Michelle Obama’s advice for the Duchess of Sussex: Take your time

The former US first lady was asked by Good Housekeeping magazine what tips she could give Meghan.

“Like me, Meghan probably never dreamt that she’d have a life like this, and the pressure you feel – from yourself and from others – can sometimes feel like a lot,” the lawyer told the magazine.

“So my biggest pieces of advice would be to take some time and don’t be in a hurry to do anything.”

She said she spent the first couple of months in the White House “worrying about my daughters” and getting them settled before launching “into any more ambitious work”.

“I think it’s OK – it’s good, even – to do that … What I’d say is that there’s so much opportunity to do good with a platform like that – and I think Meghan can maximise her impact for others, as well her own happiness, if she’s doing something that resonates with her personally.”

Mrs Obama also recalled being deprived of sleep during her life in the White House with husband Barack Obama.

“Thankfully I get more (and more regular) sleep these days. But it probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone that sometimes it was a real challenge to keep up with the pace…

“Then on top of the demands of our schedules, I’d usually need to wake up long before Barack to get my hair and make-up done and get dressed for a public event.

“I laugh a lot about how easy it was for Barack to choose his wardrobe – ‘Tie or no tie? What do you think, honey, should I roll up my sleeves?’ So when you add that all up, I didn’t always get a lot of sleep.”

The full interview appears in the January issue of Good Housekeeping, on sale now.