Have You Ever Experienced Anxiety?
Here Are Some Ways To Help
Anxiety is your bodies natural response to stress. If we listen, our bodies can tell us a lot and actually do lead us back on track - if we take the time to listen. At some stage or another everyone has, or will experience some degree of anxiety. Anxiety is quiet common (along with depression) however, there are simple ways to help manage and calm your anxiety before it starts taking a heavy hold.
Take some quiet time for self reflection
It is important to reflect on what triggers you yourself hold. It is quiet common to have anxiety about a new job or public speaking although taking the time to identify what your triggers are, help you to be one step closer with coping with them.
Question your thought pattern
Negative thinking can be extremely consuming and can become a big dark rabbit hole. Become aware that you are in fact, not your thoughts, and, you are in charge of bringing the distortion which negative thoughts can have, back into perspective.
Stop giving yourself a hard time
Nobody is perfect. Second guessing yourself and feeling constantly unsure means you need to lighten up on yourself. Be true to you and your inner feeling, we all have the answers we seek within us - Trust, and treat yourself as if you were someone you loved.
Go for a walk or go out in nature
Practice changing your surroundings to help to re-energise, refocus and re-align. Meditate, stretch or use yoga techniques to focus on your breath and quieten your mind. Take pleasure and wonder in the world around you and your bodies natural ability to re-align.
Daily gratitude
Keep a daily gratitude journal, start with a small number and see how you go. This is a great thing to put what's important into perspective and warm the heart and mind towards the goodness in daily life.
Treat and nourish yourself
Whether it's a monthly massage, routines of cups of tea, lighting candles or incense, aromatherapy, positive and calming music, exercise, yoga - find what calms you and revitalises your spirit an schedule time for this regularly.
Eat Healthy
This seems obvious although you would be surprised of how big an impact diet can have to your emotional state, so closely linked to physical. No-body can have enough fruit and vegetables, and these, should out-way carbs and meat and dairy (if any) which you consume by a long shot. Eliminating as much processed foods as possible is also key, natural and raw is always best.
Do you know about the war on plastic?
Say No To Plastic
We are all waking up to the harmful effects of plastics. Plastics are everywhere, even when you don't think they are - you wouldn't want to know how many plastic fibers are released using just one tea bag which you then drink - maybe you do - A single plastic teabag at brewing temperature releases around 11.6 billion microplastic and 3.1 billion nanoplastic particles - American Chemical Society..
So what can we do? We all know plastics, such as most plastics found in clothing, take over 200 years to break down.
It is so inspiring to be on the leading edge of the world at a time when positive change and conscious living is rising - and wow we really need it to.
More and more of us are opting for a more minimal way of living and being conscious of what we are consuming and how.
Here are some very simple tips of what you can do in everyday life to help the war on plastic, and if you have more suggestions, please leave a comment below.
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No more plastic water bottles - invest in a unique 'forever' refillable bottle, these are not hard to come by and usually are insulating as well for hot or cold liquids
- Use a keep cup or similar for your take away drinks - there are so many beautiful options out there now - even for the wine on the beach in the evening, they're good for that too ;)
- Swap to soap bars and shampoo bars - often not only better for the planet in the long run they can actually become more cost effective for you and if you find an eco-conscious brand - you are also avoiding any adverse chemicals and toxins you wouldn't otherwise consider
- Razors - go back to the old fashioned razor, no more plastic and you just by new blades, some have a much better end result too
- Shop with reusable non-plastic bags - you can even get the little ones for you fruit and vegetables instead of reaching for a plastic bag
- Smarter shopping - opt for items and products wrapped in less or no plastic preferably and glass or tins over plastic bottles - if you look around your home you will be shocked to see how much of what we use is in plastic that doesn't need to be
- A BIG one for us - STOP WEARING PLASTIC - there is a huge movement towards natural fibers now, and, not only due to their biodegradable qualities, their natural properties make them the better option every time
The Best Nights Sleep You'll Ever Have
Sleeping in Linen - Give the Royal Wave
Linen has come a long way over the years. No longer hard and scratchy like Grandmas linens were, today's linen are naturally pre-softened and often stonewashed. Linen is now not uncommon to be super soft and fluid even before first washing.
Often known for being a mark of royalty having linen bed sheets (and clothing) has forever been known to have superior quality for centuries.
Much like linen clothing, caring for your linen sheets is not hard. A regular cold gentle wash and avoidance of direct sunlight when drying are the rules of thumb.
