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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search
to find that voice can be remarkably difficult. 

– Melinda Gates
Black and white image of three ladies Photo of Congress
Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash

In the early twentieth century, Emmeline Pankhurstled
led the suffragette movement to get British
women the right to vote.
Her voice, accompanied by the voices of
thousands of other women, was finally
heard in 1928 when women over the age
of 21 were granted a vote. 

Decades later, British women and women
around the world, use their votes to voice
and support views, opinions, and ideas that shape
modern society. 

The voices of Emmeline and the women who come before us echo through
history to remind us how important it is to speak up for ourselves and others. 

What happens when you lose your voice?

We often need to speak up when we feel a boundary has been violated. 

Reinforcing a boundary can conflict with your desire to be accepted
or avoid conflict and punishment. If you have had negative experiences
while advocating for yourself and being assertive, you are likely to shy away. 

But as Malala Yousafzai once said
‘We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.’ 

When you remain silent, you internalize the emotional fallout and lose
your self-esteem, self-worth, and confidence. And to deal with the distress,
you will be forced to rationalize behaviour that does not align with your
values and beliefs.

How To Find Your Voice

Women Who Run With the Wolves Book Cover
Photo by Guilherme Almeida on Pexels.com

Even when your voice has been muted, ignored, and
punished, you can reclaim it, stand up against a bully, and
negotiate a better salary.
Here is what you can do: 

1.   Understand Your Body. 

If your boundary is violated, you may experience a physical or
emotional nudge to speak out.
You may feel your breathing quicken or feel a lump in your throat. 

Understanding these nudges prevents you from interpreting
the sensations as threats and helps you identify instances
when you need to speak. 

2.   Avoid Apologizing And Over-Explaining. 

If you aren’t used to standing up for yourself, you might notice yourself
apologizing or overly explaining your motives. These actions often steal
focus from your message and accomplishments and water down your
argument. 

Apologizing when you are wrong is the right move, but avoid doing
it unnecessarily. And always remember that speaking up is a right, and
those listening to you are not doing you a favour, so do not make excuses.

3.   Identify Trigger Phrases That Prompt You To Speak Up. 

The emotional or physical nudge you get to speak out often resembles
a fight, flight or freeze response. If you are prone to flight or freeze
responses, the following phrases might help you speak up. 

4.   Know Your Rights

Women speaking

Women often fail to speak out because
they do not know their rights, especially
in the workplace. Understanding company
policies and escalation procedures will
give you the confidence to stand up for
yourself in case of a violation. 

5.   Use “I” Statements

When communicating your feelings or needs, try to use
“I” statements rather than “you” statements. For example,
instead of saying “You always make me feel upset,” try saying,
“I feel upset when I feel like you are not listening to me.” 

Such statements help express your feelings without placing blame
on the other person.

Do Not Be Silent

A safe book with the words You Can't Find Your Voice If You Don't Use It
Photo by Hussein Abdullah on Unsplash

Overall, finding your voice involves taking
the time to understand your thoughts, feelings,
and values and expressing them confidently and authentically.
It creates a path to a meaningful life
and allows you to tell your story and take up space. 

Madeleine Albright once said

It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that
I have it, I am not going to be silent.

Do not be silent either. 

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Keep Your Skin Glowing All Year Round

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

“Beauty is in the skin! Take care of it, oil it, clean it, scrub it, perfume it, and put on your best clothes, even if there is no special occasion, and you’ll feel like a queen.” –

Fatima Mernissi
an image of a woman face close up with a silk wrapped on her head
Photo by Aga Wide via Splash

You can keep a healthy, radiant appearance all year long by taking care of your skin. No matter the season—summer, winter, spring, or fall a consistent skincare routine will ensure that your skin stays nourished, hydrated, and protected from environmental stressors.

Get Your Glow Back

The health of your skin generally depends on the products you use, your lifestyle, and your skincare routine. Here are a few tried and tested tips to keep your glow all year round.

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO DOUBLE CLEANSE

Use a gentle cleanser to remove dirt, oil, and makeup from your skin. Avoid harsh, stripping cleansers as they can strip away the natural oils your skin needs to stay healthy. Choose a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser to avoid stripping your skin of its natural oils.

DETOX YOUR SKIN

As you go about your day, toxins accumulate on your skin, making it appear dull and tired. Using a detox face mask at least once a week deep cleanses your pores of bacteria and inflammation. 

We recommend an activated charcoal mask with a blend of kaolin clay, bentonite clay, activated charcoal and tea tree oil. It removes toxins, treats acne and reduces inflammation all in one go. 

GET ENOUGH SLEEP

A photo of a woman peacefully sleeping on a pillow
Photo by Bruce Mars on Unsplash

Ever heard of beauty sleep? Well, getting enough sleep is good for overall health, including the health of your skin. Sleep allows your skin to repair itself, leaving you fresh and rosy in the morning. 

Inadequate sleep increases the production of stress hormones that cause breakouts and blotchy skin. So aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to help your skin look its best.

Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize!

A photo of a female face with an smile floating on water
Photo by Jemei Grai on Unsplash

Skin always feels better after a good moisturizing. Dry air strips your skin of its natural oils, leaving it unable to protect itself from cracking and flakiness. Moisturizing keeps your skin hydrated, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. A good moisturizer boosts your moisture content without leaving your skin oily. We have a collection of moisturizers suitable for every skin type and easy to use after cleansing and exfoliating. And if you need more hydration, you can opt for a hyacinth facial mist that refreshes and soothes your skin.

Hydrate From The Inside Out

Drinking water prevents dry, flaky and itchy skin during dry months and reduces wrinkles. Water helps your body flush out toxins, reduces the occurrence of pimples and leaves you with glowing skin. A few glasses of water will increase blood flow to your skin, automatically improving your complexion.  

