International Day of Happiness 2021

 

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2020 was a difficult year for everyone - no doubt about that. In 2021, the situation with the pandemic and political issues all around are not promising a much better year. HOWEVER, there are things each of us can do to improve our and our loved ones mindsets and stay optimistic! For the International Day of Happiness 2021, here are some tips and ideas to help you see the brighter side of things.

Don't compare yourself!

It is dangerously easy to start comparing yourself to others, especially in today's world through the Internet. On social media everyone puts on their best front. They show their fancy breakfasts, slim figures and many friends. However, it is important to remember that all of us go through struggles that we do not show online. Instead of thinking that the grass is greener on the other side focus on watering your own grass!

Take on hobbies.

By spending time doing things you love or that teach you new skills you'll find yourself feeling more productive, creative and overall happier!

Image from: https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/hobbies-turn-into-good-side-job/ 

Practice gratefulness!

Try to find joy in the little things in your life - it will open your eyes to how lucky you are to be alive. May it be the fact that you have a roof over your head, a warm meal at the end of the day or a shoulder to cry on. Remind yourself to be grateful and see your life from a different and a lot more positive perspective.

Reach out to people

Everyone has it rough sometimes, so it is important to support each other in any way you can. Sharing your troubles with a true friend, a family member or a significant other can help lift half the trouble off your shoulders. Let go of toxic relationships and focus on the people who truly make you happy.

Do not let other people be your happiness.

Even though the people close to you will definitely play a big part in lifting you up, it is necessary to realise that your happiness does not depend on them! You have to find it in yourself - others cannot fulfill you.

Sincerely Madia & Matilda 

All things Galentine's day

Yes, we are all aware of the famous celebratory day of love, Valentine's day, but have you heard of Galentine's day?! It may be our new favourite 'fake' holiday! A play on the name Valentine's to celebrate our favourite 'gals'. 

Whether you are celebrating Valentine's or not, have a little think about Galentine's, which speaks all self-love, showering your female friends with love and support. It promotes all things girl power, a day where we can indulge and love ourselves and celebrate the amazing women surrounding and blessing our lives. 

There is no right or wrong way to celebrate Galentine's, and that's the beauty of it. So join us on the 13th of Feb, put on your favourite movie, order in your delicious takeout, grab a glass of wine and sit back! Dedicate the day to things you enjoy doing, and if we cannot meet with our girlfriends because of COVID why not host a zoom quiz meeting? 

What is so wrong with treating yourself to flowers and chocolates? We love the idea! Maybe you have wanted to dedicate some self-care time, a nice pamper or skincare routine will do the trick. There may be a gift you want to purchase for yourself, which you can find plenty of on our website.

Are you curious of how this fabulous holiday came about? It happened around ten years ago, in 2010, and it was actually created by the fictional character Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation. The episode is called "Galentine's day" where she gathers a group of her friends for a brunch, and ever since then women have loved this idea, a no-pressure, fun, and feel-good holiday with no gimmicks. 

Images from: pixabay.com

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

Self Care Yoga Tips

 

With the current lockdown and strict tier system in place, this is the perfect time to focus on the mind and body. With our quick yoga tips you can begin to practice self-care at home. 

Yoga can be accessible and adaptable to the individual. The practice of yoga is not just physical, it is 90% mindful. Once you begin to align both of these together you will see the true benefits. If you are a beginner you can start off with some easy breathing techniques for your mind, and some beneficial stretches for your body.

Yoga is scientifically known to boost your immune system, improving your health, which it is essential to stay fit and healthy during the current pandemic. 

Lets begin with breathing, if you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed or stressed with exterior problems such as work, take two minutes to deep breathe. Take a long inhalation, following your breathing as it circulates the body and becomes a deep exhalation. Keep following those inhales and exhales, letting the shoulders release on the exhalation and your ribs lift on the inhalation. 

You can also try counting the breath, this is a great technique if you suffer from anxiety, lets try it now. Deep breath in for the count of 1, 2, 3 seconds. Deep breath out for the count of 3, 2, 1 seconds. Continue this and concentrate on the breath, this allows you to divert your focus on your body rather than your thoughts and overworked mind. 

Now some self-care yoga stretches, if you are sat at a desk or working from home, try this.. 

Begin with a supine twist for 8 breaths on your right side, followed by 8 breaths on your left side. This should release any tension built up in the lower back. 

Stretch your arms over the chair and lift your chest tilting the head back, from here we can take a shoulder squeeze pose. 

If you can take 10 minutes out of your day in the morning or evening, it is great for the mind and body to take a childs pose followed by a cobra pose on a yoga matt. These are simple yet effective. 

