Mariam Mohammed is a speaker, entrepreneur and Co-founder of MoneyGirl, a social enterprise delivering financial literacy to young women, with a great approach to making the most of the day.
And she’e got a key tip for all of us: stop scrolling Instagram. You don’t need influencers in your life, making you feel terrible, so they can sell more of whatever it is they sell on the platform, she says. Mariam made these comments even before we learnt that Facebook has been sitting on research about the harmful impacts of Instagram on the mental health of teenage girls.
Mariam’s the latest to feature in our health Q&A, featuring women across different fields sharing how they manage their health.
She speaks honestly about the morning struggle, as well as the huge role that dancing plays in her day to day exercise routine, and as a tool for supporting her mental health.
Mariam was a guest on the fourth season of our Women’s Agenda podcast series, The Leadership Lessons. You can listen to her raw interview here, where she talks openly about achieving financial independence after escaping domestic abuse.
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In the morning, I…
Take ~2 hours to properly wake up.
I turn off my 5th alarm and start the day with some water. If you’ve ever met me, you know my water bottle is always an arm’s length away from me. Got to stay hydrated if you want to change the world!
Then, I make my beloved chai – locally produced, sourced from an Australian social enterprise, Miks Chai. This is my most favourite part of my morning ritual.
I enjoy my cuppa, usually with some granola or avo toast. And that is why I’m unable to buy a home in Sydney, and not because the invention of mortgages is bonkers.
Meanwhile, I listen to some instrumental music to calm the existential dread of a dying planet. I usually follow this up with some yoga. Sometimes, I may even meditate. But most of the time, I’m just super pumped to have gotten out of bed, really. Hoorah!
My exercise routine includes…
Dancing. There is little else in the world I can be convinced to do in the way of exercising regularly.
I do yoga a few days a week. I enjoy walks and hikes, too. But dance is how I stay mentally and physically fit.
In a pre-lockdown world, these used to be dance hall classes at my local dance studio, DUTI. In this post-apocalyptic world, it’s whatever I can get my cursor on, online.
My favourite workout is…
A dance hall class at DUTI Studios!
I find balance in…
Sleeping ~9 hours a day, playing another 8, and working what’s left.
I live with high-functioning anxiety and ADHD. Basically, that means that one, my brain is rarely quiet. And two, my energy comes in waves.
So, firstly, I have to prioritise play to take care of my mental health. For example, dancing!
Secondly, I have to lean into my energy flow. That means that on some days, I will not work at all but then on a day when my energy peaks, I will have more than made up for it.
Yes, I know, in your 9-5 world, that makes no sense. Luckily, I grew up in a different culture so my resolve to abide by an arbitrary system does not exist. And whoomp, there it is – my balance is in my lack of rigidity.
On health, I encourage women to…
Stop scrolling Instagram.
No, seriously. That influencer making you feel shxt about your skin? UNFOLLOW. That celebrity making you feel insecure so they can sell you some teas? UNFOLLOW. That page making you question your body? UNFOLLOW THAT SHXT.