Let Your Skin Breathe

A photo of a female smiling with a bloom of orange and red roses on her head
photo by Autumn Goodman on Unsplash

Remember, the best foundation you can wear is glowing, healthy skin. So stop wishing you had good skin and get it.  

Previous Posts

‘Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.’

scrabble tiles that read happy new year
photo by Sincerely Media

It’s that time of year again – the start of a new year, and with it comes the opportunity to set new goals and resolutions. Whether you want to lose weight, save money, or learn a new skill, the beginning of the year is a natural time to reflect on what you want to accomplish.

However, it’s no secret that new year’s resolutions can be hard to stick to. According to a study by the University of Scranton, less than 8% of people achieve their new year’s resolutions. Luckily, there are steps you can take to be part of that successful 8%.  

Why Is It So Hard To Stick To Your New Year’s Resolutions?

There are several reasons why people forget about their New Year’s resolutions. If you find yourself abandoning your goals, it could be due to:

A lack of motivation. Especially if your resolution requires significant changes to your lifestyle or habits.

Insufficient planning. It is easy to lose sight of your goals if your plans are unclear.

Overly ambitious goals. Unrealistic goals are demotivating, especially if you can not see any progress.

A lack of accountability. This allows you to make excuses or give up on your resolutions.  

Making A Change

Here are some tips to help you follow through with your new year’s resolutions and make lasting changes in your life:

Be as specific as possible.  Rather than resolving to “exercise more,” set a specific goal such as “exercise for 30 minutes at least three times a week.” This gives you a clear target to aim for and makes it easier to track your progress.

text surrounded by yellow note posts. Text reads I am a woman on a mission to...
photo by Valentina Conde

Make a plan. Once you have your goal in mind, break it down into smaller, more manageable steps. Then, determine what action you need to take to achieve each small step. For example, if your goal is to save money, your plan might include creating a budget, cutting back on expenses, and saving money each month.

Keep track of your progress. Always track your progress along the way, including small achievements that contribute to the overall goal. Remember, even small achievements can be a great source of motivation.

Find accountability. Have someone else to keep you accountable and motivate you to achieve your goals. It could be a friend, family member, coach or mentor. Having someone to check in with and report your progress to can help you stay on track and avoid getting sidetracked.

Be Kind To yourself. Setbacks and failures are a normal part of the process. So, do not get discouraged if you don’t see immediate progress or if you slip up along the way. Instead, use these setbacks to learn and adjust your approach.

Stay flexible. Life can be unpredictable, So it is important to be flexible with your goals. In case something goes wrong, you can reassess and adjust your goals as you go. Just be sure to keep your ultimate goal in mind and stay focused.

Handwritten calligraphy note that reads "and so the adventure begins"
photo by I’m Nik

As the saying goes, 

‘What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.’

So bring some determination and positive energy, and remember to bet on yourself. 

Cheers to 2023!

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

“The Lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through together.”

– Garrison Keillor

Christmas promises joyful carols, laughter, gifts, and a happy meal with those you love. 

But if we’re being honest, spending Christmas with the extended family can be stressful. You might have to deal with dysfunctional patterns, underlying resentment, unsolicited advice, intrusive questions, and the occasional angry outburst. But don’t despair. You can still have a merry time. Here are a few ways to deal with difficult family members. 

How To Deal With Difficult Family Members Over Christmas

Try Not To Fix Everything And Everyone

blur face of a women seated on a sofa holding a coffee mug - christmas socks are the focus point

If you feel upset about something from the past or feel the urge to confront family members, don’t!

Christmas is not the right time to fix all those festering issues with family. Sometimes, it is just better to bury the hatchet and be cordial for a couple of days. This could set the stage for a better relationship and make it easier for the family to pursue therapy. 

Also, remember it is not up to you to fix everything. Instead, show kindness and compassion.

Get Some Alone Time

Christmas is an overwhelming time, even for the most functional families. There are relatives to catch up with and a lot of group activities. If you ever feel overwhelmed, take a break to recharge. 

You can schedule solo activities such as reading a book, star gazing or meditating. 

Try Not To Regress

Sometimes, family interactions trigger old wounds and coping mechanisms. You may find yourself reacting like your fourteen-year-old self, instead of a healthy adult with better-coping mechanisms.  

This is often frustrating and could leave you feeling vulnerable. Luckily, you are an adult now. So if you catch yourself regressing, take a deep breath and affirm your adulthood by reminding yourself of all your achievements and growth. 

Understand Your Family Member’s Coping Mechanism

Every member of the family has varied personality traits, expectations, and coping mechanisms. All these contribute to a complex family echo system that affects each family member differently. 

More often than not, your relative’s behaviour has nothing to do with you. It is just a way to cope with other family members. So show compassion and empathy and lower your expectations towards their behaviour. 

Set Boundaries

You can always say no to toxic family members, discussions, or triggering activities. Family gatherings are already stressful enough, so set boundaries to protect your mental health and keep you comfortable. 

Your boundaries can look something like coming home only for dessert instead of the whole meal or making it clear that you will not discuss your personal life or relationship. 

Debrief

wood fireplace on the background and a coffee mug and bowl of popcorn on the front

If you feel too overwhelmed by your family get-together, schedule a debrief session with a trusted family member, friend, or therapist. 

This session allows you to discuss stressful interactions and negative emotions that may worsen if left unchecked. It will help you reflect on your relationships and coping mechanisms and help you identify a way forward.

Even the most dysfunctional families have a little bit of love and joy to share. So let it be a season of happiness and healing. Cheers.

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