Self-care Series: Sara Campin
At &Breathe, we're extremely passionate about our parental self-care mission. It's so important to make time for yourself in your parenting journey - self-care isn't selfish! After all if you're not at your best, how can you be at your best for those around you?
Sara Campin is the founder of Nourish app, a wellbeing app created by mums for mums. Nourish is on a mission to empower us to boost our wellbeing and find more connection, compassion and calm in the crazy chaos, pressures and turmoil of modern motherhood. The app is jam-packed with practical, bite-sized wellbeing tools, all tailored to support mothers and the common emotions and challenges we struggle with.
The Nourish app is available for Android and iPhone. There’s a 1 month FREE trial and subscriptions start at as little as £1.50/month.
www.thenourishapp.com @thenourishapp
Work/Life Balance
&B: How do you manage to balance work/life/mumming? Is it possible?!
SC: Oh it's bloody hard! I've tried it all. The working full-time with a nanny, to stay-at-home mum, to somewhere in the middle, juggling work around the kids. That middle ground sometimes feels like the hardest because the boundaries are less clear and there is no space between the two to find time for exercise or other self-care. I'm a bit of a workaholic so I have to be careful. But I definitely find more overall balance doing something I feel passionate about and something where I have the flexibility to be there for the kids when I need to. As for self-care, I need strict routine to make this happen. This stuff is hard!
Career vs Kids
&B: Has your mission with Nourish and selfcare for parents helped to keep you interested and engaged professionally? What would you have been doing otherwise?
SC: Yes! We are mothering in new territory. The pressure on the modern mother to be everything to everyone is immense. I went back to work (as a life sciences strategy consultant) relatively quickly after both kids (when they were 8 & 9 months) and gave all my energy and mental resources to my work, leaving nothing for my kids. I was stressed out and shouty a lot of the time, full of feelings of guilt and failure and my relationships with my kids and my husband suffered. All for a job I didn't feel passionately about any more. It was my personal journey with self-care that turned everything around. Through self-care I allowed myself to slow down and connect with myself again, start to be more compassionate towards myself and find more inner and outer calm. I found greater balance and much more joy - and my kids reaped the rewards. Through Nourish I'm on a mission to empower other mothers to do the same in the crazy chaos and turmoil of modern motherhood. My passion is helping people live their best lives. In addition to Nourish, I'm a trained personal & professional development coach.
life lessons
&B: What do you hope to teach/pass on to your child(ren) by the way you live your life/mission?
SC: Your mental health and wellbeing matters. Your thoughts are not facts. It's real to feel. Work hard, but on something you care about. Give yourself permission to go slowly when you need to. Your wellbeing / happiness is more important than your 'achievements'.
“Your mental health and wellbeing matters. Your thoughts are not facts. It’s real to feel.”
Fit
on keeping fit
&B: How do you like to keep fit and active? And make time for it?
SC: I found this easier when I had a more typical job, even as a mum. Which sounds nuts, but I could fit it into the commute and I felt more 'entitled' to a gym trip at the weekend. When my 2nd was 2 I did a sprint triathlon. I haven't been on my bike since (he's about to turn 5)! It's much harder to make time when you're juggling your own business around kids and every moment of childcare / school / preschool is precious. Over the last couple of years,15 mins of Yoga first thing in the morning has been my saviour. Now my son has started school I'm getting back into running and started Pilates.
Food
on eating healthily
&B: What's your best food hack secret to eating healthily? Is it a recipe or an approach?
SC: Having the fridge stocked with healthy food. It doesn't mean I always manage to resist something unhealthy when I'm out and about, but as I work from home a lot, I don't have so many temptations!
Feel
on relaxing
&B: What's your favourite thing to do to relax?
SC: All time favourite is to be on or by water (ideally the sea) and just soak in the natural beauty, spaciousness and calm. Even better if you can tie in a run or some yoga with it. But as I live in London I don't get to do that so much! Through creating the Nourish app I've recently discovered Yoga Nidra which I'm now a complete advocate for.
“Breathe! Understanding and using the simple power of my breath saves me every day. ”
#1
#1 Selfcare Tip
&B: What's your number one self-care tip for mums or dads?
SC: Breathe! Understanding and using the simple power of my breath saves me every day. From grounding me in the moment, to helping me de-stress. Whatever nourishes you, start small, create new habits and watch them blossom.
&Breathe Postnatal is a family wellbeing company focusing on self-care for new parents. Join one of our postnatal and family fitness retreats in France, Morocco, the USA or the UK.