Your Self-Care Journey to a Healthy Glow with Tropic Skincare POSITIVE LIFE COACHING ACTIVITIES
How to develop a positive mindset and the ability to thrive in life
YOUR TOP SKIN PROTECTION TIPS
Stay vigilant, stay protected, and enjoy a sun-safe summer!
Top tips on food planning and cooking
Five ‘how to take a selfie’ tips from James
MEET
Hayley is a wonderful mum from Northamptonshire who visited our Derbyshire based studios for a well overdue dose of self care as well as a a confidence boost.
Besides being a mum of 4 fabulous children Hayley also has Hemicrania Continua - a persistent and continuous headache which can hurt one side or both sides of the head.
Her battle with PTSD has seen her take on new challenges as she embraces new chapters in her life, as explained by Hayley: “Don’t ever let something hold you back from doing something you want to do because until you face your fears you’ll never know what you’re missing out on.
Although I’m still fighting my demons doing this photoshoot has taught me that I can love myself and that I am worth loving.”
When asked what advice she’d give to someone who has never had a professional photoshoot before Hayley said “Just go for it because you are beautiful inside and out and you just need to believe that”. Thanks, Hayley!
WELCOME TO THE
WORLD OF Be Bold Be You
This edition is a special one as we have a wonderful article from Skcin – a Nottinghamshire based charity that was founded in 2005 - Skcin firmly believe that in order to reverse the soaring rates of skin cancer, education on a national level is paramount.
By targeting key higher risk groups via bespoke initiatives, we cannot only work toward the prevention of over 80% of all skin cancer cases, but also promote the vital early detection of the disease.
As always, our wonderful front cover isn’t a professional model – they’re a mum from Northamptonshire!
Be Bold Be You will never work with professional models and we’re proud to be able to show people in their true light, oozing confidence with their real bodyshape!
As you may (or may not!) know I’m so passionate about mindfulness of our bodies – from being aware of how we care for our physical beings through to being aware of the impact social media can have on our own mental health…
You may have heard about our #uckthefilter campaign which will be entering its third year of success but more on this later.
However you choose to join the Be Bold Be You Tribe – whether it’s through our interactive Facebook group (be bold be you be here), signing up to receive our FREE magazine or indulging in a confidence boosting photoshoot with us at our studios in Belper, we’re absolutely thrilled to welcome you to Be Bold Be You.
Have a wonderful Summer,
James & Kirsty
We hope that this magazine inspires you to join the tribe and feel proud of who you are.
As Oscar once said, “Be bold, be you. Everyone else is already taken.”
“ Developing a positive mindset
As a life coach I regularly have clients who find that managing children, home, job, and relationships can be a bit of a juggling act at the best of times. The school holidays can make things feel 100 times worse as you try to organise childcare for when you’re not around and activities for when you are.
“You can’t pour from an empty cup”
The first thing that we tend to put aside is time for us to relax as we prioritise everyone else’s needs, but this is the last thing we should do. All my Life Coaching clients know that my favourite saying is “You can’t pour from an empty cup” and it’s true.
To
be able to keep caring for and giving to others, you need to keep your own cup full...
But how?
The general advice always seems to include taking time out for yourself, and this is great in theory, but if you have children this is not always practical, so why not include your children in activities that are good for your selfcare/mental health and theirs?
The
holidays
could
give you
the
time you need to provide your children with skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.
My job as a life coach is to help people to develop a positive mindset and the ability to thrive in life.
Many of the strategies I use with adults can be adapted to use with children and teenagers too, so you can spend time together doing activities that will benefit you all. What you do will depend on the age of your children, but most things can be adapted to be age appropriate.
Instead of constantly having things to do, why not plan some time to have
No plans!!!
Many children have extremely full diaries, and experts are now linking this to the huge increase in anxiety in children, not to mention the anxiety of the adults ferrying them around!!
Have a day where you don’t have to get up early and rush about, then
spend a few hours where you have time to just ‘be’, rather than having things to ‘do’. We are human beings, but most of us now could be described as human doings.
Make this time fun by starting a ‘Gratitude journal’ each.