Most importantly, for self-care, celebrate yourself and trust yourself. Slow down and give yourself a few minutes a day to breathe, stretch, focus on your mind, body, and health. By doing this, we can heal ourselves through yoga. Allow yourself to let go each day at a time. 

Images from: https://pixabay.com/photos/sunset-panorama-dusk-nature-3084651/

Sincerely Madia & Matilda 

Who's Number One?!

Looking After Number One 

Lots of people brush it off as silly, weird or irrelevant, but self care is actually really important for your physical and mental health! It could also affect the people around you, probably more than you realise.

We're all about keeping that feeling of being a child about to run into the sea!

It can be hard to justify a bit of "me time" these days, am I right? You're supposed to be rushing around the racetrack of life at the same speed as everyone else— and you sure as heck don't want to fall behind. Self care is about noticing this kind of frantic energy and the effect it has on you, and gently teaching yourself some new thought patterns. 

We're aware that this is an alien concept for a lot of people. Everyone's aware of the national British stereotype: "stiff upper lip, old pal! Just keep going! Have another cuppa!" However, quite aside from the Brits' tea philosophy, the mind is amazingly versatile and can be used as a powerful tool for change. There are around 100 billion neurons in the human brain (cats have around 300 million). 

Positive Affirmations

Ever heard of Louise Hay? She's the mastermind behind the idea of positive affirmations, a handy little way of injecting a positive mental boost into your life. She said “I have come to this planet to learn to love myself more, and to share that love with all those around me”. The woman was am-HAY-zing, truly. 

Louise has a lot to say about self love and the effect it has not just on you, but on those around you. Here are some affirmations to try out:

• I forgive myself for not being perfect.
• I honour who I am.
• I release all negative thoughts of the past and all worries about the future.
• Loving others is easy when I love and accept myself.
• I love and approve of myself.

There are lots of ways you can practice affirmations. You could think them, write them down or speak them. You could even try saying them to yourself in the mirror ("ooh, who's this lovely sexy person?"). The point is to rewire you brain slowly with positive thoughts. This creates new neural pathways which are kind of like new guitar strings: the more you use them, the easier they are to play.

A lot of us tend to recognise issues in our personal lives and choose to ignore them. Some of us don't recognise our issues at all. Obviously it's hard to begin looking at resolving these issues if you don't know they're there, but we've listed a couple of common areas where things can go boobies-up if you're careful. 

Sleep

Sleep is really important. REALLY important! You just can't argue: it's been scientifically proven again and again. According to the NHS, getting enough sleep can:

• Boost your immune system. When you're really tired, your body tends to decide that it's going to spend more energy on keeping you upright than fighting the flu.
• Have a positive impact on your mental health. Lack of sleep has been known to increase the risk of anxiety and depression.
• Raise your game (and potentially other things as well) in the bedroom. Sleep debt can result in an unhelpful apathetic attitude when you just want to have some fun. Not very cool. 

Has that convinced you yet?! Click here for more on sleep and health. 

Talking About How You're Feeling

It isn't soppy, it isn't over-emotional, it isn't stupid. Talking about your feelings important and could help your overall mental health, plus improving your relationships with people you trust.

You don't have to do the sit-down-and-have-a-serious-chat thing. You could write how you're feeling in a journal; pick up your instrument (or learn a new one) and howl your heart out; talk to your dog (cats, despite bad rep, can be sympathetic); splash some paint about; get some exercise; or sew, like we do (not if you're really frustrated-- can end in tears). 

At the end of the day it doesn't matter how pent-up emotion comes out, it's just important that it does. Sometimes we're not aware of just how much something is eating away at our happiness until we suddenly start crying. Usually, unsurprisingly, it's because we've been too busy to stop, reflect and listen to ourselves if something's not right. Or even worse, we just don't want to. THIS ENDS NOW, PEOPLE!

'Orange Is the New Black' star Dascha Polanco on Self Love

Dascha Polanco from Orange is the New Black is an inspirational Instagrammer. She likes to write about self love, self acceptance and self esteem, often using the tags #selflovery and #ismellgood. Speaking to Girl Talk HQ (but everyone should hear this), Polanco talked about how "there’s a time where you have the decision to make yourself happy". She understands the importance of recognising a situation where you need to put yourself first. This is relevant to everybody, not just celebrities! In turn, Polanco says Angelina Jolie is someone she looks up to "as a philanthropist", and someone who owns her own life. Read the rest of the article here.

So you see, lovely reader... 

Self care isn't a stupid. It's looking after yourself so you can be the best possible version of you.

Sincerely Madia & Matilda