News – The Dream Magazine

Align Loves: 11 Products We’ll Be Using All Summer

Alana — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:31:20 +0000

We’ve rounded up our fave products that every first-time business owner should have in their lives and in their office. From stress saving tech to sleep-enhancing supplements, you’ll be wanting to add all of these products to your shopping basket.

DEWCY Dew Believe In Magic Vit-C Radiance Beauty Balm

This waterless face balm helps to repair your skin barrier, whilst brightening and restoring radiance giving you that sunkissed glow all summer long.

Buy the DEWCY Dew Believe In Magic Balm

Hot Futures Sunglasses

With shades like these you’ll be everyones summer style inspo. There’s tons of different shapes colours and designs so whatever your vibe you’ll find a pair you love.

Buy the Hot Futures sunglasses

Ajouter Demi Confetti Tumbler Glass

These confetti tumblrs are perfect for any summer BBQ, no matter what you’re sipping on.

Buy the Ajouter Demi Confetti Tumbler Glass

Brows by Sarah Wow Brow

Wow Brow is 3 in 1 brow product with a regrowth property that instantly adds colour to your brow hair, whilst adding immediate definition with the built-in brow sculpt. It’ll keep your brows looking snatched even while sweating in the sunshine.

Buy Brows by Sarah Wow Brow

The Basket Room Handcrafted Bike Basket

Who doesn’t want to be cycling through the summer months with a super cute wicker bike basket to carry their freshly baked baguettes and handpicked flowers?

Buy the Basket Room Handcrafted Bike Basket

Partner in Wine Bottle

Wether you’re heading down to the beach or to a picnic in a park, the Partner in Wine insulated bottle will keep your rosé perfectly cool for all your alfresco drinking needs.

Buy the Partner in Wine Bottle

Deja Mind Balance

Your mind is your most powerful tool for running you business so looking after it should be a priority. Deja’s Mind balance is an adaptogenic blend of 11 Ayurvedic super-herbs which help you to combat stressful days, boost focus, and promote calm.

Buy Deja Mind Balance.

Puresport Unwind CBD & Nootropic Oil

Designed to optimise sleep quality and regulate a healthy sleep pattern, Puresport’s Unwind CBD & Nootropic Oil is your perfect nighttime partner.

Buy Puresport’s CBD & Nootropic Oil.

Fully Cora Standing Desk Converter

Equipping your office with a standing desk converter ensures that you’re looking after your body as you work. We love this one from Fully because it’s so versatile and easy to use.

Buy the Fully Cora Standing Desk Converter.

Ace & Tate Pierce Large Blue Light Glasses

These Ace & Tate blue light glasses will help you protect your eyes whilst you’re having screen time, plus you’ll look super stylish in these beautiful frames.

Buy the Ace & Tate Pierce Large glasses.

Tried and Tested: 4-Day Work Week

Alana — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 11:17:52 +0000

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed the headlines about 4-day work weeks. With trials taking place in the UK and businesses offering staff more flexibility than ever, many of us hope a 4-day work week will soon become the norm.

A wealth of research has shown that a 4-day work week can increase productivity, is better for the planet, boosts employee engagements and benefits families, particularly mothers.

As someone who’s adopted a 4-day work week for over a year now*, I’m sharing my experience.

About me

I’m a freelance writer & marketing consultant, and I typically work with 4-6 core clients at any time.

In April 2021, I trialled a 4-day work week for a month for an article I was writing. By the end of it, I was sold! Beforehand, the pandemic had killed my work-life balance, and I was working – albeit not very hard – 7 days a week. So, to reclaim my free time and sanity, I jumped at the chance to try a new way of working.

I took every Friday off for the trial, completely ignoring any emails and non-urgent tasks until Monday.

Work-life balance

Once upon a time, I wanted to be really, really rich. However, in recent years, I realised I wanted to be time-rich instead of cash-rich. As cliché as it sounds, we can always make more money, but time is something we can’t get back or buy.

It’s safe to say my mental health improved by having an extra 24 hours for myself each week. My Fridays quickly became a day to be completely selfish, filled with lazy mornings, yoga sessions and coffee dates. What made a real difference was that most of my friends were still working Fridays, so it felt like free time with no expectations from anyone else. In short, a 4-day work week made me noticeably happier.

Getting shit done

When I decided to pack my schedule into four days each week, I knew it would mean transforming the way I work. I’ve tried many productivity hacks and found what works for me. Now, I time-block each day, track my time and cut off all distractions to allow for deep work.

If you don’t like strict schedules like me, you might avoid time-blocking. However, my advice to you is to try it. Parkinson’s law is the adage that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” So, if you allow yourself an hour to complete a task that you could do in 30 minutes, it will take you an hour. Time-blocking is the perfect antidote.

Getting paid

It seems too good to be true when you hear people telling you that you can do less and earn more. However, I quickly found out that is indeed possible. In the 20/21 tax year, my total freelance income was £38,235.75. For the 21/22 tax year, it was £57,340.00.

Not only was I earning more, but my expenses halved as I no longer employed an assistant. The secret? By reducing my working capacity, I was more selective over clients and projects, prioritising work that gave me the highest return on my investment. Prioritising this way had a domino effect as working with higher-paying clients led to more high-paying work referrals. Side note; it’s true what they say, the lower the budget, the higher the audacity.