Gratitude is scientifically proven to benefit us in several ways and is one of the first things I do in any life coaching course. Gratitude improves physical and psychological health; it enhances empathy and reduces aggression.
Grateful people sleep better, have better self-esteem and mental strength. These are all things that will benefit you and every member of your family, whatever their age. Get a notebook each, some crayons or pens and personalise them, this gives you all quiet time and allows you to reconnect with your creativity before you even start on the actual gratitude.
Keep this time calm and quiet if you can but don’t be too controlling about it, this is an activity for you to enjoy too, don’t strive for perfection, just have fun.
Gratitude is limitless.
Article by Jessamine Life Coaching
Photo courtesy of Jessamine Life Coaching
Naturally improve your mood!
Initially you think of the big things, your home, family, job etc but really take this down to small things; a pretty bird outside your window or your friend making a delicious cuppa while you have a nice chat.
You could use this as an opportunity to thank your children for things they do.
You could be grateful for them making their bed or doing other chores. Someone who feels appreciated will always want to do more than expected and this is true of all age groups.
You can also use it to praise qualities that you wish to encourage.
“I feel grateful when you are kind to your sister/ brother/friends”.
Take time to make sure you benefit too as you think of the things YOU are grateful for in your life. While the children are occupied with their thoughts, make the exercise enjoyable for you.
Sit in your favourite chair, grab a nice cuppa, make sure you’re relaxed and comfortable, make this time count for you as well as everyone else.
Once you have all decorated your journal and written down at least three things you are grateful for.
Take
time to talk about each thing and how you feel about it.
Children love undivided attention, and we are not always able to give it but the connection it fosters is priceless.
Each person takes a turn to read theirs out and then you can all discuss them; this nurtures kindness and teaches listening skills too, make sure you are relaxed and enjoy the time together.
Gratitude is not a oneoff exercise; it should be repeated until it is second nature to think in a grateful way.
Every morning you should write down three things you are grateful for and in the evening, three things that were good about the day. Again, this is a great thing to do with your children as it encourages communication in a light-hearted, nondemanding way.
Writing it down is important, there will be some days when it doesn’t feel as though there is much to be grateful for, that’s just human nature.
On those days you look back at the journal and read all the good things written there, as you read them your mood naturally improves!!
There are many other life coaching activities that will benefit both you and your children and throughout the holidays I will be posting ideas on my social media.
@jessamine life coaching and usui reiki healing
jessamine_life_coaching
Find out more on social media
RADIANT SKIN FROM WITHIN:
Your Self-Care Journey to a Healthy Glow
As a mum of two, I understand the immense challenges of juggling family life.
Finding pockets of time for self-care often feels like a distant dream.
However, incorporating small acts of kindness into our daily routines is not only possible but essential for our well-being.
One transformative way to practice self-care is by starting a skincare regime. Using ingredients that nourish and protect your skin can have a profound impact on how you feel about yourself.
A good skincare routine strengthens the skin’s barrier and shields it from harmful UV rays, promoting both health and confidence.
Even amidst the chaos of motherhood, taking a few moments each day for yourself can make all the difference. Embrace these small rituals and watch as they enhance your overall sense of well-being.
My own story with my skin began after the birth of my second child when I developed rosacea – a chronic skin condition that causes redness, pustules, papules (raised area of skin tissue), flushing and
HERE ARE THE FIVE FUNDAMENTAL STEPS OF YOUR JOURNEY TO HEALTHY SKIN!
1.
warmth in the cheeks, nose, chin and forehead. I’ll be honest, at times it was incredibly difficult to manage, and my confidence reached an alltime low. I tried so many different products in an attempt to ‘cure’ my skin, in between frequent trips to the Doctors for yet another course of anti-biotics.
After much research into the ingredients that I was putting both topically on my skin and into my body, I began to see a shift in both he health of my skin and my confidence. Whilst the causes of rosacea are relatively unknown, in some cases, rosacea is thought to be triggered by an imbalance in the microorganisms that live in our gut and on our skin.
For me, making changes that have helped the diversity of the good bacteria in my microbiome has hugely helped.
So,
let’s talk about the everyday steps you can take
to keep your skin at its best and support your own self-care.
