A theme that returns often in your work and story is trusting your intuition. What is most valuable to you about your inner voice and how have you worked towards listening to it?
There is so much value in listening to your own voice, or at the very least sitting with your thoughts and questioning why they’re coming up for you. There is so much noise around us, especially now in this world of social media and 24-hour news, that it can make us feel really lost and vulnerable, and even really upset. It can undermine our own ability to think and feel and know what is best for us. I guess, in terms of my work and the themes of my courses, I talk a lot about awareness and intuition, especially in parenting, because it can be really easy to get caught up in what other people are doing or what sort of tips you’re given or books you’ve read, but there really is no one-size-fits-all guide to parenting. We are all so different, our children are so unique, our experiences are our own, it is completely impossible to adhere to one method. If we drown out all the noise and sit with our own thoughts, we are usually able to find the solution we’re seeking.
As businesswomen, partners, creatives, mothers, friends (and so on and so on) we often feel like we are constantly shifting gears to be all things to all people. How do you find balance in this tension?
This is such a huge one, isn’t it? I definitely go through periods of time where I feel more balanced and then periods of time where everything is bonkers. I try to cut myself some slack when things are imbalanced because I know it’s a temporary thing.
In terms of the daily grind, I really try to be in the moment. So when I’m with my kids, I try to focus on this time with them and the connection we’re experiencing. When I’m working, I try to be really productive and focused on the work. When I’m with my husband, even if it’s just being in the kitchen together juggling jobs, I try to find moments of connection with him. I’m learning to hone in on the moments.
Even trying to find moments of mindfulness and self awareness throughout my day — whether I’m grinding coffee beans or hanging laundry on the line. Being aware of my breath and my movements helps to bring me back to the present moment, so I’m not overthinking something that happened or stressed about what work I might have on my plate. Just put one step in front of the other and be intentional about each thing I’m doing. (Totally easier said than done, of course, but this has become my little mantra.)
How do you nurture your connection to the natural world?
We are so lucky to live where we do in this beautiful part of the world. After 12 years in London, we were determined to find a sunnier climate and to be near the ocean. We moved to Byron nearly five years ago, and in that time I have fallen in love with surfing. It is the ultimate meditation, exercise and nature fix all in one. I love the feeling of sitting out on my surfboard watching the waves — you feel so connected to the earth and so extremely present in that moment. Whatever weird or anxious thoughts I have in my brain when I go for a surf are always completely washed out of me when I come in from the ocean. Sometimes I wonder how I coped without surfing for all those years! :)