As a freelancer, I know that my work gives me much more flexibility than others. However, if you can trial a 4-day week or make it happen for your team, I highly recommend it!

*I’m a big believer in being transparent regarding business. In April 2022, I launched my new venture, Umara Jewellery. Leading to the launch, I was putting in more hours than usual and my 4-day week went out the window for a while.

Check out Umara Jewellery at https://weareumara.com/

Meet The Founders Bossing Their Own Biz While Managing Chronic Illnesses

Lucy — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 14:20:36 +0000

We spoke to three incredible business owners living with chronic illnesses about their experiences of entrepreneurship and illness, what strategies they use to help them day to day and what advice they have for fellow business owners with their own diagnosis.

Jessica Sophia Bruno is a creative content coach and founder of The Content Club. At 18 years old she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

Jess said:

At 18 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, at 22 Interstitial Cystitis, at 25 SVT (heart condition) and now, at 30 I’ve got a High Blood Pressure and suffer with anxiety.

In contrast, at 18 I got my first events management job, at 22 I ran a thriving children’s event department for one of the largest cinema chains in the UK, at 25 I ran an award-winning marketing campaign which lead to sell out events and now at 30 I’m working for myself and guiding social media marketing campaigns and coaching services for small creative brands and businesses.

Unlike many others, It wasn’t the pandemic that thrust me into freelancing, though it did help. In December 2019 my health started rapidly declining, From January to March of 2020 I was off sick a lot and then hello pandemic, goodbye full time employment. (It was a blessing truly, I am so happy to be working on my own terms now). It took about a year to get into the swing of running my own biz whilst juggling my health, but it’s so worth it.

Spoiler, stepping into entrepreneurship didn’t heal me. In fact, it’s pushed my body to the limit a few times. Here’s somethings I’ve learnt along the way, some resources, some real and raw advice for achieving your dreams as an auto-immune warrior.

Set Boundaries

What are your triggers? Mine are stress, negativity and sitting down for too long. How can you avoid these at all costs? I’ve re-organised my packages to work around my health. For me that means more consulting and less “done for you” work.

Prioritise Your Biz

It’s easy to put your clients first, especially in the beginning because they’re actually giving you money. My biz came second and my health came 10385389th. It’s health first, then everything else. Always.

Have honest conversations with your clients

Before someone signs a contract with me for long term work I have “The Talk” with them. I tell them my intentions for the project and also explain the nature of my disease. So far, nobody has backed-out of working with me.

Give yourself strict opening hours

Do not be flexible here, even if you’ve been sick for a week but are feeling better over the weekend, do not work over the weekend. Personally I work from 10 to 6 pm from Monday to Thursday. I choose to start at 10 because my mornings are spent sorting out my pain levels or assessing how many hot water bottles I may need to have on hand.

Curate your community

Surround yourself with a support system. One who gets chronic illness and business, one of my 2021 goals is to create a community for women in business with chronic illness, but there are some great pages out there. I recommended following @youlookokaytome.

Have an emergency fund

If you can, save up to one month’s living costs and pop it in an emergency fund account. If you need to take a month off, money is one less thing to worry about.

Joe Mitton is the founder of health and fitness company MittFit. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease nearly 3 years ago and has since had the diagnosis changed to Wegner’s Vasculitis.

Joe said:

I am often asked how I manage to get so much done every day and how I live such an active lifestyle, even more so when they find out I live with a chronic condition but factoring in the intense work periods alongside structured rest periods is definitely the secret to my success.

The conditions affect me differently day to day but the biggest symptoms I suffer with are inflammation, chronic fatigue and a lack of appetite – things that are less than ideal when working in fitness! I can sometimes go long periods without eating because of the lack of appetite and this affects my focus and energy levels. To overcome this, I set timers for intense work periods and allow myself to rest afterwards. I also use homemade smoothies to keep my nutrient intake up – spinach, cucumber, ginger and water is my favourite recipe. This helps to reduce inflammation and also aids with digestion.

The hardest but most efficient way I have found of managing these symptoms is simply learning to accept them for what they are. I have very long days, a very busy life, I work a lot and I do 1-2 hours of intense exercise each day. This, combined with nowhere near enough food, would lead anyone to feel tired at the end of the day. Accepting the symptoms for what they are allows me to manage my life better, factor in power naps as and when I need them (anything 0-30 minutes is optimal, for me I have found 17 minutes is perfect).

Yuos’sima Dineen is founder of The Trauma Sanctuary, she was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia several years ago.

Yuos’sima said:

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and it completely re directed my whole life. It has been several years since that diagnosis, but I have made many changes. I have since got divorced and qualified to become a spiritual life coach, so I can live life on my own terms. For me it was a huge wake up call. I won’t say it’s been an overnight process, I’ve spent years doing inner work and identifying what created this and I’ve also had to make many routine changes. I now have a strict day to day structure in which I must honour my own well-being. It taught me that I must and always will be my number one priority.

Following my diagnosis I changed my whole life. I changed my eating to plant based, after discovering medical medium. I started reiki healing and meditation, in which I went onto become a quantum master healer and a spiritual life coach to help others. I also must honour my own well-being and put my own needs first. It’s been a journey of love for self. I completely changed any old habits and coping mechanisms that may not have been healthy and live a very well lifestyle.

