Don’t worry if you haven’t. A lot of people haven’t come across the term and it’s only recently that the acronym has become common in the paint and decorating industry. VOC stands for ‘volatile organic compound’ and refers to the airborne particles released as gasses by certain liquids or solids. This is commonly referred to as ‘off-gassing’. Smells such as newly painted walls, freshly varnished flooring and the interior of a new car all signify newness but sadly not freshness nor healthiness. 

Where our furniture, bedding and textiles used to be untreated woods and natural fibres, we are now increasingly exposed to flame-retardants, polyurethanes, formaldehyde, solvents, epoxies, melamine, acetones, dioxins.....the list is endless and so many of these are known carcinogens or are linked to serious health problems. 

When we flop down onto our couch, kick our slippers off onto the rug or grab a book from the convenient flat-pack shelving unit, we are unwittingly breathing in chemicals that are silently off-gassing each day. Some do smell but too often they are odourless so it is not surprising that we are unaware of the potential cocktail of particles we are breathing in, on a daily basis. 

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) for building occupants has received increasing attention world-wide over the last few decades. It appears that “concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors.” say the Environmental Protection Agency in the US. Sadly it is no better here in the UK as we are one of the top five countries in the world that have the highest prevalence of clinical asthma that seems to be being driven by our poor home environments. 

There are health risks associated with dampness, mould and tobacco smoke and air pollutants released from cooking and heating. Even if you are fortunate enough to be able to eliminate the first three from your list it would appear there is a dizzying amount of VOCs in all of our households at any one given time. 

So what can we do about it? We cannot eliminate them completely but we can explore ways to reduce them. Our mission is that everyone’s home should be as free as possible from toxic chemicals while still reflecting your own personal style. We have carefully selected long lasting natural products that not only look and smell wonderful, but have as little negative impact upon your health or that of the planet’s as possible. We are still small but we want to grow and would love for you to join us on our journey. Sign up to our newsletter through the website www.beautifulhealthyhome.co.uk and we hope you will come and shop with us.

Beautiful Healthy Home - where we believe your home's the world.

Zoë x

 

Phoito credit - Cafe image © Ostap Senyuk via Unsplash

This weekend I went way out of my comfort zone when I was invited to take part in "wild swimming". This saw me at 9am on Saturday morning (temp 6c) standing by a river in Norfolk in nothing more than a swimming costume, rash vest, woolly hat & waterproof gloves contemplating immersing myself in water measuring a balmy 3.6c🥶

I have to admit that when I mentioned in passing to my friend (and yes she still is), I imagined a warm summers day and really just a gentle swim in the river not what could only be described as a primitive form or torture, or so I thought.

Giving It A Go

None the less having read all about Wim Hof and his method for withstanding freezing temperatures and the benefits of such, I decided to give it a go👍

Standing, at the age of the river with all the "pros" I did momentarily wonder whether I could just change my mind, but something inside of me said this would be a good thing ( the other part of me was asking if I was completely mad).

As I entered the water I practised the breathing technique and whilst in the first 20 seconds you feel your heart might stop once you have committed and your shoulder are under it is really quite incredible.The ice cold water felt like little needles stinging every each of my exposed skin, but not in a bad way.

The only way to describe it was I felt "ALIVE". After about 5 mins I exited the water elated, the adrenalin rush was unbelievable and I felt "bloody fantastic" all day. I was walking around on a massive high and positively evangelical about the experience.

So why am, I sharing this?

A couple of weeks ago I was working with a client wearing my "mentoring" hat and I asked her to consider doing a couple of things outside of her comfort zone but that I knew would ultimately benefit her. Like me she admitted to experiencing the whole range or emotions - fear, anxiety, failure but none the less decided to do it anyway. I met her today, she had done it, challenged herself, went way way out of her comfort zone but as a result had two new clients in the bag.

We all have our own Personal and Professional Comfort Zones and it can makes us small, weak, and dull. Unless you venture outside of it, from time to time, it will get harder to escape.

Pushing Yourself

Entrepreneur Steve Harvey described the comfort zone as a bubble that contains all the places you like to go and all the things you like to do. He said that if you stay in this bubble, you will never be successful.“You’ve got to put more air in your bubble. You’ve got to blow your bubble up. Expand yourself. Take yourself out of your comfort zone. Do not live in your bubble. Success is not a comfortable procedure.

”So, we need to learn to be comfortable doing the uncomfortable. The comfort zone is not wrong place to be, if we all tried living outside our comfort zone for too long we would end up stressed and ultimately crash and burn. We need to make the comfort zone work for us, remember, if you’re about to do something, and you come up with all sorts of ideas for why you should not do this, this activity will most likely take you one step closer to the person you want to become.

Can I Help You?

I am Mentor not a Coach, I work with you on your business and at times will gently encourage you out of your Comfort Zone, if this appeals to you get it touch. It is really not that scary..... honestly.

 https://calendly.com/nikkstock

Photocredit: : Nikki Stock 

Networking can be something that is daunting to many professionals and business owners, but when it is so important to making new connections and growing our businesses, it can also be essential. If you are feeling a little overwhelmed by the thought of networking, or perhaps want to discover new ways to maximise the events you attend, here are a few tips on how to boost your confidence before a networking event, and grow to love networking!