Always be gentle with your skin, enjoy looking after it, and know that consistency is key. I like to think of my skin as an extension of the body that needs nourishing in the same way. That’s why it’s so important to know and understand the ingredients that are in our skincare products.
The first step is always cleansingso important as it helps remove the build-up of free radicals, removes excess sebum and dirt (keeping your pores clear) and allows for a clean canvas for all your active skincare ingredients to perform their best.
2.
The next step in our journey is hydration. Your skin cells, just like every other living thing, need water to live. Water is literally the source of life, and properly hydrated skin will enable all your skin functions to perform at their optimum. That includes enabling your skin to renew itself effectively, regulate its sebum production, promote a happy skin microbiome and build more collagen and elastin to support itself. Hydration is absolutely key in maintaining a healthy skin barrier, and it’s the first skin concern to address before trying to do anything else with your skin.
3.
The third fundamental step is to nourish your skin. To feed your skin with different essential fatty acids and ceramides in the form of creams, oils and balms that help to keep the lipids within our skin barrier topped up.
That’s the mortar in between our brick wall of skin cells.
Nourishing our skin barrier helps to keep it strong, sealing in any gaps and keeping our skin supple and healthy.
4.
The fourth step is to exfoliate to help speed up the skin renewal process that slows down as we age. By removing the excess layers of dead skin cells and exposing newer skin underneath, exfoliation provides a radiance-boost for skin, refining and smoothing the complexion.
5.
The fifth and final step in our journey to healthy skin is to protect your skin against environmental factors to help keep it resilient and strong. That’s protection against UV rays with sunscreens or SPF makeup and protection against free radicals with our antioxidant-rich ingredients.
And there you have it, FIVE steps to your healthiest skin. It can take some time to figure out exactly what our individual skin needs, and this is where I am here to help and advise – remember it’s a journey not a destination.
Here’s to healthy, happy skin and a healthy, happy YOU!
For more information on establishing a skincare regime, contact Lucy Smithson, Independent Tropic Ambassador on 07979854280.
To find our more about Tropic Skincare visit www.tropicskincare.com
Photo courtesy of Lucy Smithson
Photo courtesy of Lucy Smithson
Self-Care Through Food
By SimpliciB
SimpliciB was founded by Rebecca Brown in September 2020.
Her expertise is in planning and cooking healthy meals at home and lunches and snacks at work. She educates in a variety of versatile ways to be creative rather than repetitive.
It is scientifically and medically proven that what we eat impacts how we feel.
The school holidays can be exhausting for parents, so here are my top food tips for keeping energy levels up.
Rebecca has 15 years’ experience working with various companies as an operational expert and training.
Helping businesses improve performance, productivity, efficiency, quality, customer, and people satisfaction and drive down costs.
She applies these skills and techniques to her approach to food planning and cooking.
www.simplicib.co.uk
Continue reading for Rebecca’s top food tips for keeping energy levels up
Food = Energy
Try and incorporate as much fruit and vegetables into your diet. They provide your body with everything it needs to function. You could make smoothies and include the kids to double up as a fun activity. Create your own!
Reduce or avoid CAFFINATED drinks (coffee, tea, energy drinks). Sure, these will give you a quick boost but once the caffeine wears off, you may experience a drop in heart rate, oxygen delivery and energy levels that will make you feel tired.
PLAN
The last thing you need is to be wasting time stood in the kitchen trying to figure out what is for lunch/dinner. To avoid stress and the endless ‘what are we having for tea’ PLAN your weekly meals. People say ‘I don’t have time to do that’ but trust me its quicker to plan than to try and figure out what your next meal will be.
Here are a few very quick, cheap, and simple meal suggestions
Pitta Pizzas
Pittas, tomato puree, cheese and then your choice of toppings (this is a fantastic way to boost your vegetable intake (Food = Energy).
Turn on the grill, smother one side of the pitta with tomato puree, add your toppings, grate on cheese and grill for 6 to 7 minutes.
You can turn this into a fun activity for the kids by getting them to design their very own pizzas.
Wraps to make your own
Chicken, pork or prawns, tortilla wraps, cheese, your choice of veg, Cajun seasoning.
