How to look after your mental health at work

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There is no denying that the world of work can be demanding. Admin, staff management, endless meetings, and HR reviews can add to the pressure of an already pressurised role, and if you aren’t careful, your mental health can suffer.

We’ve had a look at what you can do to keep up with the to-do list and ensure your mental well-being is taken care of too.

Enjoy your work
We know that you can have everything from a job, but doing something you hate is not only boring but disheartening and can take away your confidence. As we approach the end of this decade, ask yourself whether you really do like what you are doing, or if there is something that you’d rather do. See if there are any other roles in the company you work for that may be a better fit for you, or keep an eye out on other opportunities out there that will match all your needs.

Talk it out
If something isn’t right at work, then talk it over with the right person, but don’t gossip. We all engage in a little kitchen banter but things won’t change if you don’t let a manager or the HR department know what is happening. You might find that your issue has been mentioned before and that there is something that can be done not only to help you but to make things better for everyone and that has to be a mental health win.

Take a break
You might think that you can’t take a break, but you need to. Getting up, walking around, having a glass of water and stretching might sound simple, and they are, but doing this each hour is a good idea and can take the edge off things.

Look at your lifestyle
We spend a lot of time at work and if you want to be more emotionally resilient, you do need to look after your physical health. A good diet and eating regularly will allow you to focus and stop the 11am sugar crashes that leave you snacking on chocolate. Keep water on your desk or workstation, and try to moderate your alcohol intake in the evenings as you will feel less like working when you have a hangover. Oh, and you might not feel like chucking on your trainers, but exercise can help you get rid of stress and worry, so find something you like and do it.

Own your mistakes
If you make a mistake at work, ignoring it won’t make it go away but could make it worse and get you into real trouble. If an error has been made, own up, look at what can be done and show those you work with that you can be responsible and have potential.

Think about it in another way
Negative thoughts can get us down and when that happens even someone taking your lunch out of the fridge or using all the printer paper, can mean things get blown out of proportion. Go to someone you trust, but that at work, or out, and they could help you see things from a different perspective, or reassure you that it will be OK. Often when we set our cards out on the table as we see them, someone removed from the office may be able to offer practical steps you can put into place to make changes that will make you happy.

List it
If you feel overwhelmed at work, it’s hard to know where to start – so often you don’t do anything at all. An easy way to stop overwhelm is to make a list of everything you need to do, then prioritise by urgency and importance. If you can turn your worry into a manageable plan, you can feel calmer and in control again.

If you do all of this and work still feels too much, ask for help.

Team Pure Beauty

Getting your first home in shape

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Congratulations, you are a home owner.

There is something special about taking possession of the keys to your first home and it is certainly a huge achievement.

Turning a house into a home however, can be a costly exercise, but fret not, we are here with some simple steps that will allow you to make your abode your own without doubling the mortgage.

Clean out the dirt
Even if you have bought a brand-new property, we would suggest you go in and give your new place a thorough clean before you do anything else. Dusting, hoovering, polishing and disinfecting will rid your home of any dirt and bugs and give you a totally blank canvas for the next step of your life.

Don’t blow the budget on day one
Heading straight to the High Street the moment the last box is unpacked, isn’t the best plan. It might be boring but making a list of exactly what you already have, costs nothing and could save you a small fortune. Ask yourself whether you need everything you have already got, what can be moved into other rooms and anything you don’t need can be sold, given away or donated to the charity shop.

Paint the walls
A quick lick of paint is a super easy, pretty inexpensive way to give your home an instant lift and to give it your own stamp. We would suggest going for a soft white or pale grey that can run through the entire property. If you want to make a splash in one or two rooms, go for a striking statement wall in a strong blue, mustard or pink which will offer not only a pop of colour but a glamorous edge too.

Add light with mirrors
If you want to add bursts of light to your rooms and shimmer to your walls, mirrors are the perfect solution. Strategically placing mirrors on walls will add depth and light and also give an air of sophistication if you choose ones with a gold or wooden frame.

Call in favours
If this is the first home of your own, call in the favours when it comes to essential furniture, decorations and even pots and pans. Make a list of what you need and while it might not be perfect, you will be amazed at what family and friends have in their garages and shed gathering dust and cobwebs. Start asking around, put posts on social media and go to garage sales and boot fairs and you’ll have all you need in no time and can replace with new when the time is right.

Take it one room at a time
When you are ready to do some work, take it one room at a time. As you will have seen from the TV property shows, renovation projects can be costly, stressful and often take far longer than expected. Whether you need a new kitchen, the bathroom need replacing as the current one is a ‘70s shade of avocado or the conservatory needs taking down, start at the beginning and don’t take on more than you can achieve – this is a marathon not a sprint.

Relax
Last but by no means least, please relax. You only buy your first home once, so make sure you enjoy it and realise what a massive milestone this is. One of the best parts of buying a new house is the freedom to do what you like with it, when you want, so embrace it and have fun.

Team Pure Beauty

Give your walls a spring clean

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air of grandeur, animals, antique shops, art, beautiful, bedroom, books, boring, car boot sales, choices, cold, colours, cool, cost effective solutions, cosy, daffodils, design, easy, families, food for thought, frame prints, hallway, hand-blocked papers, home, horizontal stripes, illusion, individual, instant, instantly transform, kitchen, light and dimension, light-reflecting metallic paper, lights, living room, local artist, magazines, mirrors, patterns, Peel-off stickers, pictures, playrooms and kids’ bedrooms, pure natural woven fibres, retro feel, simple, social media, sources of inspiration, spring clean, statement, stunning pieces, stylish home, three-dimensional design, transform, uber-cool, unique feel, walls, weekend supplements, world of interiors, wrapping paper

As the days get longer, the temperatures start to rise and the daffodils show their sunny heads, many of us want to make changes to our homes so they feel lighter and brighter.

