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

Top Tips for Returning to Work

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Whether you’re going back to work after maternity leave, have been made redundant or have taken an extended career break, going back to work can be daunting.

We have had a look at how to embrace change and go back to what you love in style.

Confidence
Be it six months or six years, time away from your workplace can leave you feeling a little lost and wondering who you are. Many people find that some of their confidence has gone and a loss of career identity leaves them feeling out in the cold. It’s normal to feel this way, but it is something that you can talk to your HR Manager and team about. If you are up to speed on changes, new staff and anything else major you have missed out on, it will help get you back to your old positive self.

Step back in time
Now is a great time to think about your past achievements and experiences as well as looking at your CV. Focus on what you have done, what you do know and get used to recording new wins and goals. While your confidence may have taken a little bit of a battering, you are still very capable, so when the self-doubt creeps in, go back to that list and celebrate YOU.

Value Yourself
It is really important that you value yourself in all parts of your life when you go back to work. Be sure you ask for the salary you want, as well as the support you need and don’t sell yourself short. If you aren’t’ quite sure what you are worth, do some research, speak to a recruitment consultant and look at sites like LinkedIn so you can get a feel for the land.

Flexible Working is Out There
If you’re looking for flexible working, you need to know that this is possible and there are companies who do offer it. This isn’t just about part-time hours, but compressed hours, working from home, starting the day early or working term time only. Not everyone will offer this but just think about how working life needs to look for you and go for the right fit.

Skill Up
Depending on just how long you have been out of the working game, you might want to get some new skills that will take you further in your career. Whether it is an updated first aid course, a social media seminar or a refresher in Excel, do what you can to make the transition as easy as possible.

Leave Perfection at the Door
No one, absolutely no one is perfect, don’t even go there. Yes, social media feeds will show ‘picture perfect’ people at their desk with manicured nails and a whiter than white smile, but that’s all about the filters and the good days. Do your best and that is more than enough.

Don’t Say Yes To It All
You will want to please your employee, your friends, family, and colleagues, but where do you fit into this picture. Look at your work contract, your hours, obligations and take it from there. Do the shopping online, share chores with your partner and if you need to delegate – do it.

Network
As the saying goes, it’s not what you know but who you know and this is pretty true when it comes to working. Connecting with old colleagues, bosses, HR teams and suppliers can be super helpful and just meeting for a coffee and catching up can lead to the unexpected, and in a good way.

Take It Easy On Yourself
Just as it took time to get used to being off work, you will need to give yourself time to get used to being back in the saddle.
Take each day as it comes, one step at a time and as the days, weeks and months pass by, you will find a new rhythm and even a more confident version of you will start to bloom.

Team Pure Beauty

Spot the clear skin

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acne, acne treatments, alcohol, antiseptic, bacteria, benefit, blemishes, breakout prone skin, breakout-irritated skin, bright, calm, Camphor, chemicals, clay, clean, clear away, confidence, cool, cover up, Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash, Dermalogica Hydrating Lotion, Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel, Dermalogica Sebum Clearing Masque., easy-to-apply formula, Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner, Elemis S.O.S. Emergency Cream, eucalyptus, excess surface oils, feel, gentle foaming cleanser, ginger, Grapefruit, green tea, happy, heal, hyaluronic acid, inflammation, Jan Marini Bioglycolic Bioclear Cream, lavender, lightweight, look, magic wand, menthol, mint, nourish, oat, oil absorbing, orange, overnight, pain, PH levels, premature ageing, problem areas, rebalance, redness, repairs, rosemary, Safflower Oil, saponins, scars, sheer, skin, skin congestion, sleep, soothe, spots, squalane, Sweet Betty flower, Tea Tree, throbbing, Toner, yeast, zinc

If you have ever suffered from acne and spots you know it can be a total pain on many levels. From the redness and throbbing, to scars and cover up, blemishes can impact not only how our skin looks, but how we feel.