Most that make the change to linen sheets wished they made the leap a long time ago! The best part.. you can be in linen comfort all day long with us x
Still finding it hard to sleep - here's some top tips proven to help
- Increase your natural light exposure during the day
- Reduce the use of electronic devices in the evening
- Avoid caffeine after lunchtime
- Try to have a consistent wake and sleep routine
- Avoid any alcohol intake
- Optimize your bedroom environment (temperature, comfortable bed and pillow, minimal light, candles, music, incense etc)
- Take a relaxing bath or shower
- Exercise regularly (not before bed though)
- Avoid eating in late evening
- Relax, clear your mind and unwind
Sweet dreams linen lovers x
Introducing the new Chloe and Belle Dress in Silver Fawn
Meet our Treasured Chloe
Our treasured Chloe shirt dress is a wonderful classic staple that has been created with much care. Carefully tailored around the waist it remains a relaxed fit although styled to keep a flattering shape. Adjustable sleeves, chest pockets and side hand pockets are just some of the added features bringing this dress next level, and who doesn't love a dress with pockets!
Lovingly brought to you from Broome this dress is great for any occasion; corporate dress, evening dress, everyday dress or stylish holiday essential
* Quality linen fabric keeps you cool all day long no matter how hot your day gets
* Linen gets softer, silkier and more beautiful with every wash, look forever stunning in this dress
* Gorgeous quality and tailored design this dress stands out in the crowd
Meet our Stunning Belle
Absolute elegance and comfort is our Belle dress with beautiful tiered styling and a stunning open back. An apron style dress brought to another level, you will never want to part with our Belle. This stunning crinkle linen adds to the beauty of this dress and its layering, it also has the ability to not be ironed, the crinkle becomes a gorgeous feature.
Our stunning Belle is a Broome favorite and we live in it all year long, only to be complimented everywhere. Take a loving piece of Broome with you always and make sure you take her for a spin x
* Quality linen fabric keeps you cool all day long no matter how hot your day gets
* Linen gets softer, silkier and more beautiful with every wash, look forever stunning in this dress
* Stunning tiered styling makes this dress flattering to every body shape
Why Have A Capsule Wardrobe?
Benefits of a capsule wardrobe
I think before getting into what a capsule wardrobe is and the methods of achieving one it is important to first be inspired by the benefits so your enjoy the journey.
Less stress
A well curated wardrobe has staple styles, colours and combinations so it wont be a headache to pick your outfit.
Clothes you love
A smaller wardrobe of clothing means you are much more careful with your purchases. Each and every piece should be one of quality and that you LOVE to wear. Your whole wardrobe becomes something you feel good in no matter what you choose for your day.
Your signature look
Having a smaller wardrobe also means you put more effort and consideration on every piece of clothing and how they go together. Carefully picking only clothing of quality that will last and that you truly love sets you apart. You become more confident and well put together.
Saves you money
Quality over quantity. In the long run this saves you money and is better for the planet. You are also usually supporting more ethically made clothing and not sweat shop pieces made to last a short season. Feel good and do good in good fashion.
Take time - can be years!
It is ok that a capsule wardrobe takes time to curate and establish. Enjoy the journey and enjoy the fact that it is a process to feel good about.
A Slow and Conscious process
Each addition or subtraction of clothing becomes a more conscious process. In order to have a smaller wardrobe of truly loved and well curated clothing takes more presence than mindlessly adding and adding.
Greener
A capsule wardrobe means you are not contributing to the fast fashion model. This is a worldwide problem which has escalated over the last 20 years. You value clothes made well, of quality and designed to last. Shopping local is key here, it can be fun finding those niche local brands who align with your values and you can feel good about supporting.
Saves you space
As a nice bonus you minimize your home buy having a smaller wardrobe. Just wait till you get spaces between the hangers and you can see everything clearly, I promise you you'll love it.
Some of the Best Herbal Teas for you Health
Herbal teas are renowned for their health benefits ranging from improved digestion to accelerated weight loss. Herbal teas have been used as part of traditional medicine and herbal healing for centuries.
Self Care Rituals You Can Use Everyday
Self Care Goes a Long Way
It's important in this busy modern world to make time for yourself. Little self care rituals are a perfect way to slow down and make these little moments for ourselves even with a busy lifestyle. Being present to our inner selves and what is around us in the present moment, can give so much clarity and inner peace in our everyday life and more so when we are in need of calmness towards any inner conflict.
Routines and day to day existence can become mundane and demanding without allowing time to breakaway to care and nourish ourselves. No one can pour from an empty vessel. Rituals are something also not necessarily incorporated into a routine, with a risk of becoming something on your to-do list, surprise yourself with rituals that fill you up and experiment with them. Depending on what is happening in your world can depend on what is right for you and, at what time.
Put the kettle on and have a cuppa
They say so much can be cured with a cup of tea. Make this a time of quietness allowing you to breath, be and center yourself. I like to go outside with mine and sit among nature.
Go for a walk
Even a short walk can put you in a better frame of mind. When you get cloudy at the desk or you realise you haven't moved much today, going for a walk helps you breath, stretch, move your body and appreciate things around you. Sunshine and fresh air are natures best medicine. If you don't have much of an exercise routine even a daily walk can be so beneficial.