Decorating an entire house can be a big job, but by making changes to the walls in your kitchen, living room, bedroom or hallway can have a real impact and create the illusion of complete change.

The way you design your walls can transform cold into cosy, boring into beautiful and take old-fashioned into uber-cool in an instant and we have had a look at how.

Ideas and planning
Before you do anything have a think about the kind of finish you are looking for, what colours and patterns you like as well as how practical your choices are. Social media sites, magazines, weekend supplements and even moving websites can be great sources of inspiration, so use them to work out what would feel best in your home.

Stick it
Peel-off stickers come in a wide range of designs and sizes and instantly transform a wall from a boring background into a world of animals, a space age galaxy or a tranquil garden.

Statements Walls
Broad horizontal stripes or a single wall painted in a bright primary colour can be perfect for playrooms and kids’ bedrooms and give that room a really cool, individual feel.

Map it out
Maps – old and new – not only add a splash of style but they are educational too. You can quite simply paste pages from books, wrapping paper or pictures enlarged on a photocopier, onto a wall and create something totally unique.

Wallpaper
Wallpaper is on trend in the world of interiors right now so there is a lot of choice to decide from. From pure natural woven fibres and light-reflecting metallic paper to hand-blocked papers, three-dimensional designs and digitally printed styles it is hard to know where to start, and sometimes where to stop. Do be aware that wallpaper doesn’t always withstand wear and tear like paint, so be careful where you use it. Vinyl is durable and easy to put up and you can even get washable wallpapers that are wipeable and perfect for families who want a stylish home.stylish home

Mirrors
There are some really beautiful mirrors in the shops but you can also find stunning pieces in antique shops and car boot sales that give a retro feel. Go for a large mirror with a striking framed you will not only add light and dimension to any room but also to add an air of grandeur.

Go for art
Whether you buy from for a local artist, frame prints from the masters or use you kid’s doodles art is a brilliant way to bring your walls to life.

Light it up
Washing walls with light keeps edges bright but also offers a warm glow that lifts an entire room. A picture light not only brighten up a dark space but is a focal point while table lamps spread light across a walls and you will be surprised at the effect under cabinet lighting creates on a kitchen or living room wall.

Prepping your walls
Once you have decided what you are going to do with your walls, you need to make sure they are as clean and smooth as possible.

For a decent base peel away bulging, loose or crumbling plaster, strip off wallpaper and fill in cracks and holes; sanding down the area when it’s dry. Once your walls are ready, prime them using watered-down emulsion and if you are going to be putting up new wallpaper, coat the walls with a sizing solution or watered-down wallpaper paste for a really professional base, then get to work.

Whether you are going for big, bold statements, want to add some warmth or simply need to cover up those sticky finger prints, we hope we have given you food for thought for change.

Team Pure Beauty

Make 2018 the year to go freelance

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Fed up of the daily commute?

Had enough of mundane water cooler conversations?

Sick and tired of Sarah in IT and Jo in HR making your life a misery?

Then maybe it is time to go freelance.

While you might not have the security of a 9-5 role, a monthly salary or 21 days holiday a year, being your own boss does offer you flexibility and the chance to do what you love but on your terms.

We aren’t saying hand your notice in now, but have a think about what you want to do and if you consider the points below, we think you might start making that dream a reality.

Have a plan
Create a business plan that looks at finance, growth, location, activities and skills. This don’t need to be anything long or fancy but setting things out in black and white can give you a focus and realistic goals.

Network
Breakfast meetings, lunches and evening events are all greats ways to start making connections even if you are still in a full-time job. If you are nervous, why not go with a friend and then swap notes at the end of the session?

Contacts
The old saying, ‘it’s who you know not what you know’ is very true when you start a new venture. Maybe your best friend works on a magazine, your old school mate is a blogger or you know a couple of people who design websites or do PR? Make the most of the people you know and it could well be there is synergy between you and them that could lead to business opportunities.

Look at the Competition
You might be able to make a mean cake or write a really creative marketing plan – but so do loads of other people out there. Do your research, check out the competition and work out what makes you different and where your offerings would site in the market place.

Think About the Money
Let’s not beat about the bush, starting out requires hard cash investment and you are going to need this, so start planning. Look at how much money you need to start your business, what equipment you would need, and before you make a start make sure you have a buffer saved up for those unexpected costs and quiet patches. It might even be that you need to work part-time for a while to get things up and running and keep money coming in, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Marketing and PR
This is something you can do as you get ready to take the next step of full-time freelancing. Decide in a business name, get a logo, set up your social media feeds and ensure you have a website in place. All of this takes time, and money, but if you get the basics set up in the background, when you are ready to go, people will be able to find when you when you are open and firing on all cylinders.

Small Print
The excitement of setting up something new can mean the details get left behind, but this isn’t a mistake you want to make. Finding an accountant or book-keeper, registering for tax, considering VAT status and researching professional insurance might seem boring, but they need to be done and will make you more efficient and professional in the long run.

Location, Location, Location
When you work for someone else, you go to their premise day in and day out but when you fly solo it is a very different matter. You need to make sure you have a base to work from and one that is ideally close to local amenities, has a decent internet connection and phone support as well as good transport links.

Whatever you do, if you have a dream, go for it.

Team Pure-Beauty