Mum who found herself in hospital from stress believes parents need to band together

As part of our Mums Who Inspire series, we sat down with, Vanessa Tierney, to learn more about her story of illness and how it shaped her inspirational work ethic and family life. If you have a story that you would like to be featured, email mumswhoinspire[at]magicmum.com.

When Irish woman, Vanessa Tierney, found herself lying in a hospital bed in the UK, she was surprised to learn that her illness was the result of stress. 

Years of hard work and travel had laden the young woman down with a virus, which took months to recover from. 

Speaking with MagicMum, the Bray native revealed she was living a busy lifestyle, but loving her job and the satisfaction it brought, she had desperately wanted to maintain a high working standard. 

So much so, that Vanessa continued to work, regardless of the fact that her office base was in Ireland. 

Working with a company in Dublin City, Vanessa continued to work overseas, using just her laptop, phone and some wonderful team bonding Skype calls. 

That was the beginning for the mum-of-two, and from that moment in 2011 until present day, she has continued to work remotely from home. 

Vanessa shares: "Work was incredibly busy and that was when the stress began, there was inflammation in my body, and the pain was so intense. My immune system was incredibly low."

"I went into hospital for a week, but recovery took months. I developed reactive arthritis. I was unable to commute to the office, but I was still able to work from home."

Working from home was the light-bulb moment that struck, as Vanessa found the experience to be liberating. 

"I firmly believe a work/life balance is very important, and I had finally found that balance when I began working remotely, reducing my stress significantly," she revealed.

Following her journey, Vanessa found the inspiration for her new business venture, Abodoo, alongside her partner, which aims to help people find their perfect job while working from home. 

Moving back to Ireland, the mum continues to keep an eye on her health while working hard to develop her passion, and most importantly, being close by for her daughters. 

"It's great to be so close by, even just for little things like GP visits. It's the greatest perk of working from home, being there for the little things."

"The girls – they think it's normal and I like being able to keep on top of things with them, even little moments too like cooking and making a mess. It's special."

"However, you also have to feel empowered in your job, you'll be happier, and your work will thrive. Feeling guilty because you're away from family makes no sense."

While being able to spend more time with her daughters is the biggest plus the mum associates with working from home, she also speaks highly of the relationships she has built with her colleagues. 

"There's nothing like seeing the work come through on the screen, it creates a bond, you see each others lives in the background, and it may seem simple, but it's really powerful, we're all there for each other."

"You have to be disciplined though, perhaps create a separate work area in your home, or something small."

Vanessa's energy now lies within helping other parents, and members of the public find work that can be completed from home by linking up with companies who would prefer the same set-up. 

But she stresses that parents need to stick together: "We need to band together, we need to be heard saying 'this is what we need' for a healthy work life."

The mum-of-two feels the benefits won't just lie with-in your family life, but it will also benefit your health and finances: "If you are in any way exhausted, remote working is most likely for you."

"You're taking away travel time, rushed mornings, lunches out and substituting it for good home made food and a relaxed, less stress lifestyle."

It's amazing to think that illness inspired this mum to overhaul her life and find her passion – we're in awe of her! Just proves mums can do anything in life. 

Would you prefer to work from home? Check out Abodoo to see if it can become a reality for you too.