Cook chicken, pork, or prawns with some Cajun seasoning. Heat wraps according to the instructions. Stir fry your choice of vegetables. Grate cheese. Serve in separate bowls so everyone can help themselves.
Foods to avoid
STARCHY CARBS i.e. jacket potato. This food group produces serotonin and make your blood sugar levels rise which make you feel sleepy. Replace white carbs with brown (rice, bread, pasta) and replace the jacket with a sweet potato.
SUGAR. When we have too much sugar, it makes our mood ‘rollercoaster’ up, down, up, down. Fact – Fat free yoghurts have high levels of sugar.
Evening Meals and Bedtime
Try and leave as long a gap as possible between eating and going to bed. When there is only a small window between the two, the body, mind and gut must ‘pull a night shift’ to try and work out of what you have ate is good and then absorb it and what is bad and how to get it out of the body. The bigger the gap equals a better night’s sleep, well rested and waking with more energised.
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE
This Derbyshire based, independent, company works with both families and businesses to ensure that everyone - from children to employees - are able to stay motivated and full of nutrition in order to achieve their very best.
If you’d like more information on how Becky can help you, contact her on: Social Media: @SimpliciB Email: Rebecca-brown@virginmedia.com Mobile: 07542829039
HOW TO TAKE A SELFIE
1.
Selfie’s take practice –all types of photography takes practice!
You’ll learn which angle you prefer your body, shape and, of course, face.
They take time to get right but if you’re a serious selfie lover, just keep practicing! You’ll get there.
2.
Let’s acknowledge, and remember, that it’s a camera on your mobile phone and/or tablet device. The quality will not be the same as the front cover of a magazine!
3.
Mirror the angle of your body with the camera, as if your shoulder and the camera are on the same rod together. In other words, try to mirror the angle of the shoulder furthest away from the camera and hold your phone to the side rather than straight on.
4.
When finding an angle to shoot at, move the camera and your body, not your eyes… By moving your eyes you run the risk of creating extra wrinkles on your forehead.
5.
Shoot from slightly above your chin line.
If you look down, no matter how small, it’ll create a shadow on your chest and risk an extra chin being created. Have fun! James
www.studio1825.co.uk
James has been photographing in professional studios for 20 years. After studying Geography for two years at university, he left the degree and chose to travel the world where he picked up a camera & fell in love with taking photographs of people. On his arrival back in the UK he enrolled with the University of Derby on an art foundation degree and went on to study (BA Hons) Fine Art Photography. From there he opened a small chain of studios and during these ten years James married Kirsty and they had three daughters. After the birth of their third child he chose to close the high street and create a studio focussed on the client, which is where you’ll find him, and Kirsty, today.
Top Sun Protection Tips
FOR ON-THE-GO MUMS
UV rays can harm your skin even on cloudy days, making daily sunscreen application a
Take extra care to protect your kids. A child’s delicate skin can burn within minutes causing irreparable damage to the skin cells. Lead by example. Teach your children the importance of skin care and sun safety. Establishing these habits early can prevent serious health issues later in life.
As working mums, our days are filled with endless to-dos, especially with the school summer holidays approaching. Amidst the hustle, it’s easy to overlook skin care.
Yet,
protecting your skin and your family’s from the sun’s damaging UV rays is crucial, not just in summer, but all year round.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, with 1 in 5 diagnosed in the UK.
But it’s also highly preventable. With 90% of cases caused by over-exposure to UV radiation, the first step in skin cancer prevention is diligent sun protection.
Choose a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher with a minimum 4 star UVA protection and apply it every morning, regardless of the weather.
During the summer, the sun’s rays are more intense, so reinforce your efforts. Keep yourself and your kids covered up with clothing a sun hat and sunglasses.
Make it a routine to apply sunscreen liberally and evenly to yourself and your kids, 15 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours, more often if sweating and always straight after swimming.
Don’t forget about shade. Plan outdoor activities for early morning or late afternoon when the sun’s UV radiation isn’t at its peak. Seek shaded areas, or use umbrellas or pop-up tents during beach or park outings to provide additional sun protection.
