A Fresh Look at Everything

Hey there,

Thanks for popping by. I’m am sitting here redesigning my website and having a fresh look at what I want to bring to the table here, by way of resources.

There are a lot of voices online and a lot of info floating about. Sometimes it can be hard to sift through and find what we actually need.

I’ve been distilling what I want to share here and am reducing things down to four main pillars.

1. Nordic Inspired Lifestyle design

2. Design and Innovation

3. Social Impact and Community Building

4. Creativity

The reason I am specialising in these things is because some of them are my interests and others are my specialist areas.

One of my goals is to be most consistent with the tools and resources I share. I will do this by blogging regularly, as well as sending emails to my email list. The stuff I will be writing about lights me up and I know it will benefit many of you too. So join the list if you want to hear more from me or have a bit of an explore of the resources I have on here.

At this point (March 25), there isn’t much by way of resources on here. But that is something that will change over the coming weeks.

Speak soon,
V

How Lagom Leads to Calm

Lagom is the art of balanced living. As I mentioned in my Fika Friday live last week, it is all about having just the right amount of what you need in your life. Whether it is habits or portion sizes or a statement wall in your living room. You can catch the replay here: Fika Friday Replay

And as a busy entrepreneurial lone mother to three, with two pets and a currently overgrown garden and lots of plates to spin, I totally get why this is an art you have to learn and master.

It isn’t something that comes easy. Especially when you are constantly giving out energy, time and pieces of yourself to those around you.

The thing is, we all know that when our balance is off we feel worse for it. And yet, we all seem to go through these phases of letting it happen anyway. Not only letting it happen … but letting it happen over a long period of time.

So here are 3 ways to weave more lagom into your day to day life so that you can feel calmer and more balanced.

ONE - Set boundaries.

Sounds easy in theory but isn’t always the case in practice. Setting boundaries takes sisu (resilience) and you can do it in respectful, peaceful ways. It is more about gentle reminders about what your needs are and how you want them to be met and respected, than stonewalling someone. If you communicate your boundaries to others, they will understand your needs better and you will feel more balanced.

Not only that, we also need to have boundaries with ourselves and be realistic about what we say yes to and what we take on in life. Protecting your time and energy is tantamount to protecting your peace!

TWO - Keep an eye on your to do list.

I love this one, it is so simple and so effective. Write down what you intend to do that day. If a task or thing on your list fuels your energy put a little upward arrow next to it. If it takes energy, put a downward arrow.

If the amount of upward and downward arrows on your list are unbalanced you will feel unbalanced also. So make sure you balance it like you would a bank balance. You need to value the energy fuelling activities with the same amount of importance as your other responsibilities. Balance is true self care. Even if it does take a little extra self discipline and umage (putting a little extra effort in each day) to keep on top of it.

THREE - A little task to try.

Everything you come across in the next week - stop and ask yourself “is this just the right about of … for me?”

Whether it be activities, vegging out in front of the tv, the time you spend scrolling on socials, how many lifts you agree to give people (I feel like I’m running a taxi service at the minute), portion sizes, exercise.

Whatever it is, is it just the right amount of what you need at that moment in time?

If not, you may well start to feel an imbalance. Too much or too little of what you need can leave you feeling overwhelmed and oversaturated or in lack.

I’ll be live again for Fika Friday in my Hygge Makes Me Happy facebook group. It is free so come and join us for a cuppa on Friday morning if you are free.

Here is the link for you: www.facebook.com/groups/hyggemakesmehappy

I tend to go with the flow so will see what book from my Nordic library I feel like reading from on Friday so the topic is a surprise (even to me haha).

Have a wonderful calm week.

Victoria

Sometimes we get the wrong thread.

Last Sunday I got the wrong thread. I was speaking at an “in charge of change” menopause event. I was in a room with around 20 lovely ladies delivering a calming lava bead jewellery making workshop. Only, before I left my studio I had taken some of the thread options out of the bag thinking they wouldn’t be needed because I had just bought some nicer, fancy coloured thread and elasticated options. The thread was the same size but I hadn’t checked to see if it worked well or not. I assumed it would be the same as the thread I always used.

How wrong I was, lots of the ladies struggled to get the elastic/fancy coloured thread through the beads. Beading needles were snapping right, left and centre and I was thinking to myself “why didn’t I just stick to what I knew worked?”.

You see, the other thread slips through the beads like a knife through butter, and this new pile of monstrosity was spiking stress levels instead of reducing them. I was ready to halt that part of the workshop when I saw something interesting happen.

As I watched the session unfold, I noticed some ladies were finding ways of doing it. I saw the ones who had figured it out help each other. I saw inner strength and tenacity come out and remembered how resilient we are as humans. Some of the ladies were persevering and wouldn’t be beaten by the beads. Some were clearly frustrated and had to instinctively self regulate and problem solve to finish their bracelet. A few decided that they would prefer a ready made one. There was no correct or better response. Every response was unique and different and individual to that person.

It got me thinking… all of these responses are the type of responses we have in life when it comes to various types of situations. This is especially true with the current cost of living crisis (if you are stressed about money right now see the bottom of this email for something that will help).

Yes, if it is in our power to do so, sometimes we have to help others and share our skills. Other times we might need to reach out and ask for help. Sometimes we have to dig down deep and find our sisu (strength, resilience, grit and perseverance) and battle through obstacles. Other times we have to self regulate and learn how to problem solve our way through a situation. There may also come a time where we have to say “no, this isn’t for me” and decide not to continue down a certain path.

