A moment of calm
Business owner and mother, Mandy Duncan shares how she realised that the key to self-care is making time for yourself
I’m a young mum, I had Noah when I was 18 and it was always the plan that I’d begin working when he was three, but it just so happened I that fell pregnant with my second child Bowie at that time. I loved being with the kids, so I wanted to start something I could do from home that would be a contribution to our family. That’s how my children’s clothing brand Noah & Bowie was born! The company has been going for three years and it’s a full-time job now.
My day starts early and always with a cup of tea. I get the kids ready for school and kindy, and after I’ve dropped them off, I come home and work, often on my latest looks for Noah & Bowie. Quite often I’ll have events on during the day or, when I can, I will pop out to meet friends for a quick lunch before heading back to my desk.
From 4pm, it’s go, go, go! I pick up the kids, spend some time with them and get dinner ready. I go to the gym in the evening, then my husband and I get a moment to ourselves once the kids are in bed. We make a cup of tea – I’m loving the Bell White Tea range at the moment.
MOMENT OF CALM
I make it a priority to take some time out from my day to just be with myself and my thoughts – whether it’s going to the gym or a beauty appointment. If that’s not possible, just sitting on the couch with a cup of tea for half an hour can be enough. As mums, we quite often forget about ourselves – our whole life is our children – I feel like mums lose themselves a little through motherhood but it’s important to make sure that we’re doing okay as well. We need to nurture ourselves as well as our children.