Recently we decided that we needed to hear more from those inspiring women that live harmonious lives every single day.
People who inspire us and motivate us to find happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives.
We want to know how they do it and what advice they can offer us.
We recently had a chat with Amy Taylor-Kabbaz!
Amy has been journalist and producer for the ABC and a writer for many health & wellness outlets and now she is running her own site with advice and insight on how to become a healthier happier mama!
What are some of the ways you make your day-to-day life more harmonious?
In my journey of motherhood and self-care, I have discovered that the single biggest contributor to whether my life is harmonious or not is my awareness of my thoughts. Mindfulness, and tuning into that ‘noise’ of constant worry, overwhelm and pressure, is the key to me keeping on top of everything my life requires. On the days things fall apart, I am usually all ‘in my head’ – it’s as simple as that.
I’ve also discovered that multi-tasking does not make a happy mama! Trying to juggle a business, three kids, and life in general usually means my head is full with a thousand things to do, but if I’m not consciously choosing to focus on one thing at a time, all hell breaks loose. Learning how to be in the moment and only do one thing at a time, though, is a day to day practice. Meditation, yoga and mindfulness practices have really turned my life around and allowed me to be much more in the moment and out of my head.
How do you stay creative and inspired about the things you do every day?
At the core of it, I am a student, first and foremost. I love nothing more than learning – I think that’s why I was a radio producer for so many years! My creative spirit thrives on reading, researching, and discovering new thinking, and so it is absolutely imperative that I connect with something that challenges me or makes me think a little bit differently each day. I have my list of fav inspirations and thinkers, and I’m usually reading something from one of them, and I also learn a great deal from my yoga teachers. Every single time I am in a class, I am blown away with the knowledge and understanding they share. You will usually find me in my car straight after a class, notebook in hand, scribbling notes for my next podcast or book idea!
What was your biggest learning/growth experience in the past year?
To never assume your life will change when your dream comes true! As strange as that sounds, I have spent my whole life dreaming of being a published author, and so when that happened in April this year, I assumed my life would change. I finally got my dream – everything is going to be ah-mazing now, right? Well, not exactly. Life continued. There were still moments of doubt, fear and overwhelm. Everything didn’t miraculously evolve the night my book was released. An amazing life lesson.
How do you stay focused on the things that are important (love, happiness) and not be distracted by all the drama that goes on around us?
By saying no, shutting down the laptop and phone, and staying home. After more than a decade covering breaking news and being completely attached to twitter and the latest news cycle, my tolerance for drama now is very very low. I just don’t need that rollercoaster in my life anymore, and whenever I feel myself getting too worked up, or stuck in the drama of comparisonitis, I just retreat to my little family. They are the best levellers in the world.
What’s the biggest thing that people can do right now to create more harmony in their life?
To start to change the way they talk to themselves in their head. In my 40 day online program, we start with kindness – tuning into our thoughts, getting to know that Inner Mean Mama and how she criticises and pours on the guilt, and how to start to lovingly accept yourself the way you are. It blows me away how changing the way you talk to yourself can change everything in your life, even in just 40 days. I’ve seen it change relationships, health, careers, everything.
What are your goals for the future? What have you got planned for this year?
My goal is pretty broad at the moment – I want to find a way to balance (and I mean REALLY balance) motherhood with being a woman with goals. I think we’ve lost our way with this conversation in many ways – the ‘women can have it all’ mantra that I grew up with has actually caused many of us to be burnt out and overwhelmed. I want to contribute to a conversation around redefining success, which includes how we raise our children and show up in our families.
You can read more about Amy on her lovely website here: www.happymama.com.au
You can also find her on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HappyMamaWithAmy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happymamawithamy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amytaylorkabbaz