 

Get dressed up

As a personal stylist and a host of networking events, I couldn’t start without the personal styling element! Something that can often help us bring a dash of confidence in our step even before heading to a networking meeting is what we wear. Whether it’s your favourite pair of shoes, a dress you love, or an outfit you feel confident and professional in, plan your outfit in advance and boost your confidence!

I am a strong believer that you can never be overdressed, however, if you are unsure on the formality of the event, feel free to reach out to the host to ask for some advice. For some networking events, a relaxed yet professional style is perfect, however, if it’s an informal networking event you may be able to leave the pencil skirt at home and pop on a pair of quality jeans! Whereas, if the event is in the evening, you may be asked to dress more formally, and knowing this in advance will help with the preparation.

I always recommend to my visitors to wear what they feel comfortable in, and something they would perhaps feel ready to attend a meeting with a client in (as, after all, that’s what networking is!).

Prepare your script in advance

Preparation really can help you with your confidence at networking events, and many of us use a script on paper, on our phones, or our tablets so we don’t go off-piste – whatever works best for you and gives you confidence to stand up and show yourself in your best light.

Make sure you know if there is a requirement to showcase your business in a talk in the meeting, as some unstructured networking events are simply open to you to make the conversation without standing up to the room as a whole.

Once you know if there will be a time for you to showcase your business, then you’ll want to know how long you will have. Options can vary across the different networking organisations, but as a general rule it tends to be 45 seconds to a minute.

When you have all the details of length, you can then create a script to share at the meeting. I do recommend starting and ending with your name and company name, showcasing a service or product, then being specific about a target client you’d love to connect with – whether industry, or type of person to connect with to help those in the room consider who they may know.

Get to the venue early

The best networking can happen over coffee or tea, so I highly recommend getting to the event before the specified “sit down” time.

You can then collect yourself, re-do your lippie if you’re anything like me, and then get to the refreshments and meet the host.

I often recommend heading to connect with the host first, as they will be the main connector. They’ll be able to introduce you to a few of the members or regulars, and then leave you to connect further with them through conversation.

Feeling unsure on how to start the conversation? Here are a few starters that you can use that aren’t “what do you do?”

• What is it that you do?
• Where are you based/what areas do you cover?
• Do you come to this meeting regularly/are you a member?
• What inspired you to start your business?
• How long have you run your business/been in your profession?

  Take notes during the meeting

  At my WIBN networking events, I make sure to detail the attendees, their professions, as well as their contact email address on a handy sheet of paper with space for notes. This can be something you will receive at many networking events which are structured. If you do get to use one of these, then I highly recommend taking helpful notes (these will come in handy for my next tip!).

  Some of the things I take note of are:

• The industries or target audience they have asked to connect with
• Any people I’d like to introduce them to
• If I’d like to arrange a 121 with them
• A note about what they were wearing or something to jog my memory of who they were ie if they were sitting next to me, or had a great accessory!

If you didn’t get an attendee sheet, then a handy notebook can be useful at meetings to help jot down specific notes and contact details of those you have met.

One other tip I have received in the past is to take a note of the date & event on the person’s business card if they have handed me one during the event.

Follow up after the meeting

Once you get back to your office or home office, take the time to follow up with the people you have met at the networking meeting – this makes a huge difference to the way networking will work for you! It is super important to follow up, whether it’s just to send an email of thanks for connecting, or introducing them to someone you promised to do so with.

Another way to follow up is to connect with those you met on social media, such as LinkedIn or Instagram to keep the conversations flowing after the event. You could also reach out to arrange a 121 for a more in-depth conversation after the event, should you want to get to know them further.

 

I hope these tips will help you love networking more, and I’d be delighted to hear your top tips!

 

For more details on my WIBN networking groups across Berks, Bucks and online contact me at sarahvandort@wiib.co.uk or on 07888 695281.

 

For more details on my personal styling business visit www.abfabimage.co.uk or contact me at sarah@abfabimage.co.uk.

Photocredit: Canva January 2022

Menopause is often referred to as ‘The Change’, implying that your life will change to be different afterwards – but in reality it’s the actual process of menopause that is the biggest change. And it can disrupt not only the life of the woman who is experiencing it, but also those who live and work with her.

Menopause is a change in hormone balance that stops ovulation and the symptoms can include hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog, mood swings and depression to name few. In addition body fat accumulates mainly in the abdominal area as a result of oestrogen deficiency and blood pressure begins to rise adding to a greater risk of cardiovascular disorders later in life.

Some people can manage relatively mild symptoms, but the severity of the symptoms can almost be unbearable for others. Everyone is different.

A balanced diet high in plant foods alongside action taken to reduce stress and take moderate exercise can help cope with physical health and mental wellbeing during this time.

