Managing to enjoy 5 minutes to ourselves for a moment of self-care can be a struggle, especially as busy working mums, but it is so important for our mental health. With Mothering Sunday just around the corner, we asked Alice Olins, founder of The Step Up Club, how she balances work and life and her plans for Mother's Day.
How many children do you have?
I have 3 children. Pearl who is 8, Tallulah who is 6 and new baby Monty who is 3 months old. I have my hands full.
As the founder of The Step Up Club, how do you set work/life boundaries?
In a few ways; I'm very hands on with the children, especially the baby for obvious reasons, but my work is still so important to me. I have a nanny 3 days a week and I work from home, so even though I might be upstairs in the office I can hear what's going on with the baby and I still feel connected to him during the day. Then I do plenty of picks and drop off with the girls. I find that the best way to separate work and family life is to change clothes when I'm with the children; for them it's always slim track pants and a sweatshirt and for work I wear long floral dresses or jeans and a blouse. I find this helps me mentally separate my time and the act of changing is also a moment to myself!
Do you have any mum hacks you can share with us to deal with the day to day?
Be kind to yourself: something won't get done, someone will get annoyed at some point, life isn't perfect. If you give yourself the space for imperfections everything becomes easier.
What has becoming a mum taught you?
Patience, strength, resilience - so much. And the depths of love.
Mothering Sunday is just around the corner, how are you planning on spending your day?
Well this year my husband is away skiing, so I'm not exactly sure. I'll likely hang out with friends and just be all together, cooking and eating yummy food and stealing some cuddles while they play.
What would be your dream gift this Mother’s Day?
A full night's sleep.
What Balance Me products can’t you live without?
Tri-Molecular Serum and Flash Cleanse Micellar Water. I love moisturisers and body washes, especially the Super Moisturising Body Wash.