Out of love for others going through this experience, I would advise buying my book The Truth to Trauma on Amazon. This can feel a very lonely path, but you are not alone. The reason I put my story out into the world was so that others can also start those shifts in their life as I did, to change their life. I deeply believe everything is a blessing and this is a opportunity to look at what our body is trying to tell us and how we are mis-aligned with ourselves. One of the things I would say is this a deep inward journey and you have the opportunity to become a better leader by showing up for yourself. It’s a new paradigm of leadership in which we have the opportunity to change, to stop sacrificing our well-being in order to serve others. So rather than your business being an example of the legacy you want to create in this world. Be a true leader by healing yourself. That is what I have to say. You are worthy of that. It is possible.

Queer Biz Icons – G(end)er Swap Founder Santi Sorrenti

Alana — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 14:51:00 +0000

G(end)er Swap is is the first LGBTIQ+ clothing outreach organisation that supports trans and gender non-conforming individuals to access clothes and community via style workshops, pop ups and consultancy. We chatted with founder Santi Sorrenti about the inspo behind the business, the highs and lows of running it and what's in store for the future.

What inspired you to create G(end)er Swap?

I always thrifted my clothes and worked on DIY projects to create my own outfits. When I was questioning my gender and wanted to experiment with my expression, I turned to charity shops to find my clothes because high street shops often barred me from using the men’s change room and clothes were out of price range for finding an entirely new wardrobe. In 2017, before I started G(end)er Swap, I was looking for queer clothes swaps or clothing organisations at a time when I felt a lot of gender confusion, needed a space to meet like-minded individuals and to freely express myself. I couldn’t find much besides one off clothing swap events at universities. So, I decided to combine my style experiences, creative tendencies and a need for more gender affirming spaces to create G(end)er Swap!

What makes you different from other clothing swap initiatives?

G(end)er Swap started off as a clothes swap initiative in 2017 but since then, it has evolved into a clothing outreach organisation. G(end)er Swap doesn’t only put on clothes swap events, but we also deliver style support services: workshops to learn how to find your personal sense of style, how to up-cycle your clothes or how to apply makeup. G(end)er Swap is the first and only style outreach organisation of its kind in the UK (and Europe). Our mission is to support trans and gender non-conforming individuals to find clothes and community while equipping the wider LGBTIQ+ community with the creative knowledge to put together their own gender affirming wardrobe with a sustainable and anti-mainstream approach.

What do you think it is about your brand that resonates with your audience?

G(end)er Swap is very much anti- fashion as it promotes the idea that there is no such thing as something being ‘in’ or ‘out’ of style. We also maintain that any gender can wear whatever they want and that expressing yourself doesn’t have to be expensive, ‘trendy’ or fit into any particular (gender) norm. The fashion world is an intimidating place that doesn’t prioritise LGBTIQ+ bodies or experiences and so G(end)er Swap provides a safe alternative for gender-diverse audiences to explore their expression -free of judgment and with inclusive resources. G(end)er Swap is also a community building initiative and very much a share economy in which community members exchange style knowledge, clothes and other skills between each other at events and across our online platforms. Our brand really invites everyone in to participate. This non-hierarchical approach really resonates with our audiences. I think also G(end)er Swap is fun, quirky and a bit fringe in its approach to (DIY) style: neon orange branding, quirky style hack videos and events that push the usual queer event blueprint – this is compelling to a lot of our followers.

Do you have any tips for other brands wanting to connect on a deeper level with their audiences?

Include your audiences in the work that you do. Platform other voices besides your own and really think ‘outside the box’ in terms of what content you are delivering. Particularly on social media, we sometimes feel coerced into following a particular online trend thinking that it is the only way to draw audiences in. I really recommend you focus on your own unique rhetoric, visual media and resources that don’t just mimic the information that’s already out there.

Accessibility is also a big factor. To connect on a deeper level to your audiences it’s important that you are relatable, affordable and in touch with current issues. Your audiences want to see that you are a ‘real’ person too and that you have factored in diverse experiences and identities into your work. With pride season arriving this is particularly important! Don’t just slap a rainbow flag on an Instagram infographic but create spaces for folks to thrive, share their knowledge and feel part of something big.

Tell us a bit more about the types of events G(end)er Swap have put on in the past and the kind you want to put on in the future

Since its inception G(end)er Swap has put on 100’s of events! Some of the most memorable events have been in collaboration with LUSH Cosmetics (in England and Wales) where we have put on clothes swap events, makeup and self-care workshops too. The events were in store and private spaces were allocated to trans folks to experiment with their expression. G(end)er Swap has also collaborated with MAC Cosmetics on private makeup events as well as in person and online style events in collaboration with Oxford Pride, Pride Cymru, Nomadic Youth and Mermaids to name a few. The events have taught folks how to find a gender affirming style, how to mend their clothes, how to create your own DIY patches or to create a new garment using old ones. One event I’d love to put on in the future is a G(end)er Swap fashion show!

What's the biggest challenge you've overcome with running your own biz?

