Mindfulness Coach ‒ On Life, Stress & Transitions ‒ Interview With Frida Soerensen
Frida Soerensen was born in Denmark, raised in the Philippines, and is a self-declared Aussie after 13 years of studying and working in Australia. After experiencing chronic stress and near burn-out in her social work career, she quit her job, moved back to the Philippines in pursuit of a more mindful lifestyle, and became mindfulness and stress-management coach.
She is now back in Denmark and supporting women all over the world through her mindfulness-based stress management programs.
As a Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach and founder of the Transcend Beyond Stress & Thrive Program, Frida supports stressed and busy women, who are ready to take control of their health and well-being, so they can successfully and authentically thrive in all areas of their life.
She has been a featured guest on the following podcasts: The Organic Podcast, When Harry Met Daphne, Goddess on Purpose, and many more.
Frida Aguinaldo Soerensen, Mindfulness Coach
Tell us about you, your life, and where you come from
I was born in Denmark to a Danish father and a Filipino mother. Soon after I was born, my parents moved back to the Philippines to live with my mother’s family and community. I grew up in the most beautiful tropical surroundings raised not only by my parents but my grandmother and my many uncles and aunties. My parents ran a local business, but it was hard to make ends meet. We would travel back to Denmark once a year so my parents could work for 3-6 months, while my brother and I could attend Danish school. Finally, at the age of 13, we moved back to Denmark for good, where we could get a more stable education.
At 19, as if I hadn’t moved around enough already, I moved to Australia to study for my bachelor's degree. I intended to stay for 3 years, but I ended up staying for 13! I found what I thought was the love of my life and started an interesting and hectic career in social work.
You’re a mindfulness and stress management coach, tell us about your own experience with stress?
I suffered from chronic stress and near burnout from my 7 years in the social work industry. I came straight out of university into a role where I was working with incarcerated young people. Yes, I had a university degree, two even, but I realized I didn’t know how to look after myself emotionally and mentally and I had no idea how to draw boundaries. I put everyone else before myself ‒ my clients, colleagues, partner, everyone. And I was so critical and hard on myself, I was never good enough, no matter how much I worked.
For years, I was anxious and stressed out from the moment I opened my eyes in the morning till the moment I went to sleep. Physically I started having bad stomach pains and difficulty with my digestion. They say that 80% of your health comes from your gut. This was true in my case.
It took 12 months and thousands of dollars to build back my gut health with detox, probiotic treatments, and diet changes. I felt better, but I knew that this would only be a temporary fix unless I learned to calm my mind and body down on a daily basis.
This was how I discovered my wonderful trio of allies: yoga, meditation, and mindfulness.
Tell us about what you do now?
Through my own experiences of stress and recovery, I feel a great passion for helping women how to avoid chronic stress and burnout. I don’t want anyone to experience what I went through.
Today, I have an online coaching business called Frida Soerensen Coaching. I work with busy and stressed women, who are worried that chronic stress or burnout will prevent them from growing their careers or businesses, supporting their loved ones, and living a happy fulfilled life. I help women learn to prioritize themselves, so they can show up with authenticity and resilience in all areas of their life.
I offer one-on-one as well as group coaching programs.
You started your business in the Philippines. Tell us how this came about?
In 2018, with our shared love for starting new adventures and a need I had for reconnect to my Filipino roots, my partner at the time and I decided to move to the Philippines and start a new life.
We had a big dream of starting a farm in the province and living a much slower and more mindful lifestyle.
I launched a wellness business, introducing mindfulness, yoga, and holistic wellness to my local community. I ran yoga classes for professional women, offered a free kids yoga program as well as facilitated stress management training for local corporate groups. When Corona hit, I took on the challenge of taking my business online and I haven’t looked back!
What are your personal goals?
So sadly at the end of 2021, my partner and I decided to go our separate ways. Corona was tough on many relationships and it showed irreparable cracks in our seemingly strong ones. In the end, we gave each other the gift of a second chance at life.
As my ex went back to Australia, I felt drawn to go home to Denmark where my life started. Sitting here now, I feel I have come full circle.
So my focus or goal is on healing and reconnecting to who I am now and trying to make all of the pieces of my life fit together, so I can move forward with increased strength, joy, and grace.
And of course, I want to share the lessons I learn along the way with as many women as possible through my programs.
Can you give us your 3 best tips for dealing with stress during difficult life transitions?
Do self-care daily. Get enough sleep, eat healthily, drink enough water, and exercise. It’s back to basics here!
Know your support. Ask yourself who are the 2 to 3 people in my life I can absolutely count on and learn to ask for help.
Be patient with yourself. Change, no matter what it is can cause difficult emotions and deplete your energy. Make time to slow down and reflect or simply be quiet with yourself for a few minutes at a time.
If you are also going through a breakup or a difficult life transition you can check out Frida’s article Rediscovering Yourself After a Difficult Breakup for more helpful tips on healing and moving forwards.
If you need more support you can connect with her for a Free Stress Talk. Book a call with Frida here.
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info!