Have a bath
A bath is something I almost only ever do if I'm on holiday. Lighting some candles, incense or just a yummy bath bomb can make you feel like you are treating yourself and if your muscles are aching it can be also very relieving (add Epsom salts). Add some soothing music and it can be a very relaxing moment allowing you to rest, breath and connect with yourself.
Meditate for 5 - 10
So many studies have proven the benefits of regular meditation. Even 5 - 10 minutes is enough to calm yourself and bring yourself to your breath and the present moment. Concentrating on the breath and letting the world of thought fall away can help you to feel less stressed and clear. It is a wonderful way to start the day or if you just need to breakaway and re-connect.
Simple Yoga
Much like meditation, yoga is a meditation in itself only also very good for your body. It's ok to stay in the beginners section and more so about giving your body the benefit of stretching and strengthening even basic core yoga poses while having the overall benefit of calming the mind.
Exercise
It's no secret exercise can make you feel amazing so much so people become addicted. If you struggle for time, short spurts of high intensity exercise are fantastic. If you have to commute to work incorporating bike riding to your routine is a great way to make this time for yourself while still getting where you need to be. I find routine in this case is good or it's easy to get lazy, I've never felt bad after exercise and your mind and body will thank you in the long term.
Affirmations and daily gratitude
Whether it's starting a gratitude journal or writing up your goals and some positive affirmations can help put you in a better mindset. Some people like vision boards or putting photos and affirmation cards on the fridge, whatever creates a more positive a clear vision for yourself can help you feel more purposeful in every step your taking in life. It is important to be present in each moment and value all the steps in between, they are what matter most in the end.
Reasons Why Being Coastal is Beneficial For Your Health
I wake up everyday in my beautiful home town of Broome feeling so grateful. It turns out that living coastal like many Australians can actually be beneficial for your state of mind and overall health.
Allows you to Relax and Unwind
Many people make holiday vacations coastal or island ones. There is a reason for this. Everything seems to slow down when you are closer to the ocean, it's like you are falling back into natures natural rhythm. We have a name for it in Broome 'Broome time' - allowing the stresses of work and society fall away. Being coastal is so grounding and calming putting perspective on what matters in the world around us - allowing us to be present and enjoy in the moment of now.
Deeply Cleansing for the Body Mind and Soul
There is nothing better than the clean salty air which living coastal brings. It makes you feel so alive and cleansed breathing in pure clean breaths into our bodies. Long walks along the beach are a favourite and daily ritual of mine, and as a bonus it naturally exfoliates my feat. The smell of the air and sound of the waves while laying in the warm sand is deeply rejuvenating.
Inspiring Meditation
Many guided meditations involve the background natural music of ocean waves. To imagine the ocean water coming into our body and taking all of the negativity out to sea is a powerful visualization. Breathing to the beat of the waves crashing in and out is a means to understanding and accepting impermanence. The ocean is in constant motion without effort but with power. This is highly inspiring for meditation.
A Better Nights Sleep
Listening to the waves crash on the beach in their naturally spaced way initiates some of the best nights sleep. This natural rhythm soothes and relaxes putting us into a deep sleep. It's in these moments we feel in our bodies and minds at a state of peace and this inspires motivation to start a new day truly refreshed and positive.
Allows you to Be - Fully You
There are many teachings and resources supporting the benefit of being in a more conscious and peacefully present state. What most strongly allows and supports us to be in this state is being close to nature. Being close to the ocean can almost put you in a peaceful trance allowing us to sit fully with ourselves without thought or judgement. Just simply being, and breathing in our surroundings can provide a weightlessness which takes us away from any desire to please others around us. Being comfortable with just being and not putting pressure on what we do and labeling who we are, can be our first steps in awakening to our true selves and our own true potential.
Could you wear the same thing every day?
Minimalism in your wardrobe
I've recently read an article about someone wearing one T-shirt every day of the week - and before your nose starts to twitch he has multiple shirts of the exact same T-shirt... and we are talking about a 'He' so perhaps slightly easier to envisage than your average female! The article did however, bring up some very relevant points to why this train of minimalism within your wardrobe could have many benefits.
I confess I could never take minimalism in my wardrobe quite this far although I took away some very valid points which I've summarized for you below. We are all about sustainability and slow fashion after all and the key to a simpler, slower, happier life is to become a minimalist not just within your wardrobe, but in all areas of your life.