The biggest challenge I have overcome is honestly running my own business. Prior to G(end)er Swap, the closest I got to running something on my own was when I worked as a freelance makeup artist. However, running G(end)er Swap was my first stab at being a biz owner and I have learned so much! From managing funding applications, to creating social media content, managing press enquiries, stock takes, event planning and marketing – you name it. I really feel like I overcame such a scary task to develop the organisation of my dreams.

How do you like to relax and Align yourself as a biz owner?

I really like to get out of my daily environment and go traveling: see something new, experience new foods and sensory experiences in a completely different geographical location. I really like to take time outs from my phone and work on creative up cycling projects on my down time. Dancing, connecting with friends and exercising is really important for me to do on my days off. I really enjoy researching new interests too. Intellectually it feels nourishing but it also informs the work that I do so I can come back with more new and exciting ideas when the time is right. Taking breaks and resting is something I often have to remind myself to do but it’s a much more sustainable way to carry on long term and to avoid burn out.

What's the big dream for G(end)er Swap?

To be globally renowned, to have physical locations where folks can pick up clothes and receive ongoing style support, to engage with various creative institutions to change the way they write policies and create inclusive environments for trans folks. To develop my consultancy work which supports businesses to create more trans inclusive retail environments. Is that too much?

Check out G(end)er Swap on Instagram here, and head to their website at https://genderswap.org/.

Brighton Beach House Launches

Lucy — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 15:36:47 +0000

One of the world's most famous members clubs has finally landed in Brighton after much anticipation. Located on Madeira Drive in a prime beach-front location overlooking Brighton pier, Brighton Beach House is the members’ club from Soho House group with spaces to eat, drink and relax, a dipping pool with a terrace looking out to sea, and event spaces.

One of the many reasons we love living in Brighton is 365 days a year holiday vibes. From the beach to the vibrant night life to the colourful cafes and shops, living here sometimes feels like a permanent vacation.

One thing our amazing city was yet to offer is a boujie rooftop pool destination – enter Brighton Beach House. Most definitely bringing the boujie vacay vibes, the new venue is absolutely stunning both inside and out. Think art-deco Miami beach style with retro- plush furniture, plenty of palm trees, sun-loungers and mint-striped awnings.

Clever decor touches such as scalloped edges of parasols nodding to beach hut architecture, colour schemes mimicking Brighton seafront railings, and a collection of fun quirky artworks by local residents give the venue a whimsical feel. The two-floor venue somehow still feels very Brighton.

In fact, the artworks are one of our favourite parts of the venue, especially the David Shrigley banana mosaic on the bottom of the banana shaped dipping pool.

Brighton Beach House’s art collection includes ‘The Brighton Beacon Collection’, guest curated by Queer art specialist Gemma Rolls-Bentley. The Beacon collection comprises of work from an international line up of LBGTQIA+ artists and is a love letter to Brighton as a historical beacon city for the queer community.

And what of the food offering at Brighton Beach House? The good-time holiday vibes continue at Cecconi’s restaurant on the rooftop.

Serving authentic Venetian-inspired dishes using the finest ingredients, Club Cecconi’s is the UK’s first in-House Cecconi’s restaurant. It features a mix of dining and lounge-style seating, and its regularly rotating menu offers restaurant favourites such as Spaghetti Lobster in a puttanesca sauce, Chicken Milanese, Rigatoni Bolognese, and melt-in-your-mouth Tuna Tartare.

Founded in 1995 by Nick Jones, Soho House is a home for interesting and diverse people to come together,
share ideas, make connections and foster creativity in all its forms. Today there are members and Houses
around the world, and the first UK Soho House by the sea has been designed as a comfortable home away
from home for Brighton’s thriving creative community.

To find out more about memberships with Brighton Beach House, visit their website here.

Hotel Review: Port Hotel in Eastbourne

Alana — Fri, 27 May 2022 13:34:08 +0000

We recently paid a visit to Port Hotel, a beautifully chic seaside bolthole in Eastbourne, and we’re ready to give you the low-down on what to expect from a stay at this beachfront hotel.

Location

We’re calling it now – Eastbourne is severely underrated. After our visit, we were left wondering where it’s getting its bad rep from, with its laid-back, almost tropical vibe making us feel like we were in Spain at some points. The beachfront and surrounding areas are decked out with vibrant greenery and flowers that look like they belong on a sandy sun-drenched island, and there are quaint ice cream stalls and parlours dotted about that give off major beach holiday vibes. In the town, there are plenty of food and drink gems, with independent wine bars, relaxed brunch spots, bustling cocktail bars and à la carte restaurants. There are also a ton of different activities you can try out in Eastbourne, from walking tours of the South Downs to contemporary art gallery visits to giving adventurous watersports a go. You’re certainly not going to run out of spots to try out or things to do if you’re there for a few days.

Overall vibe

Port’s vibe is super-calming, with its pebble-palette interiors leaving you feeling laid back whether you’re relaxing in your room, in the lounge or on the terrace. The hotel’s attention to detail both with design and amenities makes you feel seriously pampered, and lets you feel completely at peace knowing you’ve got every little thing you could need. We left feeling completely rejuvenated as if we’d had the best massage of our lives. Port most definitely passes the vibe check.

