Let’s not beat around the bush this morning: it’s a crazy world we’re living in right now. From the never-ending Brexit debacle, to the urgency of climate change, to well, Trump (…I have no words). It’s a lot, right? Let alone whatever else we may be contending with in our personal, day-to-day lives. How do you handle it? How to you keep your head above the ever-rising water level, never mind actually maintaining some level of loveliness in life?!
I don’t propose to have the answer, but I do have a few suggestions to help with the various outcomes of living in ‘This Modern World’.
While we’ll start by actually engaging with what’s happening (oh yes, I’m talking about protesting!), today’s bid for loveliness will also see us making little eco-minded swaps, boosting our immunity naturally, as well as addressing the effect that the current socio-economic climate can (and may well be) having on our mental health.
But first…
One: #schoolstrikeforclimate
Since August 2018, the young people of this world have been speaking up for the welfare of their future and, as you probably heard, September 20th saw the biggest turnout for their #schoolstrikeforclimate across the globe.
Demanding climate justice, and demanding it now, the kids and young people of the world are making some serious noise and needless to say, we’re really inspired. Show your support by looking up the next strike event for your local area (the next big one’s planned for the 25th Oct, I believe), and let’s get involved and support their voice. Ignorance is not bliss, and we have a responsibility to our Mother Earth and her children.
As the Native American proverb says, “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors—we borrow it from our children.”
Two: the Ethique Choice
And while I’m on a eco-friendly drive (when am I not, though!), we’ve spent the last two months trialling the gorgeous ‘naked’ shampoo and conditioner bars by conscious brand, Ethique.*
Completely plastic-free, using sustainable, vegan ingredients (also palm oil free!), Ethique is also a carbon neutral company that ticks all our boxes!
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed using their Heali Kiwi shampoo, designed to soothe irritated scalps, as well as their outstanding Wonderbar conditioner, which I can safely say is the best conditioner bar I’ve ever used! Not only that, the coconut oil and cocoa butter based Wonderbar also doubles as a highly effective shaving bar. Less really is more with that little bar!
And don’t even get me started on the Shampooch bar they sent us… My sweet doggo loves it!
Haircare bars really are such an effective, easy swap that make a huge difference, and supporting sustainable, eco-minded companies like Ethique is a great way to invest your money in an area of the market you believe in.
*Products kindly gifted
Three: Reframing Anxiety
Anxiety UK estimate that more than 1 in 10 people are likely to have a ‘disabling anxiety disorder’ at some stage in their life.
That’s shockingly high, right? And yet, in this modern world, is it really any wonder? With all our in-hand technology we’ve never been so connected, and yet so disconnected. Our country’s politics are a daily rollercoaster of disbelief, empty promises and uncertainty…. I won’t go on, otherwise I’ll end up triggering my own anxiety!
I recently stumbled upon the wonderful Anna Mathur’s instagram page and it’s been helping me examine and ‘reframe’ my anxiety in a whole new way. An accredited and experienced BACP Psychotherapist, Anna’s focus is women struggling with any form of anxiety. As well as an incredibly inspiring-while-totally-real-life IG grid, she also hosts weekly Instagram lives discussing anxiety and has created a 3 week online course, ‘Reframing Anxiety’ which is due to launch on Jan 25th 2020.
If anxiety is taking control, be it over your personal life, climate or cultural anxiety, or even if you’re not entirely sure what’s causing the anxiety (I think most of us can relate!), then might I suggest getting familiar with Anna Mathur, and maybe I’ll see you on the course in January.
Four: Tactile Tactics
A recent IG story and subsequent conversation I had with the beautiful soul behind Orenda Ceramics, lead me to realise that I’d unknowingly, and I guess therefore instinctively, gravitated towards tactile crafts as a form of anxiety management over the last few months, maybe even years.
Her Instagram story read: “Working with your hands is simply a catalyst, a way to change your brain chemistry. It changes your brain’s physiology and chemical response, reducing cortisol levels. It removes stress, improves neuroplasticity and works on your concentration and calmness”
…Which frankly explains a lot!
Whether it’s knitting, working with clay, cooking, painting, sewing, weaving, gardening, braiding hair… The list goes on, and as her story so rightly read: “The hand-brain connection is crucial for human beings.”
Find a craft that invokes the use of your hands, and when anxiety rears it’s ugly head, put it down and pick up your craft.
Five: Waste-Free Carving
Oh October, you beauty. There’s so much to love about this first truly autumnal month, but the waste from carved halloween pumpkins is not one of them!
And so I present to you, 2019’s gorgeous pumpkin recipes (I feel like this is becoming an annual thing, let’s go with it!)…
Pumpkin Mac n Cheese Bake by Vegan Richa– I mean who wouldn’t want that?!
