I recently attended a training course called “How to make an impact in meetings” which I had thought would be very relevant to me since I’m in a client facing role in investment banking. The intensive, one-day course was lead by Esther Stanhope who, in my opinion, is a brilliant public speaker and an influencer Read More
Category: Streams of thought
Career Mama? Tips on how to make it work
“After a baby, don’t bounce back. Bounce forward.” (Tiffiny Hall, Ted Talk) Now that I’ve survived my first three months back in investment banking after the 13-month career break also known as the maternity leave, I wanted to share what has helped me get through this rather testing period and how I intend to go forward. Read More
Can you go back to investment banking after becoming a mother?
I’m going to resist the temptation to blurt out that it’s been “pretty sh*it” going back to my investment banking job from my maternity leave. Not because I don’t want to be honest, but because the thought process that lead to this conclusion was very complex and had to do with a lot of personal Read More
Can emotional stress and anxiety translate into physical pain?
I’ve always believed there is a strong link between mental and physical wellbeing but recently it’s really felt like the heart ache and separation anxiety from being apart from my 1-year old daughter had turned into actual, physical pain. And at times it felt quite unbearable… Last Friday I used all of my energy to peel Read More
First day back at work from maternity leave – just as bad as I thought
Let’s be honest, it was always going to be a sh*t day. Words can’t describe how it felt to walk away from Maia with whom I’ve been every single day and night from the moment she was born. I felt almost physical pain from the separation, something I could not have understood prior to becoming Read More
How to beat the anxiety about returning to work from maternity leave?
I knew this would happen. I knew I would get really stressed and anxious about returning to work from maternity leave. Ever since Maia was born I’ve dreaded the day I would have to leave her to go back to work. For almost eleven months now we’ve been together every single day and night, apart Read More
When is it the right time for baby number 2?
You might think that amidst the sleep deprivation thanks to our teething baby, a second baby would be the last thing in my mind. But funnily enough, it isn’t. On the contrary it’s been on my mind quite a lot recently. The question for us isn’t whether we want another child or not, it’s about Read More
Pressing the reset button on life
For the past three weeks I’ve been packing and unpacking my stuff again, for the sixth time in nearly five years, ever since my big move to London. Combined with wedding planning (only two weeks to go – eek!) it’s made me reflect on certain decisions I’ve made in life, all those times I’ve packed Read More
Why mums disappear
Being the first couple of our London friends to have a baby isn’t ideal. While our friends have of course been super excited and happy for us, it’s been very difficult to keep in touch with friends and to attend the gatherings and social events ever since Maia was born. It’s nobody’s fault. Before actually Read More
6-months of maternity leave gone – time to return to work?
I’ve been at home with Maia for six months now. In many places – including here in London – I would have normally returned to work already, especially considering that I work in the male dominated finance sector where the corporate culture isn’t supportive of long parental leaves. By the UK law my exact job Read More