Bedrooms

Port’s bedrooms are the stuff of dreams. Thanks to our sea-facing views, the rooms were always beautifully light, helping to emphasise the tranquility of the pastel-painted walls and furniture. The bathrooms were as well-lit as the bedroom and the shower alone made the visit to Port incredible, with its waterfall head making you feel as though you’re in a Herbal Essences advert, plus we need to find out where they got their matte stone sinks from because having one of our own is now an absolute must. Back in the bedroom, the beds were so ridiculously comfortable, and the duvet so wonderfully soft that getting out of them in the morning was an incredibly difficult job. The best thing about Port’s bedrooms were all the little touches, from eye masks and earplugs next to the beds, to binoculars by the window, to coffee pods and camomile tea, every addition made us feel seriously well looked after.

Food & drink

Port’s food menu is designed to celebrate local produce and changes with the seasons. Each dish features freshly sourced ingredients that showcase the best of the surrounding areas, with as much as possible being sourced within a 30-mile radius of Port. It’s safe to say we’re still dreaming of their brunch dishes, which we enjoyed whilst basking in the sun out on the terrace. Every ingredient was bursting with flavour and was perfectly cooked and seasoned, making us vow to return so that we can try out more of their menu. We also couldn’t get enough of Port’s drinks menu. Thanks to their happy hour, which offers 2-4-1 cocktails 4-7pm Sunday-Thursday and 4-6pm Friday and Saturday, we got to try out four of their delicious concoctions – but even picking that many was difficult with every cocktail on the menu sounding incredible. As well as cocktails, the Luna bar offers a huge variety of local spirits, beer and wine, and is an area of the hotel you can easily spend hours in, sipping on a glass of something whilst watching the world go by.

The verdict

Port should absolutely be a destination on your weekend-away list. With a location that allows you to make the most of nature, a town that boasts tons of great hidden gems, and a space that doesn’t skip on a single detail, it’s a place you’ll never want to leave and will always want to come back to.

Visit Port’s website at https://www.porthotel.co.uk/ and check out their Instagram at @stayatport.

How to be Your Own Wellbeing Champion When You Work for Yourself

Alana — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 14:00:49 +0000

Words by Sophie Coulthard, founder of Fidleaf.

Think back to when you first started your business. You knew it would be hard work, but you possibly also looked forward to the flexibility and freedom that working for yourself would offer. Maybe you’d be able to go to that lunchtime gym class you never could attend before. Or take Friday afternoons off to sip rosé with friends. Book into a cute AirBNB in the New Forest to work on something creative and get some quality fresh air.

Honestly, have you had the time to do any of those things since working for yourself? The chances are you’ve got a never-ending to do list, spend most evenings on your laptop on the sofa and the lunchtime gym class? Never happens!

We imagine that working for ourselves will bring about better work life balance, but the reality is that when you are the boss, your wellbeing often gets pushed down the agenda.

Why wellbeing is important for entrepreneurs and freelancers

You owe it to yourself to prioritise your wellbeing. Your wellbeing will power your work performance, so the more effort that you put into it, the more you will get out of work and life. Our research at FidlLeaf shows that when people don’t look after themselves and are stressed or run down it slows down problem solving ability and strategic thinking, drains creative thinking and makes people less intuitive, yet all of these things are pretty critical for success!

There is a fantastic book called Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang that dispels the myth that the harder we work the better the outcome. Deliberate rest and taking time for yourself to fulfil yourself outside of work actually helps to make you more productive, have sharper ideas and more energy.

Companies are starting to realise this and are putting wellbeing policies in place or creating wellbeing champions to drive a culture change where wellbeing is encouraged and emphasised. Their policies might include an email ban outside of working hours to give employees time to switch off, and walking meetings so that everyone can brainstorm and get fresh air at the same time. There’s no reason why these policies can’t be pinched and adapted for solo workers, and it’s worth spending some time carving out a wellbeing policy-of-sorts for yourself.

Building a framework around wellbeing

It might sound a bit silly to write an entire wellbeing policy for one person, but even just a few bullet points on paper with some simple commitments, like taking an afternoon a week to work from a coffee shop to break out of the isolation of the home office might be a positive move for your wellbeing.

At FidlLeaf, we created a workplace wellbeing guide that focuses on four areas that were found in research from A Great Place To Work to be the key drivers of wellbeing in the workplace. I like to use those as the foundation for any wellbeing policy and think that they could easily be adapted for someone who works alone or runs their own business.

They are:

1. Values Aligned Behaviour

Good companies have strong values that are sewn through the culture of the organisation and their employees will have a strong alignment with those values.

For yourself, it’s worth thinking about your values, but also what you value spending your time on. What parts of your work light you up and inspire you? What could you potentially delegate or spend less time on? As well as this, are you able to work on projects or with clients that fit with your values? It can be difficult when first starting out as you may have to say yes to any work opportunity, but at some point you may be able to start to refine your ideal client or type of work.

Values aligned behaviour can go even further and become part of your pricing structure, marketing and sales strategy. It’s about what feels good for you and it may take a little time to really figure this out.

2. Teamwork

If you work on your own this one can be tricky! Feeling like you’re part of a team and contributing to teamwork is proven to have a positive influence on wellbeing, but how do you do that when you’re a team of one?