All of these responses are different forms of strength.

You’ll be pleased to hear that the rest of the session was beautifully calm and relaxing. I took the ladies to my island of calm for a creative visualisation and then anchored their calm to the smell of my calming super-blend of essential oils and they applied it to their lava bead bracelets, so they can revisit that state whenever they need to.

Whatever threads you have in front of you in the week ahead, here’s to tapping into your skills and strengths and finding a way to making something beautiful with what you have before you.

Speak Soon,

V

PS. If you were one of the lovely ladies on my workshop last sunday, I hope you enjoyed it and it was lovely to meet you.

5 Ways to Create Instant Hygge by Engaging your Senses)

A little update before we get started …

I have started putting up a poll in my Facebook group Hygge Makes me Happy each week to see what sort of topics everyone wants me to cover.  

I am a Nordic coach (but I am not Nordic) – so have a lots of lovely Nordic lifestyle secrets up my sleeve. Last week we covered “How to create calm when you feel like your head is going to explode”.  This week we are going to be looking at how to instantly hygge a space.  

Of course, all of you hygge enthusiasts will be fab at doing this already but it doesn’t hurt to have a recap and you never know, this might spark some new interior styling ideas for you. 

The fastest way to evoke an emotion is to bring your senses into it! We are going to do this with things we already have in our home so it will cost you nothing and it won’t take much time either. 

Birds make nests, little animals make dens, and humans can make a lovely, hyggelig space – or hyggekrog. 

 

Time for a Treasure Hunt

Creating calm and cosiness doesn’t have to be expensive. Why not go on a treasure hunt in the other rooms of your house and find some of the things listed below. Bonus points if they have happy, sentimental value attached. 

1. Sight 

Look at the space you want to make all cosy and nice. 

How can you make what you are looking at more aesthetically pleasing with things you already have in your home? 

Think fairy lights, soft pools of light and comforting things you like to look at. Artwork, books. Anything that makes you feel good and cosy and warm and fuzzy inside. Go and collect it and put it in your hygge space.

Ideas: Favourite book or box set, letters from the past, poetry, your old notebooks to reminisce, a photo album, candles and warm lighting, decorative pieces that make you feel good, wooden décor rather than plastic, plants.

Surround yourself with comforting sights.

2. Smell

What smells bring back calm and peaceful memories for you? What smells instantly comfort you? How can you bring those smells into your space? 

Ideas: candles, room sprays, incense, perfume, a nice hand cream or body lotion, food or drinks, a loved one’s clothing that smells like them.

Try rooms sprays, candles, incense, perfume, coffee - any smells that bring you calm and comfort.

3. Sound

What sounds give you goosebumps or take you back to a beautiful time? Is it music? Birdsong? Nature sounds? Whatever it is, play that sound in your space for an instant hygge boost. 

What sounds calm you? What music is attached to happy memories and soothes you?

4. Taste 

Our tastebuds are so connected to our feelings and emotions. What drinks are cosy for you? What snacks? Make yourself a little cosy picnic and bring it to your hygge nook. Tea? Coffee? Rose lemonade? Danish pastries? Chocolate? A fruit platter? Whatever it is, bring it along. Could you have a little basket of snacks? It is a favourite sweet/candy or mint? 

What tastes engaging good emotions and memories for you?

5. Touch 

This is a big one. Think textures, textiles and tactile. Collect things from other rooms that you like the feel of. Things that make you feel safe and lovely. Fluffy socks, a soft blanket, a faux fur rug, a book, your latest hobby, you pets, your favourite jumper.

Find cosy things to sit on, surround yourself with, wear or hold. Things that make you feel happy and homely. Go and find them and bring them to your cosy nook. 

Think tactile and textured. Soft blankets, fluffy rugs, textured cushions. Crafts and things to hold in your hands.

Once you have catered for your senses your cosy space will take on so much more meaning to you because it is filled with things that mean something. It is a little collection of parts that make up your life and bring you comfort and warmth. 

Your next task is to set aside time each day to go and sit in your beautiful calming space. Even if you need to set a 15min timer. 

Make it a priority to set aside time to sit in your cosy space and experience hygge and calm.

Make use of it. Give yourself guilt free permission to be there and rest. To enjoy that calm and cosiness. 

I have delivered coaching on this topic today over in my Free Hygge Group why not pop over and watch it. 

Also, if you create a lovely space I would love to see it. Either share in the group or email me to show me your hygge spaces <3

Always remember, a peaceful life starts with a peaceful home.  

Speak soon, 

Victoria x

The Longest Journey

And yet it can be the most vital, rewarding and enriching, don't you agree?

Worry Looms Large

Worry can give the smallest of things such an overwhelming, anxiety-inducing shadow. Understanding that anxiety and having the tools to deal with it can be like shining a light on them - the shadows won't loom so large then.

The Best Time

Of what benefit is ruminating on what we didn't do yesterday? When is best time to take action when it comes to making changes or starting on a journey of forward momentum? I'm sure that you agree that now is the best time. Not tomorrow or yesterday. We only have control of the time slot we are currently moving in.

So then, we have the choice of whether to remain stuck and stagnant or we can choose personal development and growth.

The planting of one small seed can grow into something wonderful, just as one small action can have a positive impact on our lives and the lives of those around us.

The Generous and the Bold

Friendship Doubles Our Joy

Live Well