Jean Edelman has been working in the financial industry with her husband Ric for 37 years. They co-founded the Edelman Financial Engines, one of the nation’s top independent financial planning and investment advisor, where she has served in every role from facilities to receptionist to payroll to human resources.
The couple stepped away from the company last year and earlier this year, created The Truth About Your Future, a radio program and podcast that focuses on longevity, health and wellness, and the advances in technology, namely cryptocurrency.
But Edelman said through her journey as co-creator and being stuck in the everyday details, there was a huge piece that was missing from her life, and that was self-care.
Now an advocate for physical and mental health, Edelman wants to help financial advisors to become the “best version” of themselves so that they could improve their clients’ lives. That, she said, begins with connecting the dots for mind, body and overall health.
“We have this one body. This is it. This is all we are going to be given so we can step out into life and be the best that we can be so that you can be there for your clients and be there for your family and friends,” said Edelman, who spoke Tuesday at the Invest In Women conference in Atlanta, sponsored by Financial Advisor magazine.
“And so, we have to take care of us. And unless we nourish ourselves with whole foods and hydrate ourselves with good water, develop good sleep habits, process our emotions … and commit to being outside and having movement in our life, we are going to know ill-health. We are going to be out of balance,” she added.
She said the key to a healthy life is finding and maintaining balance, and that’s difficult especially for advisors who are stressed thinking about their family and details of their clients that they have to deal with. “When our emotions are all over the place, we can’t help ourselves, let alone the people in our lives.”
Learning how to breathe is essential to having balance in our body, Edelman said, as she introduces the audience to Diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing, which deeply engages the abdominal muscles and diaphragm when breathing. “You don’t have to do it all the time but if you are frantic, you have got something going on, if you could find a moment to find your breath, you will be calmer. And then you probably can calm everybody around you, and that’s the key,” she said.
And that’s just the prelude of a toolbox that Edelman has created to “restore and reset ourselves so that we are responding instead of reacting.” Here are Edelman’s action items:
Food
Make sure that you are eating three meals a day, Edelman said. She defines a meal as a whole grain, some type of protein and a vegetable. “This sounds simple but if we are not fueling ourselves well, we are not going to function during the day.” Her suggestions for snacks include pumpkin seeds, fresh fruits, hummus and carrots. And for dessert for those with a sweet tooth, she suggests applesauce, bananas, dates, or brown rice syrup. “Small changes over time will be very impactful,” Edelman said, noting that she started diving into macrobiotic cooking in 2013, which she said has made a huge difference in her life. “Our health is cumulative. What we were doing in our 20s, 30s and 40s, will affect us in our 50s, 60s and 70s. It will all add up.” Additionally, Edelman said we can never get enough water.
Breath and Movement
Try to engage in yoga, tai chi or qigong or something similar, Edelman said, adding that walking every day for about 30 minutes and getting a lunch break in and get a walk are all great. She explained that our skin rejuvenates every 24 hours, our body every 90 to 120 days, our bones one to four years, and our muscles every six to 18 months. And our whole system is different every seven years. “And so, making these changes, understanding that it’s cumulative, we can be better tomorrow than we are today.”