Natalie Kyriacou OAM’s career is as rich and diverse as her lifestyle. Living with intention, reading deeply and being in nature are all things that guide her day.
She’s a social entrepreneur, environmentalist, Board member, PwC Business Development Lead (Environment, Social & Governance) and the founder and CEO of My Green World, a social enterprise dedicated to addressing global wildlife and environmental challenges through innovative, youth-focused education.
Having represented Australia on a global stage, Kyriacou OAM’s passion lies in exploring the intersection of environmental, social, economic and governance issues in Australia and abroad.
Recently recognised in this year’s Australian list: Top 100 Innovators, Kyriacou OAM is driving Australia forwards and creating global impact.
For her work in the environmental space, she’s also received the Medal of the Order of Australia, a Forbes 30 under 30 honour, a Finalist for the UNEP Young Champion of the Earth Prize, and a Probono Impact 25 Award Recipient.
Kyriacou OAM is the latest to feature in our ‘how I manage my health’ profile, a weekly health series that looks at how dynamic women of different career backgrounds maintain their physical and mental health. Read her full profile below.
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In the morning, I…
Put on sunscreen (I am the most dedicated sunscreen wearer), sit with my coffee, write my daily to-do list and then find one or two great news articles to read deeply. I find the current news cycle quite overwhelming and am conscious that it’s all too easy to have your attention stolen by a myriad of headlines and devices. In fact, a study by Microsoft concluded that the human attention span has dropped to eight seconds – shrinking nearly 25% in just a few years. Excessive screen time is also reducing the attention we give to others, notably, a reduction in eye contact and human connection.
Given that, I try to make an effort to focus and really digest a couple of detailed news articles or opinion pieces before I start my day. In winter, I usually do this while sitting in my garden wearing my fluffy dinosaur onesie, or at a cafe. There is also a community dog park in my backyard which means on most mornings I can be found dressed as a dinosaur trying to befriend dogs.
My exercise routine includes…
Routine is a strong word… Does doing lunges while brushing my teeth count? I enjoy running to clear my head. A few times a week I will visit a hidden trail, usually an old bike trail, and run along there. I love running through dense forest, uneven terrain, and also in the rain. Though I frequently fall over and return home covered in mud, so I may need to revisit my ‘routine’.
My favourite workout is…
I don’t particularly have a regular favourite. I like to keep it fun and varied, and mostly outdoors. However, I did spend a whole day at Bounce (trampolining) and it was one of my all-time favourite workouts. I was at least 20 years older than everybody else, and I did become aggressively competitive while playing trampoline-dodge ball against a group of 6-year-olds, but I had such a great workout!
I find balance in…
Nature (which I’ve covered) and books. I read anything and everything. Books for me are a huge sense of comfort, balance, escapism, and learning. Picking up a hard copy book alleviates so much stress and pressure. It gives me an enormous amount of reprieve from devices and the ‘attention economy’ and feeds my soul. Reading also strengthens our emotional and cognitive intelligence, so it’s a win-win!
On health, I encourage women to…
Do what feels right for you. Practice being kind in a really intentional way, to yourself and others.
We all receive so many messages and pressures on how to be better and do better. Find the thing that brings you joy, that calms you, that gives you space to just be yourself, and nurture that.
Oh, and wear sunscreen. Seriously.