Busy mums, remember: being proactive and consistent with sun protection can ensure your skin stays healthy and radiant, helping prevent skin cancer and keeping you and your family safe under the sun.
Stay vigilant, stay protected, and enjoy a sunsafe summer!
For all the advice, guidance and selfmanagement tools you need to learn more about skin cancer prevention & early detection and take charge of your family’s skin health and surveillanceinstall the Skcin App at: app.skcin.org
KIRSTY’S TAKE ON “THAT”
Calvin Klein advert
BBC News released the headline “ad with FKA twigs banned for objectifying women” and all it has done is made me roll my eyes and yawn… The headline, not Calvin Klein.
Apparently there have been two complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority about the image featuring FKA twigs however two other images, from the same advertising campaign have been allowed to stay, according to Sky News. So why
am I rolling my eyes?
There is a huge - and I’d argue more important - point being missed here by all - Calvin Klein, BBC News, Sky News and even the Advertising
Standards Authority - and that is the use of filters… And, for once, I’m not just talking about photographic ones.
Let’s take a walk around some local places, shall we? The wonderful Hardwick Hall has a garden FULL of statues in these sorts of poses!!
Replace a 21st century denim shirt with a chistled-out cloth and you get the idea. Derby Museums, itself, is home to the biggest collection of artworks by Joseph Wright and has one of his paintings - “the widow of an indian chief watching the arms of her deceased husband” describing her denim shirt equivalent as a “roman toga” to the British culture who had never seen or met the fashion or culture of North America.
AND Guess
What?!
The fabric, described as a toga by Wright, seems to have been placed below the subject’s breast.
Oh, and those statues at Hardwick Hall I mentioned? To quote my children there are “BUMS A PLENTY!” (both male & female!) in that glorified garden, as well as boobs.
So, is this advertising campaign a form of 21st century art? Let’s be honest, our kids will have that answer in 100 years time.
But here’s the answers my kids, aged 13, 11 & 6, currently have right now: BODYSHAPE is different for everyone. Creases are natural.
Curvesallowed.are
Most boobs sag on grown women. This is all thanks to the stone statues at Hardwick Hall (and Chatsworth House gardens!) as well as paintings from the 1700s by Joseph Wright.
My kids, influential, body confidence is certainly NOT due to the advertising campaigns of Calvin Klein, or other fashion retailers.
Can the Advertising Standards Agency, and the UK Government, please take time and action to realise that these sorts of images are damaging to health & wellbeing?
Here’s why…
The government claim that assemblies in schools will sort it all out but the fact of the matter is that there is a health crisis unfolding right before our very eyes and it’s not even talked about.
Last year I published a blog about the importance of talking about the effects filters can have on us and I mentioned the slightly scary term “snapchat dysorphia” becoming a recognised medical condition and that the character traits of this illness is seen as a body-image disorder characterized by the need to heavily edit one’s own digital image.
They need to edit the image because they believe the true human form, captured on the camera, isn’t a good enough version of themselves.
Legally we are obliged to point out that this - quite obviously - is not an image taken by Be Bold Be You at Studio1825 (there’s been far too much airbrushing used to be one of ours!)
The edited version is then uploaded onto social media and others believe that this is an “untouched” photograph, portraying a true human form thus creating a vicious cycle of negative thoughts in relation to our own shape, size and image. The truth is that the image portrayed is a fictitious image - it’s false! This means that it’s a state of art that a natural human will never be able to look like because of the “artistic
flare” added to it by things such as filters. The even more worrying thing is that over 40% of images on social media are unrecognised as having a filter put on them, but that’s a chat for another day.
So, are people complaining the the advertising standards agency about the right thing?
In my opinion, no. It’s really not a sexual image!
I do wonder that, if they’d left it in colour, it would be a softer and more interesting image as you’d have the mix of skin and fabric mixing on a contrasting colour palette. Would that have been softer by the public - who knows? I’ve seen more bum cheeks hanging out of a supposed bikini pant brief at the swimming pool in Derby than I have on this advert! We’ve got a hell of a lot more work to do for images of women draped in strategically placed fabric, to be the primary concern in the portrayal of modern women in 2024.
