Walpole: In a world where we’re always available, how do you separate your personal time from your work time?
Kate Reardon: Like everyone else on the planet, I imagine, it’s all pretty interwoven. I can easily sit in a meeting thinking about my kids just as I can be cooking dinner while thinking about work. But I’m also preternaturally talented at switching off. That helps.
What’s one thing you do after the work day to help you unwind?
Put my slippers on. I relax from the feet up.
What activity do you do in your time away from the office that helps you relax and recentre after a stressful week?
I ride my horse - a big, strong, beautiful grey called Easter. In this lah-di-dah world which I'm lucky enough to inhabit professionally, it helps to fall on your arse every so often and wipe horse shit off your clothes. It’s lung-bustingly exhausting and also therapeutically meditative – meditative because it’s dangerous and therefore entirely absorbing. I find the combination of being with a large, powerful animal, breathing very deeply, out in the beautiful countryside no matter the weather, magical and fully transporting. I can have had the worst possible week, but after riding I’ve wiped the slate clean and reset. I find it impossible to be in a bad mood on or near a horse.
What’s something you’ve read, listened to or seen in your spare time that’s helped you at work?
Watching and listening to my kids puts my work life very much into perspective - I’m so lucky to have a job I love which enables me to provide for them.
After home and the office, where’s your favourite third space?
We have a tiny, hilariously Hansel and Gretel-y cottage in the country. My favourite third space is in bed there with my children, either making shadow puppets on the ceiling or inhabiting my alter ego, The Tickle Monster.
On Sunday night, how do you prepare yourself for the week ahead?
I usually fall into bed exhausted from the weekend, looking forward to a restful week at work.
Best reason you've had to turn your Out of Office on recently?
I’ve never used an OOO, I don’t feel the need to keep everyone informed of every movement. I check my emails often enough to get back to the really urgent ones and the others can wait.