- Fewer decisions and less time and energy wasted - wouldn't it be great to not have that every morning hassle and worry? Less stress on these decisions creates room for more positivity and productivity in your day
- Saving money and creating less waste - money more well spent and carefully decided upon saves you in the long run, quality clothing you love also reduces overall waste which is good for you and good for our planet
- Feeling better - when you look good you feel good. You become more grounded and productive, wearing carefully chosen outfits you love and enjoy - quality over quantity is key
- An iconic look - contrary to fast fashion pressure of trends changing every couple of months, a consistent look conveys confidence, clarity and becomes uniquely you. You will always look comfortable, stylish and well put together
Creating Real Change - The Fashion Advocate
The Fashion Advocate
We are so proud to be a part of what this amazing woman has created, spreading the word about supporting locally made sustainable and ethical fashion. Please see Claire's story below, we are so lucky to be involved in this shared vision.
"I am a fashion blogger, an avid clothes lover and an advocate for the Australian fashion industry, but first and foremost, I am a conscious consumer."
It was from my front row seat at A.F. Vandevorst during Paris Fashion Week in 2014 that I decided I would wake up every day in the name of fashion. As Sherry Qiu bound down the runway through a sea of smoke, everyone else was looking left – and I was looking right. I found myself completely absorbed in the menagerie of photographers before me, stacked on top, around and underneath each other, elbow to elbow and cheek to cheek in a silently understood mess. They were still, with only the movement of fingers on cameras and only the sound of fluttering lenses, synced in a frenzying harmony with every step each model took. Pose, snap snap, pose.
These were mere outfits on the runway to some, but moments in time to me. Each different angle became infinitely worthy to be captured, lusted over, longed for and needed. As crushed khaki linen layers and scarlet silks marched down the barrel of the runway, I was mesmerised, I was captivated, I was inspired. I decided then and there, that fashion would be the one thing I would always pursue, on a constant hunt for moments that move me. It is one thing to know trends, it is another to understand the feeling of fashion, and I felt it running through every vein in my body.
I now devote The Fashion Advocate to sharing meaningful content, focussing on Australian fashion, beauty and lifestyle labels that share my ethical and sustainable values. What started as a digital diary of my fashion musings has now grown into a community of likeminded individuals who are designing for positive social and environmental change.
If I can encourage just one reader to support the Australian industry and choose ethics over trends, my job here is done.
Now is the time to look deep down into the bottom drawer, into the darkest corners of our wardrobes, and think seriously about the impacts of our consuming habits. Your wardrobe and your home should reflect who you are and what you stand for, and mine reflect my ethics and values. I could reference Chanel, Anna Wintour or Alexander McQueen, who have all coined some of the most memorable quotes in fashion history, but I agree most with Alber Elbaz, who said, “Fashion is pure, intense emotions. It’s not about design. It’s about feelings." Feelings are what make us human, but somewhere along the way, we've lost our values and fast fashion has become a monster.
I want to slow things down. I want to remind people of the true value of their clothes and teach shoppers to respect the people who make them. I work every day on my quest to inspire people to think consciously about their wardrobes, because every garment counts.
– Claire Goldsworthy - founder of The Fashion Advocate
Looking after your linen clothing
Keeping your favourite linens white naturally
Caring for linen is not as hard as may be perceived. At Love Linen we are all about looking after our planet as well and, as it happens, some of the best and least expensive fabric softeners and stain removers are natural products.
By far one of our absolute favorites is bi-carb soda (or baking soda). It can make your towels and sheets super soft and fluffy and better yet can soften your favourite linen clothing and also act as an amazing natural stain remover and help keep your whites white. Just add about a quarter of a cup or 2 - 3 tablespoons per wash.
Bonus: Our at home tip. We wash all of our linen clothing on cold, machine wash, hand wash cycle with an earth friendly washing powder and bi-carb soda, as soon as our load has finished we hang on hangers inside or under our shaded courtyard to air dry and fall out beautifully. If you do wish to iron your linen clothing, hot tip - do it before the fabric is dry (still damp) and it's so much easier!
Slow fashion and a Conscious Life
Conscious living can start with fashion
What brought me to this journey was a yearning for a simpler and more considered, healthier way of life. Through a journey of slow ethical fashion made well, and made in Australia, flows through to a greater proportion of everything in daily life.
Daily learnings of reducing waste, reducing plastic, recycling more, reusing, shopping local, owning less, paying more attention to impacts of life and the way we live - it opens up a whole realm of possibilities into so many new exciting states of awareness. If you are not aware and present to what is around you than what kind of life are you living?
I believe we all have an obligation to our surroundings - some might say to mother earth - but, even more so to ourselves. We need to honor ourselves and what's around us by consciously living in all that we do. Consciously consuming, consciously eating and consciously being.
Minimalism has also been a very helpful path in this aspect. Creating more of a rich and considered life by minimizing or getting rid of what's really not important in your life, so then you may have the time and space to enjoy what is.
For me this started with fashion or clothing. We put clothes on every day don't we? It's a great place to start to live with more intention and more awareness. Join us here and start your journey. Ours in through a love of linen x