While we don’t have a magic wand, we wish we did, but at Pure Beauty we sell a range of first-class products that will help to calm, nourish and soothe your skin and help you to feel happy and confident about your complexion once again.

If you love your current products but need a little extra spot blasting care, we would suggest the Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash. This gentle foaming cleanser is the perfect way to take control of breakouts and excess surface oils and has been created for breakout prone skin. Antiseptic extracts of mint, eucalyptus and tea tree come together to clear away bacteria, while menthol and camphor cool the inflammation of spots. The great thing is, the skin is left clean and bright and you know you are doing the best for your skin.

Your skin repairs as you sleep, so why not boost your love for it by using the Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel. This gel has been created to help clear skin congestion and help prevent future breakouts, which can only be a good thing. It is suitable for acne and breakout-prone skin and can be applied to problem areas and green tea, hyaluronic acid, rosemary, zinc, and yeast will heal your skin overnight.

All skin can benefit from using a toner and the Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner is good if you do have blemishes. This product not only tones the skin but also helps rebalance the pH levels without the use of alcohol or harsh chemicals. Extracts of sweet betty flower and saponins balance and soften the skin, while lavender helps reduce acne inflammation.

The Dermalogica Hydrating Lotion is a lightweight moisturiser that helps dehydrate, breakout-irritated skin feel better. As part of the ‘Clear Start’ range, this sheer, easy-to-apply formula helps soothe discomfort and is easier on the skin that some acne treatments. Moisturising, squalane softens and nourishes while ginger, orange, and grapefruit soothe and protect.

As the name suggests, the Dermalogica Sebum Clearing Masque is a clay masque and one that helps clear breakouts and also helps minimise premature ageing – winner! Oil-absorbing clays help to detoxify skin while salicylic acid clears the pore congestion which can really impact complexions. This can be used up to three times a week and with oat, safflower oil and niacinamide, your skin will feel soft, smooth and free from irritation.

Acne can leave scars, but the Jan Marini Bioglycolic Bioclear Cream can help. This multi-functional resurfacing cream comes with a combination of three acids that together address the appearance of acne scars, pigmentation, rosacea, fine lines, and wrinkles. For best use, cleanse your skin thoroughly before applying, then apply a thin layer to your face. Do note that excessive drying of the skin can happen, so start with one application daily and gradually increase to two or three times daily. All skin is different, so see how it goes and do what is best for you.

One final idea we have for you is the Elemis S.O.S. Emergency Cream. This is a gorgeous, intense moisturiser created to restore hydration levels, whilst repairing and de-sensitising blemish prone, dry or sensitive skin.

If you have any questions or would like to try some samples to see if they suit your skin, get in touch, and we are here to help.

Team Pure Beauty

How to get back on the dating scene

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Anyone who has had their heart-broken, and let’s face it, most of us have, knows that getting back on the dating scene can be tough. Your confidence may have been shattered, you may not feel like trusting anyone again and seeing your ex on Facebook with someone new might send you crashing back under your duvet not wanting to face the world ever again.

The thing is, time really is a healer and at some point you will start to feel better and will want to get out again and even meet someone new.

The temptation for many people is to get carried away and jump into a full-on relationship with the first person you meet. We aren’t saying this never works and love at first sight doesn’t happen, but if you don’t know someone very well, then getting into an intense relationship too early could spell disaster in the long-term.

We have put together some top tips you may want to consider before going out there and dating someone new.

Don’t compare them to people from your past
When you first meet someone new, it is hard not to compare them with your ex, but you need to. For any new relationship to stand a chance of going somewhere, it is best to start with a blank canvas that doesn’t have the cloud of your past experiences overshadowing the possibilities of something new. Just because your last partner was a cheat, it doesn’t mean that everyone else will have a roving eye or everyone will lie to you. You may still hold a candle for someone you thought was ‘the one’, but they weren’t and if you compare everyone to them, you could be heading for a table for one.

