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Mumma-pause

Is this all there is?

So, you’ve just turned 40. Had a big birthday bash to celebrate. Your kids are all at school. The career that you put on hold whilst the kids were little is back on track, and now you have a teeny bit more time for you.

Hang on a sec – what’s that? Did you ask “is this all there is?”

You’ve finally emerged from the fog that descends with the arrival of kids. Now they have grown and are out of the house for a good chunk of each day you have a little more time and space to just be me. Time to see where you are, reflect on who you are and take a little glimpse at what lies ahead. But, have you found yourself asking “is this all there is”?

Guess what ladies, what you’re feeling has a name “mumma-pause” – an amazing period of transition in your life when you get to be a little selfish. Reinvent yourself if you really want to. The best bit – by now you’ve grown a pretty thick skin so you really don’t give a SHIT how silly you look whilst doing it.

Here are 5 signs that you may be experiencing “mumma-pause”:

  1. After years of the same hairstyle, you’ve had a savage new haircut or colour change.

Guilty! We all gasped when Carrie Bickmore turned brunette overnight. Well I’ve gone the reverse and I’m nearly blonde, mainly due to the fact I’m trying to camouflage the greys that are taking over.

  1. Where once a jog around the block or a hit and giggle with the girls at tennis was enough exercise for a month, you’ve developed a sudden interest in intense exercise.

Well this is nothing new to me, and I even ran my fastest marathon at 41. BUT I have been trying a gazillion different forms of exercise from hot yoga to CrossFit, to triathlons and ocean swims and I hate swimming!

  1. That gaping hole left by the kids not being around during the day has been filled with the purchase of a puppy or a kitten, or both.

I threatened for years to add another dog to our family, and just over a year ago I did! We added Billie the spoodle to the tribe.

  1. You’ve gone back to uni or taken up studying.

That under grad, post grad or TAFE course you always wanted to do but never had the time or money is now possible. I’m the perfect example of this as since turning 40 I’ve completed Certificate 3 & 4 in fitness, 1 semester of a post grad in Human Nutrition, countless professional development on-line and weekend courses including further education in Safe Return to Exercise, women’s health and post-natal exercise.

  1. Turned a hobby into a business.

Hello Heart Body & Soul!!

Ladies, you’re not alone in your mumma-pause. You can follow my mumma-pause journey on Facebook or Instagram, and see just how much reinventing I’m doing AND laugh at how silly I look whilst having a blast doing it!

Jac x

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