But what if you are not able to step off the treadmill of life just yet and want to keep living life to the full without the constant challenges of coping with the menopause? What if the small changes you make to your lifestyle are helping, but they are not improving the quality of your life as much as you would like? There are pharmaceutical treatments like HRT, but not everyone wants to commit to taking that for an unspecified number of years. However, there are natural alternatives.

I came across the Rain seed nutritional products at precisely this time and have never looked back. It’s all about getting back to basics – if a diet high in plant foods is good for you, the seed-based product is three times more nutritious, because it contains the fuel and genetic material to grow the plant in the first place i.e. everything is in the seed; vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes and plentiful Omega3, 6 and 9.

The seeds used in these supplements cannot, as a rule, be added to your muesli! That’s why these products are brilliant, no chewing is required as the seed coat is ground and the oils are extracted in a cold press process so as not to damage any precious nutrition. This densely nutritious product is added to a solution to make it palatable and convenient to take.

SOUL is the product I started taking and most certainly the one I would recommend for symptoms caused by hormonal issues.

Menopause, peri-menopause and pre-menstrual tension are all hormonal imbalances and the symptoms are amplified by inflammation. Any anti-inflammatory agent can lessen the associated discomforts and optimize healthy endocrine function. All of the seeds in SOUL are known for their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

If you would like to know how SOUL can help you then email me on jas@seedsforwellbeing.com to arrange a consultation.


Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash

Helping businesses prepare for the festive season

Not to cause any unwarranted panic amongst anybody out there but Christmas is now rapidly looming upon us. Yes, I said it, the dread ‘C’ word. Christmas wish lists come pouring in from your nearest and dearest, all eventually leading to a final week late night dash to the supermarket where you scramble through self-written reminder notes and try to establish whether you needed to buy crackers or just go crackers!

Christmas is a busy time for small business owners and getting everything done when it's just you, or a small team, can be tricky - especially if you want to have some time off to spend with friends and family.

As you can imagine, we're always super-organised and work well in advance to make the festive season go smoothly at home and at work. But if you're struggling with the festive rush and need a little help, here are just a few of the tasks we have been working on with clients to give you an idea of what we may be able to help you with:

- Festive event organisation
- Invoice organisation
- Holiday cover
- Festive emailers
- Festive social media content

Then there is the other elephant in the room, Coronavirus. No matter how much tinsel and baubles we hang off its ominous tusks, it’s still going to very much be with us this Christmas and will no doubt make certain usual Christmas festivities all the more stressful or laborious. Though we can’t tell you exactly what Christmas will look like this year, we can talk about something close to our hearts – seasonal small business survival and why shopping small and local is the best thing you can do to help out.

Shopping local isn’t just for Christmas either, the benefits of doing so far outstretch the seasonal period and the undetermined length of the pandemic we are facing and we’re going to tell you why!

O Come All Ye Faithful

What’s so different about buying local as opposed to buying from corporate giants you might ask? Well, whether or not you know it, not only are small businesses driven by pure passion and big dreams, but they are also invaluable to our economy and society.

The growth of a small business can create an entirely new eco system that allows other small businesses to spring up and prosper. Businesses that all work together to build each other up and succeed in turn helps whole communities to thrive. Alongside this, the money that you spend stays in your community, helping to fund more local jobs, better prospects for those living in your area and aiding in local developments.

Eat Local

Whether it’s getting a takeaway meal or eating out safely, utilise the restaurants in your area. With tourism at the moment very much at a standstill – it’s your business that they are relying on. Also keep an eye out for special events they may be offering as gifts.

Buy Local

Birthdays, Christmas, Thank You gifts, whatever the occasion make a promise to yourself this Christmas to try and buy as many presents locally as you can. In a year where we’ve all learnt a little more about what we truly value, most people will probably prefer the time and effort that has gone into a more unique gift.

Sweat Local

How many of us drive out of our local areas to visit large chain gyms? Did we check out the offering in our area first? Most towns are littered with fantastic gyms and expert personal trainers that can offer us more time and more dedication towards reaching our goals.

Do It Local

There isn’t a single person who hasn’t undertaken some form of household or garden makeover this year but how many of us sourced the items we needed locally? Check out your nearest small nursery or DIY shop, nails are nails regardless of where you purchase them from – you also never know what kind of additional help and advice you might receive.

Fix It Local

Maintenance happens. Boilers, cars, gardens, everything needs looking after occasionally. When you’re choosing a tradesman to come and repair or maintain something then seek out those local to you first. You’ll likely get a quicker turnaround than if you were to use a national company.

Think Local

Perhaps you don’t have a specific purchase in mind just yet, that’s ok, but train yourself to start looking at the options closest to you when you’re browsing.

It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

A wise person once said, “You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy local and that’s kind of the same thing.” We wholeheartedly agree, and in a time where happiness is what every single person in the world is craving more than anything, we think that there has never been a better time to reach out and support local businesses.

If you need some help why not contact me - abbie@pink-spaghetti.co.uk, or visit our website to discuss how my experienced virtual PA service can support your business. I’d be delighted to help you make your life simpler.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!Helping businesses prepare for the festive season.

 

Photocredit: Canva December 2021