Pumpkin Foccacia Bread by Blissful Basil – Everyone loves a good foccacia
Pumpkin Spice Muffins by Apple of My Eye – perfect with a nice warm brew
Six: Elder Immunity
‘Tis the season to catch a cold, it’d seem. Want a natural, wholesome boost to your immunity? Look no further than the beautiful depth and abundance of the Elderberry.
Naturally high in vitamins A, B, and C, elderberries contain complex sugars that support and stimulate the immune system in fighting colds and flu. In fact:
Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu, of Hadassah-Hebrew University in Israel found that elderberry disarms the enzyme viruses use to penetrate healthy cells in the lining of the nose and throat. Taken before infection, it prevents infection. Taken after infection, it prevents spread of the virus through the respiratory tract. In a clinical trial, 20% of study subjects reported significant improvement within 24 hours, 70% by 48 hours, and 90% claimed complete cure in three days
– Wellness Mama
We’re pretty obsessed with the Pukka (yeah, like the tea) elderberry syrup, also laden with the benefits of aniseed, manuka honey, horseradish, licorice, ginger, thyme and peppermint. However, if you have many bodies under your roof in need of dosing up, then take a look at the super easy, but no less potent DIY syrup using dried elderberries from Wellness Mama.
Seven: Sun Seeker
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times, but here’s your little seasonal reminder to get soaking up whatever natural sunlight you can.
One of the pillars of health according to ancient medicine, as we head into the darker months, it’s imperative to carefully expose our bare skin to the glimpses of warmth we do receive.
Vital for vitamin D absorption, as well as avoiding symptoms of SAD, if you see the sun, go seek it!
Eight: Allow the Artist
This quote has cropped up a couple of times on my social media over the past few months and the chord it strikes is both powerful and revelatory in how we view the arts.
All I’ll say is this; to express ourselves through any given art form is a human right, and a basic need for our very well being. The exclusivity and sense of hierarchy society has constructed around the arts, while valuable in some ways of course, also often steals these instinctive, healing practices from us.
But I’ll let the quote (author unknown) do the rest of the talking:
“Pretty sh**ty how baseline human activities like singing, dancing and making art got turned into skills instead of being seen as behaviours so now it’s like ‘the point of doing them is to get good at them’ and not ‘this is a thing humans do, the way birds sing and bees make hives
What’s sad to me about this is that I’ve noticed a lot of people saying they “can’t” do art, or dance, or sing. That because it’s turned into a profitable vocation, and thus has some implied hierarchy to it (ie: there are ‘master artists’, and ‘professional singers and dancers’), people feel shame for not “living up to unattainable standards,” when in reality, art for humans is very therapeutic and good for the soul.”
Dance wildly, sing loudly, paint your dreams and express your healing.
Nine: Now Reading
Recommended to me by a lovely online friend, who also happens to be a counsellor, The Highly Sensitive Person, by Elaine N. Aron, is a must-read for those who identify as an HSP.
HSP is a bit of a buzz term at the moment it’d seem, but in short the book defines Highly Sensitive People as having: ‘a keen imagination; are labelled too shy or too sensitive; who perform poorly when being observed even though they are usually competent; have vivid dreams; for whom time alone each day is essential; and find they are quickly overwhelmed by noise and confusion, crowded parties, hectic office life’.
If you identify as an HSP, or maybe you believe you’re raising an HSP child, this book will help you understand yourself, reframe how you perceive yourself and teach you not only to cope, but thrive in this modern world.
Ten: the Matcha Move
And finally, there’s no denying that the stuff we’ve chatted about today (aka saving the world, conquering anxiety and finding the time to engage with your inner artist!) all require a certain amount of energy, which in these darker months can become increasingly difficult to source!
Well, why not consider making the swap from coffee to Matcha? Boasting a boost of 4-6 hours of calm energy (vs the 1-2 hour jittery high from coffee) and a whole host of antioxidants, this warming green drink can provide a sustained, less anxiety-inducing boost of energy just when you need it.
Not to mention the wonderfully calming morning ritual of making matcha, a worthy rival to your daily coffee practice.
And with all that said, October’s 10 Ways to Make Life Lovely are done. Here’s to coming together in our difficulty, to embracing the growth of navigating uncertainty and to taking time to turn inwards for a moment when the outside world is a little too much to bear. The loveliness is still there, my friends, we just have to find it.
Have a beautiful weekend, we’ll see you on the flip side.
Laura XO
Sources: Urban Outfitters, Holly Anne Creative, @gretathunburg, Holly Anne Creative, Brooke Fischer, Shop Darling Clementine, @annamathur, unknown, @woolandthegang, Free People, via gluecklichleben, Vegan Richa, Blissful Basil, Apple of My Eye, Our Food Stories, The Kitchen McCabe, Lexis Clean Kitchen, unknown, via Soul of Simplicity, via Wolf Teeth, Life Hack, Whitney Music, via Learn Photography, via Bruwho, Amazon, The Awesome Green, @allaboutelisa, Elle France