Joining a community of like-minded business owners is a great way to feel the team spirit. You’ll feel included, empowered and make friends. It will also save you from talking shop with your partner every night because you’ll have people who ‘get it’ that you can bounce ideas off. You could search for something local or join an online group or membership. I met my own group of ‘business besties’ on a facebook page through being fans of the same business podcast. We’ve been supporting each other for over 4 years through Slack, Zoom catch ups and occasional real-life meetings.

Another idea is to arrange co-working sessions with friends who either work for themselves or are working from home. Arrange to meet at a coffee shop and have a catch up and then get stuck into work. I try to do this every other week with a friend of mine and even though we do completely different jobs, there’s something nice about quietly typing away with someone nearby that you can occasionally break to chat with. For me it gives me that ‘office environment’ that I sometimes miss, and weirdly I find that I’m my most productive in a bustling coffee shop!

3. Processes

Processes don’t get featured in too many company wellbeing initiatives, but they should. Poor or clunky systems, policies and processes cause stress to employees, because they cause friction in day-to-day work life.

The same applies to people who work for themselves. Can you pinpoint exactly where certain important documents are? Do you have templates for emails you have to send out regularly? Have you got a folder with all of your brand assets neatly labelled and ready to send at the drop of a hat?

Taking the time to review your processes and have an admin audit could make a significant impact on the rest of your week, month and year. By getting organised you’re reducing the friction and frustration that comes with not being able to find things easily. Putting systems and processes in place for tasks that you repeat will save you time in the long run. You may need to set yourself a monthly reminder to review your processes and don’t forget to clear your downloads folder or organise your receipts at the same time.

4. Recognition

If you’ve ever had a great boss then you’ll know how it feels to be recognised for all of your hard work. A simple “thank you” can go such a long way at the end of a tough week. Many companies build recognition into their wellbeing plan, sometimes using a newsletter or notice board to highlight staff achievements. But when there’s no one else giving you a pat on the back, how can you do it yourself?

Think about what good recognition would look like for you. Do you appreciate a nice reward? Then make sure to book yourself in for a pedicure or take yourself out for lunch once you’ve completed that project. Does praise make you feel on top of the world? Create a ‘brag folder’ to save any client testimonials or kind words from customers. The brag folder also has multiple benefits – you can turn to it whenever you need to hear some positive words, but you can also share the snippets across your social media channels to help build your credibility and reputation.

However you decide to recognise yourself, it’s important to commit to it. Working alone can feel thankless, so you may need to pop a reminder in your diary to note your achievements at the end of each month and figure out a way to celebrate them.

Creating a wellbeing policy for yourself

The four drivers of workplace wellbeing make a great foundation for a wellbeing policy that you can create for yourself. It may consist of a few regular reminders in your diary, or you could get creative and design a poster with your wellbeing commitments and have it hung somewhere near your desk.

As you can see, wellbeing for business owners doesn’t have to be about taking a bubble bath or booking into a yoga class. It’s about finding out what will drive and power your own wellbeing and that could be different from person to person. Wellbeing is about more than self care, it could be about reducing loneliness, protecting your self worth, or feeling a sense of value and purpose.

Business owners wear many hats for the different roles in their business… make sure ‘wellbeing champion’ is one of them!

–

Sophie Coulthard is the co-founder of FidlLeaf, a workplace wellbeing company and personal development platform that powers wellbeing both inside and outside of work using Nobel-Prize nominated science. FidlLeaf has been featured in Forbes and works with corporate companies, tech, government and fashion brands.

What I Learned From: Becoming Addicted To Work and Toxic Productivity During The Pandemic

Lucy — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 11:22:18 +0000

Daisy Morris, founder of The Selfhood shares her story. With nothing else to do during the pandemic and the boundaries between work and life blurred, many of us turned to working longer hours than we should, as social media glamourised hustle culture, and made celebrities out of online biz success stories. As we slowly adjust back to normality, a generation of entrepreneurs are redefining what 'success' means to them.

The word ‘success’ historically made me feel a bit uneasy. When I used to hear or say the word out loud I’d have this visual connotation of material objects that would flash to my mind: a really expensive watch, someone holding a briefcase, a slick suit and really swanky office buildings. Essentially, anything related to corporate ‘work’. Interestingly, when you type ‘success’ into google the two below descriptions appear:

“the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.”
“the attainment of fame, wealth, or social status.”

Even more interesting, when you take a peep and browse google images the majority of the image feature clip arts made up of white men carrying brief cases, some even running up stairs that seem to depict some kind of ‘heaven’ (some may argue an escape route from corporate world but I’m not an art critic so I’ll leave that for another day)

For a long time I believed that the clip arts were a visual manifestation of future of success, I genuinely believed that to be a respected and accomplished person I needed to work my fucking arse off day and night. I’m a bit embarrassed to say this now but I aspired to have material objects that would one day act as my museum of achievements. I often had thoughts that went a bit like this: ‘I’ll be successful when… I own the massive house in London, when… my business is turning over 7 figures, when… I can buy a holiday home in the bahamas and drink pina coladas for breakfast”.

