development. Plan and write down the steps you need to take toward your goals. All of this will give you a sense of support. You will see your first results and gain the energy to continue.
We know that you are currently working on your own educational program, which will bring together your professional experience, knowledge, and personal philosophy of life. What is the central idea you want to embed in this project? And what would you like a woman to take away from it, not merely as an educational program, but as a space capable of changing the quality of her life?
The most important meaning of this project is love for women.
Let it be a space that reinforces the value, uniqueness, and importance of a woman’s role. So much in this world depends on women.
I am genuinely inspired by feminine strength, by a woman’s ability to give so much and not always receive the same amount of care and warmth in return. It makes me want to help, support, and embrace every woman.
I would very much like every girl and woman to devote more time to herself and her health, experience less stress and get more rest, experience more joy, create, and carry her inner light into the world, filling it with her femininity and love.
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