Kate joined the Apollo Neuro team from the Pacific Northwest with a lifelong interest in health and wellness and a background in marketing in healthcare. We sat down with Kate to talk about parenting a little one over the past couple of years, managing stress as a parent, and finding time to take care of herself. Thanks for sharing, Kate, we’re excited to share your story.
Q: Tell us about yourself.
A: First and foremost, I am a mother to a smart and sassy five year old (almost six!) named Freya, and a wife to my amazing husband Jason. I work full-time in marketing and I love my job! In my personal life, I enjoy cooking for my family, and I have a deep passion for health & wellness. Online I go by the alias Coconut Kate where I share recipes and healthy lifestyle tips on my blog and social media. If I am not doing mom things, working or creating content for my personal brand, you will often find me outside exploring the Pacific Northwest or paddle boarding.
Q: How do you best manage your exertion to successfully live in all three roles of mother, employee, and being you simultaneously?
A: Finding balance in life is something that can be super challenging, especially with all the different hats I wear each day. I have found that if I am not intentional with creating time for myself, then it does not happen. The best solution I have found to ensuring I make time to take care of myself is to actually schedule that time into my day. Whether it's a hot bath, a walk, or yoga, it makes all the difference. My Apollo wearable has also been a game changer in this area, because it has allowed me to squeeze in more of the benefits of self-care, more effortlessly and more efficiently.
Q: What do you do to manage stress?
A: I am prone to stress and anxiety (it's just how I am wired), so managing my stress has been something that I have had to learn over time, through trial and error. For me, I feel stress creeping in when I am trying to do too much, saying yes to too many things, or am spending too much time on my phone or on social media. Getting outside, slowing down, prioritizing my health & wellness, spending time with my family and taking a break from my phone usually does the trick. For general stress management I have found “Mindfulness and Meditation” on my Apollo wearable to be my go-to on a daily basis, but for more severe cases of situational or event induced stress or anxiety, I like “Rebuild and Recover.”
Q: Do you have a pre-bed routine?
A: Yes! I'm a creature of habit so my bedtime routine is very important to me. I typically spend some time with my daughter watching her favorite Disney movie/show, or reading her favorite books. After my daughter goes to bed I have a cup of hot tea, and spend the next hour or so reading while I have my Apollo wearable on “Relax and Unwind,” then I switch it over to “Sleep and Renew” before I go to sleep. Works like a charm!