That all changed when I started finding clumps of my own hair in the shower and started having stress related heart palpitations. Like many of us the pandemic blurred my lines between 9-5 and I found myself working 8am-10pm sometimes later and without coming up for air because, really, there was nothing else to do. I became addicted to the adrenaline of working on multiple projects, I subconsciously attached my own worth and validation to being ‘needed’ aka ‘booked and busy’. I became so dissociated from my own self that I allowed myself to become really, really sick.

It was until a Doctor told me I needed to slow down that I realized the damage I had done. I walked home from the hospital feeling numb, disappointed and so confused. How had this happened? (I knew, but I couldn’t quite face that I’d done it to myself) I spent the rest of the day feeling so angry at myself. I realised that for the last 6 months I had been an anxious, emotional, easily triggered, irritated, tired and lifeless little soul. I had poured all my energy in to my work and appearing ‘together’ for my clients that there was no more juice left in the tank and my poor body had taken a battering.

So I decided to step back, I cut my work load down by a significant amount, and paused or cancelled upcoming projects that I couldn’t fulfill in the state I was in. I spent the month of August working enough to cover my bills and cost of living and spent the rest of the time doing the things that bring me back to me. I had genuinely become so disillusioned by the destination of a clip art ladder that I forgot to even take a moment to enjoy the process, let alone evaluate what wasn’t working.

The trouble with burn out (and I do believe burn out to be a problematic concept in our modern society) is that it’s become a bit of a buzzword. A badge of honour some might say. Nowadays it’s really not uncommon to hear people say ‘I’m feeling burned out’ and not feel alarmed because it’s become such a common theme throughout our work life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we’re being more open and honest about our physical and mental health but we shouldn’t be normalising exhaustion and poor health in the name of ‘success’.

The problem is, we live in a hamster wheel of announcement culture where we’re constantly inundated by updates from others sharing their accomplishments, promotions, pay rises, new houses, new partners, screen shots of long haul flights with a countdown timer, and everything else that accelerates the speed in which we get to the top of that imaginary clip art ladder. So we keep pushing, and pushing until we reach clip art ‘success’.

I’ll be honest I’ve had to work through some deep conditioning, I still have those pangs of guilt and thoughts, ‘I need to be doing more’. It’s taken me a long time to understand that rest is productive and my friends, family, partner and business get the best of me when I’m well rested.

Success for me is happiness. It’s starting work at 11am because I went to my favourite gym class, it’s clocking off at 6pm to play netball with my mates, it’s meeting friends for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon because why not? It’s impromptu Fridays off, It’s spending my weekends with the people I love rather than chained to my desk, it’s creativity for fun and not monetisation, it’s taking time for myself without feeling like a lazy slob. We get so brainwashed in to believing that we’ve ‘made it’ when we’ve got the objects to show it, the accolades to announce and yes, those things are still great to aspire to. I’m not saying we need to bin our shoes and head for the hills and start living off of organic tomatoes and sleeping in hammocks. What I am saying is that we need to make space for those things and work towards them at a rate that works for us and not against us.

We need to evaluate if those things are even important to us in the first place, or if we aspire to them because we’re told we should. My advice to anyone working towards any dream is this: nothing is worth sacrificing your mental or physical health for, time is the most valuable commodity.

Connect with Daisy https://www.theselfhood.com/

Align Loves: 10 Must-Have Products for 1st Time Business Owners

Alana — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 08:50:14 +0000

Lethally Her Productivity Planner & Notebook

Organisation is key when it comes to running your business. Our go-to stationary pick is the Lethally Her Productivity Planner and Notebook. With in-built budgeting and planning tools, weekly, monthly, and yearly reflections plus valuable business resources for both your self-development and professional development, these will be your business’s new best friend.

Buy the Lethally Her Productivity Planner and Notebook.

Tired Faace Mask

We all need a little perk-me-up for those morning zoom calls. The Tired Faace Mask is perfect for plumping up your skin and making it glow so you can look bright and fresh for your AM meetings.

Buy the Tired Faace Mask.

Nolii Loop

The Nolii Loop lets you live tangle free and will quickly become your new office bestie, helping to cut out any cable clutter that’s hiding behind your desk.

Buy the Nolii Loop.

Batch Coffee Subscription

When it comes to owning and running a business, caffeine is a key ingredient in your daily routine. We love the coffee subscription from Batch Coffee, which delivers your caffeine kick straight to your door.

Buy a Batch Coffee subscription.

EYM Create Candle

We’re suckers for a good candle and the EYM Create Create candle is the perfect desk-top companion. The ingredients are 100% natural and purposely selected to energise, improve cognitive function and reduce stress.

Buy the EYM Create Candle.

NuraTrue Earphones

If you’re having a scroll for TikTok inspo whilst you’re in-office you’re going to need a decent pair of earphones. Our current faves are the NuraTrue earphones which feature active noise cancellation, 6 hour battery life, and award-winning personalised sound.

Buy the NuraTrue earphones.

Deja Mind Balance

Buy Deja Mind Balance.

Puresport Unwind CBD & Nootropic Oil

Designed to optimise sleep quality and regulate a healthy sleep pattern, Puresport’s Unwind CBD & Nootropic Oil is your perfect nighttime partner.

Buy Puresport’s CBD & Nootropic Oil.

