with my husband, keeping in touch
with all our family members, and
being a trusted friend every day – I
realised I couldn’t do it all and that
I was unhappy. So I accepted that I
don’t need to be perfect and realised
that people would love me the same.”
Just say “no”
Virginie believes the simple act of
saying “no” creates opportunities for
personal balance. “I have learned to
say no. I now only agree to one event
rather than four in a day, which used
to leave me feeling tired, dissatisfied
and not having time for myself. I get a
lot of satisfaction from taking care of
my family and friends, but do not have
the energy to do that if I don’t take
time to replenish it,” she says.
Eat, sleep and exercise
If you often feel lethargic, your body
is likely craving a healthy diet, sound
sleep and a good work out. Don’t
reach for sugar, caffeine, alcohol and
comfort food to boost your energy
levels, advises Cristina. “These choices
often create greater imbalance and
impact our emotional state. People
then add on more stimulants to
compensate, which creates a vicious
circle. Eating well, sleeping and
exercising are critical for mothers
who want to build personal energy
to survive their long and demanding
days,” she explains.
You can’t please everyone
It is impossible to please everyone
all of the time, says Sonia, a single
mother of four. When her children
recently came down with the flu,
Sonia was unable to spend time in her
studio. “Some cruel comments were
made about me letting my personal
problems affect how I run my business.
Most working mums already have
guilt leaving their kids to go to work,
and then we pile on additional guilt
at work for letting down a few people,
but you can’t always meet everyone’s
needs,” says Sonia.
Accept a helping hand
Virginie says her husband’s support
significantly helps her to maintain
personal balance. “My husband
will stay with the children if I have
something planned on a weekend or
even take a day off from work if we
really don’t have a choice. He loves to
spend time with them every weekend
so I often find myself alone for three
or four hours while they are in the
playground or out hiking.”
Easily available domestic support
in Hong Kong also gives mums the
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