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1st December 2023
01:46pm GMT
The pressure to have it all figured out can hit you like a tonne of bricks once your late twenties roll around. Your 30th birthday is looming in the distance, societal pressures are weighing down on your shoulders, and family members are passing remarks about how they bought a house at your age.
It's a complicated and intense time of your life, but instead of having it all figured out, why don't we just live in the moment? That's what radio host and presenter, Laura Fox is doing. The broadcaster is one of the biggest rising stars in media but she's embracing the now rather than jumping ten steps ahead.
So many of us are always focusing on our next move, the next goal, but what about focusing on what's going good right now?
Laura told Her's Kat O'Connor that we need to be more present in our everyday lives because time goes by so quickly. We're constantly rushing and buzzing about and fail to acknowledge the good moments. We don't give them enough notice because we're always too focused on our next leap. Being motivated and excited for the future is incredible, but isn't it taking away from the present day?
Laura shared, "I'm just trying to stay going at the same pace. It's like I'm living in the moment and enjoying what I have and that's enough. You don't always need more and you can look and say 'I'm happy with the now'."
It's something so many of us fail to do because society makes us feel like we need to tick twenty boxes before we turn 30, but Laura said things only get better from there. She said she started to care less about others and focus more on what brought her joy once her 30th birthday rolled around.
Laura explained, "I turned thirty and I suddenly just felt great. I just feel so much more confident in myself. The minute I turned 30, in the middle of the pandemic, I was like 'I'm a badass bitch now'. You start to care less and embrace yourself more and I think that is incredible."
The presenter recently landed a role hosting 'Ireland's Fittest Family', which was a major pinch-me moment for the broadcaster after working in the industry for over ten years. Laura said you have to go easy on yourself in this industry because things aren't always going to work out, but it's magic when they do. Speaking about the day of her audition for the show, Laura said she felt incredibly proud when she walked out.
Hosting a show as iconic as Ireland's Fittest Family has catapulted Laura's career, but she still can't believe it happened. She was made for the role, but the presenter thought the team wanted her family to take part in the show when she got the call. Hosting such a huge show comes with its pressure, but Laura said it's a thrilling type of pressure.
"I just remember walking out and going and I couldn't have done any better and that's very rare. It's an exciting kind of pressure that makes you feel both nervous and happy. I suppose it's one of the things you've waited your whole life for and something you've envisioned your entire career."
Laura said you never know where your career will go or what hurdles you face, but you need to embrace milestones like this and celebrate them rather than looking forward to the next one.
"You have no idea what will happen, but you need a little bit of wishful thinking and determination. You can be the nicest person in the entire world and you can be the hardest working but you might not get a break. It's just part of it. That was always a reality that it might be the possibility that I've dedicated the last 10 years of my life to this and it might not work out."
Landing 'Ireland's Fittest Family' is a moment Laura will never forget, especially as a young woman in an industry that likes to knock your self-confidence. There are so many hurdles, but there are also so many cheerleaders who support you throughout this journey. Laura credited Mairead Ronan and Tracy Clifford for always standing in her corner and rooting for her. But the one person you really need in your corner is yourself. A little self-belief can go such a long way, the presenter said.
You need to go easy on yourself and give yourself time and space to breathe amongst the madness. It's so easy for us to burn ourselves out by people pleasing our way through life but we need to remember how valuable we are and how important it is to let ourselves take a time out.
The presenter said, "I burnt myself out massively last year because I tried to do it all. I was celebrating that I had got my radio show that I dreamed of for so long and I loved it so much. I was saying yes, yes to everything. I was working non-stop for six weeks straight and then I just went into hibernation mode because I was gone."
Laura said she's gotten to a stage and she knows she's striving and she's loving every second of it. "I am owning it. I am proud of what I'm doing."
Makeup by Paddy McGurgan for Bellamianta
Hair by Lydia O'Carroll
Photography by Her's Amber O'Shea
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