Fully Cora Standing Desk Converter

Equipping your office with a standing desk converter ensures that you’re looking after your body as you work. We love this one from Fully because it’s so versatile and easy to use.

Buy the Fully Cora Standing Desk Converter.

Ace & Tate Pierce Large Blue Light Glasses

These Ace & Tate blue light glasses will help you protect your eyes whilst you’re having screen time, plus you’ll look super stylish in these beautiful frames.

Buy the Ace & Tate Pierce Large glasses.

Struggle Meditating? Try These Mindfulness Practices

Alana — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:17:54 +0000

Finding different ways of incorporating wellness into our everyday is so important in helping us to stay healthy and happy, but doing so can seem daunting, time-consuming and not all that easy.

We wanted to start figuring out the best ways in which we can practice wellness regularly, and in a super-achievable way, so we spoke to mindfulness expert Kareen Griffiths.

Kareen is the founder of Calmify, which aims to teach people how to better focus their minds in the present, avoid distractions and overcome the many stresses and barriers which can serve to disrupt our peace, happiness and productivity.

During our chat, we talked about what mindfulness is, how we can start making it a daily-habit and Kareen gave us her top tips for making it work within our working days.

What inspired you to launch Calmify?

My passion for Calmify was born out of a difficult time a few years back when I experienced the grief of losing multiple loved ones over quite a short period. I was feeling a lot of anxiety and I have up work to spend time looking after myself, particularly my mental wellbeing. This led me to begin learning the tools of mindfulness, which really helped me with my grief, learning to live in the present. Because of how much it helped me, the pandemic gave me the opportunity to qualify as a teacher and now I can’t imagine not having these tools; I just wish I’d had them before.

Have you always been good at practising mindfulness?

No. It was difficult at first. The real challenge for me was being able to put the time aside to focus purely on exploring myself; my own mind. However, once I started trying, my curiosity started to grow and I began to notice what stillness felt like for me. It was an incredibly comforting experience.

Now I’ve got to the point where, as I teach it to others, it feels so natural. Mindfulness is always with me, and it has allowed me to connect so much better with people. It’s sort of like my mobile phone, only much, much less distracting!

What is mindfulness and how is it different from meditation?

I like to describe mindfulness in a very simple way; it’s about noticing being in the present and incorporating that into your day. So you can practice mindful walking, mindful eating, and you can even be mindful while listening to music – that one is my favourite!

Meditation, on the other hand, is when you put time aside – ideally 10 minutes a day – to sit and have dedicated mindful practice. In the same way you would train for a run, dedicated practice is how you ‘build the muscle’ of mindfulness.

Why do you think some people struggle with meditation?

Sometimes we have a constant chatter in our minds and it can be hard to switch that off. We can also have expectations of ourselves which are too high and become discouraged when our practice doesn’t immediately show results. Instead, we should be kind to ourselves and okay with doing things little by little.

Almost everything in modern life is about speed and expediency; we are never really encouraged or taught to be still, and many people find it hard to let go of these expectations. That is why it is a practice. Again, I come to the analogy: you wouldn’t run a marathon without training your body, and likewise you cannot expect to be calm if you don‘t take the time to practice it.

Do you have a morning routine that sets you up for the day?

I have a young child, so I have to be realistic and flexible. The phone is one of the last things I pick up so the day doesn’t run away with me! I try to be mindful while getting myself ready. When brushing my teeth, I notice how the water and toothpaste feel in my mouth, and, in the shower, how the water feels on my skin. Before I open my laptop to start work, I spend 10 minutes just sitting with myself.

I’m not always consistent but I know that if I don’t practice mindfulness in the morning, I will later in the day.

What kinds of techniques can business owners use to practise more mindfulness during their working day?

As a business owner myself, I try to refrain from saying I’m busy, as it is just a natural state of affairs! It’s just the way it is. But that doesn’t mean that mindfulness has to take a backseat. There are multiple opportunities throughout a busy day to practice. For example, I tend to use my tea breaks as an opportunity to be mindful; I drink my tea slowly while looking out of the window, savouring a moment in silence. Not that mindfulness has to mean silence. Every day, I listen to a piece of music. Sometimes, I will have a dance – even this can be done mindfully!

It is important to book what I call ‘meet me’ time in your diary. This is where I will take 5 minutes in between meetings to sit in silence and connect to my senses.

The STOP meditation is really good to help you notice when you’re stuck in autopilot:

S – See. See the situation taking place and what you are doing

T – Think. What am I thinking?

O – Observe. Look around you. What is actually happening?

P – Proceed. Decide how you want to proceed and trust your decision making.

What are the benefits of practising mindfulness?

Many people correctly associate mindfulness with the alleviation of stress, but the benefits also go beyond that. Mindfulness can help you improve your focus, your sleep and the choices you make everyday.

The mindfulness tools you learn during a Calmify experience can help you to become more present in all the moments of your life; to truly tune into yourself, without distraction. You can begin to understand yourself more deeply and learn to acknowledge your flaws – the first step to improving yourself. You can begin to share yourself more fully with others, whether they be colleagues, friends or loved ones. It will help you to better cope with whatever life can throw at you.

What services does Calmify offer?

Calmify offers mindfulness experiences for individuals, as one-to-one sessions or taster sessions, for businesses and for events, such as Festivals.