Briefly introduce yourself and share a bit about your background.
My name is Taylor Zingg and I’m an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Science, and work as the Co-Lead of Internal Communications with the non-profit organization, Moms Demand Action Alabama. In fall of 2022, I graduated with my doctorate in Health Promotion from the University of Oklahoma. I have a four-legged son name Gus, and despite his old age and frosty face, he keeps me active (and distracted).
Can you describe the starting point of your journey and the factors that led to this decision?
I started my freshman year of college (shout out to Pittsburg State University – GoRILLAS!) with an unhealthy relationship with food. Overexercising and calorie restriction became an obsession, which partly stemmed from fear of the “freshman 15.” Through therapy and a friend group that provided continuous support, I was able to escape the dangerous path I was heading down. Today, my relationship with exercise and food is far healthier. I enjoy all kinds of foods and maintain an active lifestyle both in the gym lifting weights, and outdoors with my dog.
How has your wellness journey influenced your daily life, including work, relationships, and overall well-being?
Your body is your “mobile home” and fostering a healthy environment for yourself is essential. Having this mindset has helped me create boundaries for myself, both professional and personally. However, if I’m being completely honest, being fresh in my academic career, I still work into the evening hours. To keep myself in a healthy mental state, I set a timer for every 30-45 minutes. Once the timer goes off, I make sure to give my dog some love and sometimes take a dance break. This may sound odd, but dancing like no one is watching (except maybe your dog) for one whole song between grading and writing papers helps to keep me motivated. You should try it!
How do you plan to sustain your well-being and continue growing in the future?
Take it by the day. Yes, having long-term goals is important, but for me, keeping focus on what I need to achieve in the day I’m currently living in has worked. Lastly, self-reflection and keeping a gratitude journal by my bedside allows me to soak in all that I’ve done and be proud of the person I am today.
Read more inspiring wellness stories, tips for maintaining a healthy routine, and meet all the UA Spotlight on Wellness employees from this year.
