Parenting, Fitness, Work: A Balancing Act
Running a business, raising kids? Claire Toone of Noosa Flow examines ways women can find balance and stay mindful in today’s busy world.
Starting and running your own business is very much like having a baby; you start with the seed of an idea and after many months of planning and labour you bring it into reality. And it’s only then the work begins. Your new business demands that you dedicate yourself to nurturing your creation; to helping it grow and flourish.
It takes a lot of love, energy, money, sleepless nights and a little blind luck along the way. But what happens when you are trying to start a new business at the same time as raising your child and looking after yourself? It can be like raising twins or even triplets!
As a business owner and a mother, I’ve found myself challenged many times. Trying to grow Noosa Flow and finding time to create a warm and loving environment for my son hasn’t been easy. I’ve struggled many times to find a balance between these two roles and my purpose to be a great mother while also striving to have a positive impact on the lives of people through pilates, yoga and wellbeing.
As women, we are busier than ever before and managing the balance can be tough. At times it feels virtually impossible. While managing all the stress, it is vitally important to remember to invest in taking care of yourself. As any air hostess will let you know, you need to fit your own oxygen mask before you can assist others!
With practice and help from many mentors over the years, I’ve learned that prioritising self-care and adopting mindfulness makes it easier to create balance in my life. Sometimes this requires a little creativity; maybe I can only find time to exercise at 5am, or go for a walk late at night or find time for a short meditation during a quick break in my work schedule.
Building balance between my role as a business owner and my role as a mother really has come from finding balance myself and sometimes letting go of the guilt that comes from putting a few hours a week for me before my family. Many of my clients are the same.
They have planned their week around finding those few hours for themselves at Noosa Flow and have also developed some effective skills to relax on other days. Being able to switch off social media at night and dedicate time to family seems to make all the difference.
I personally have learnt whether you’re doing something for work or something for your family, you need to dedicate all your attention to that task. Being mindful can end up saving you time and when you have those precious moments with family it becomes all the more treasured and valuable – which I think is what finding balance is all about.