Put the deal-breakers on the table
You don’t want to scare someone off but sounding out deal-breakers such as marriage, kids and location is something you may want to do early on, but not in the first five minutes. If you really want to have children in the future and your date is totally against it, they aren’t going to be the one for you. If you are happy living in London and their long-term plan is to sit in the sun in Sydney, you might want to consider what life with them would be really like and if you are willing to give up your dreams so they can make theirs come true. We aren’t saying only go on one date, but if you aren’t willing to compromise, and they aren’t either, this won’t work out, so have fun, but don’t get in too deep!

Are you on the same page?
If red flags are flying, there is usually a reason for this and we would suggest that you follow your gut instincts. Maybe they’ve never had a serious relationships, it could be that they have been married four times already or maybe they are addicted to dating apps. We all have a past, but you will soon get an idea of what someone is like and whether they are on the same level as you when it comes to emotional maturity and stability.

Find common ground
They say that opposites attract, but if your date lives and breathes football, and you hate it, how will you feel when it takes up every weekend and three evenings a week? If you are a vegan and they love a burger for dinner, how does that sit with you? You love being outside and they are a keen gamer – will that be a winner for you? No one is perfect, but you do need to be with someone who shares some of your interests and values or it could be a lonely love affair.

Take it slow
Many relationship grow organically over time, alongside trust, so don’t be in a rush. If you are feeling that they are too clingy, absent or let you down time and again, address that sooner rather than later, and if you think this could be it, just take your time and see where things are going.

You deserve to be happy, so enjoy dating, find someone you really click with and trust, and once you take off the rose-tinted glasses from the past you may well find the perfect partner for your future.

Team Pure Beauty

Love the life you are in

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Life can be overwhelming in the 21st century and living in a world of perfect, filtered Instagram images it can be easy to compare ourselves to others even though this knocks our self-esteem and dents our confidence.

We have had a look at how to feel happier with your lot, however shiny everyone else’s lives might look.

Keep a journal
Yes, it might seem a little old school to write things down on paper but keeping a journal helps you get a better perspective on things and can make life look a little less scary. Buy a pretty notebook and make time at the end of each day to just write. There are no rules when it comes to journalling so just write and let the pages soak up your stress and you will see the sunny side of life again.

Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the buzzword of the moment and is quite simply a form of meditation that bring things into the present, and can be beneficial to your mind, body and soul. Sit quietly for ten minutes a day and move the focus of your attention away from the world, away from the past, away from the future and just focus on now. Doing this will help you relax and be at peace with your thoughts and while it can take time to really get into meditation, it is time well spent as it will be worth it in the long run.

Be number one
This might sound selfish, especially if you have a family, but putting yourself first is key to being happy and feeling more in control of your life. It can be hard to say no sometimes, but saying it will give you the time you need to look after number one and in the long run it will boost your energy levels and self-esteem.

Keep alcohol down
When times are hard and the pressure is on, it is really tempting to have a drink, or two. While it might take away some of those feelings of overwhelm in the short-term, it can make you feel angry and aggressive and leave you feeling down, depressed and hungover. Keep a check on how much you drink each week and if you feel like the odd glass of wine is becoming a more regular occurrence, look at what is going on and what you could do instead of heading for the bottle.

Move
As well as keeping you healthy and getting blood and oxygen pumping around your body, moderate exercise will release the feel good chemicals in your brain that make you happy. Find an activity you really enjoy, so it is fun not a chore, and you will find that you will start to feel brighter and lighter and as well as having more energy in the day, you will sleep better at night.

Talk about it
The old saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved, and that is so true. Holding onto worries and concerns can really get you down, so chat things over with your partner or a friend and feel the weight lift off your shoulders.

Of course, if things do feel too much, speak to your GP and see if they can help put a support system in place to make life easier once again.

Team Pure-Beauty