I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
May marks Mental Health Month. But before I go any further, I must admit to you all…up until recently I would have immediately tuned out anything with “mental health” related to it. I would have dismissed it because I didn’t think it had anything to do with me. But the more I’ve read about wellness, living intentionally and being more present, I’ve found that learning about mental health and finding ways to improve it (whether that’s through big improvements or adopting small habits) is something that should be on all of our minds.
Mental clutter is a lot different than physical clutter (which we recently addressed thanks to MKR’s March read of Marie Kondo’s bestselling book). Mental clutter can be linked to anxiety, poor time management, procrastination and stress, and it can wreak havoc on our creativity, productivity and every day outlook. It’s exactly as it sounds: all that junk floating around in your head, disrupting your routine and bogging you down with detrimental thoughts.
Like pretty much anyone reading this, I had to admit that I’m guilty of letting my thoughts and worries run rampant, sometimes causing me to lose sleep or pick a fight with a loved one. I read a great piece on Fast Company the other day which shared 5 ways we can “rest and digest” the mind to counteract all of the distractions we face in a day. It got me thinking about simple changes I can implement in my day-to-day routine to help clear my own mental clutter, like putting my iPhone down more often (understatement of the year). I’ve listed them in the slideshow above, but I’d love for you to share any additional ways you’re able to do the same. Cheers, Kat
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Reschedule Unnecessary Tasks
Step back and ask yourself what is REALLY necessary to accomplish today. Focus on the important task(s) and reschedule the rest. By learning how to say no, you empower yourself to call the shots on your schedule (and stress). If saying no is hard for you (like it is for many), check out these great tips.
Scientific research suggests that only 2% of the population can multi-task properly. As we try to do many things at once, we're actually a lot less productive with the tasks we have on our to-do lists. Seems straight-forward enough, but it always helps to have a reminder of this in order to cut down on the extra junk racing around in your head.
Don't forget the power of deep breathing. Think long, deep breaths that sound like the ocean.
In the Fast Company article, Scott Eblin points out how deep breathing can be done wherever and whenever you wish, making it one of the simplest ways to get your mind back on track. I especially loved this thought: "Breathing is like doing reps in the gym for your biceps. The more reps you do, the stronger you are. Paying attention to your breathing increases the attention muscle in brain."
It's easy to get wrapped up in the status updates, notifications and messages. But by putting your phone down, you are able to not only be more present in the moment, but also more productive with less distractions that lead to the mental clutter.
By allowing yourself to have alone time, you give your mind the chance to wander in unconscious thought and reset. Our worlds are becoming increasingly faster and noisier, and finding comfort in solitude can help keep the mind clear of clutter.
We’ve all heard the benchmark we need to hit: 10,000 steps per day. And that’s definitely a smart goal to have; according to the CDC, adults need 150 minutes per day of moderate aerobic activity. That translates to at least 7,000-8,000 steps per day, and I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t get anywhere near that, and I really need to increase my average daily steps.
Working from home—and well basically working behind a computer in general—isn’t helping me reach my daily goal. So I’ve been on a mission lately (just ask all of my friends) to increase my average daily steps. I may be a little bit late to the game after the FitBit craze a few years ago, and right now I rely on my handy iHealth app on my phone (though it’s definitely not as cool). With all of the amazing FitBit designs these days, and my recent obsession with my step count, I’m tempted to buy this one soon.
In an effort to increase my average daily steps, I’ve adopted a few simple habits in my daily routine on top of my daily workouts, which you’ll find in the slideshow above. These easy changes have a) opened my eyes to how much more I should be moving, b) have entertained me while I keep track of my activity (I’m a data nerd) and c) have helped me feel stronger and more energetic throughout my day. Win-win-win. Tell me, how do you fit more activity in your day to increase your own average daily steps? Cheers, Kat
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Pace while you brew
You know how slow those few minutes seem to roll by when you're waiting on your morning cup of coffee? Use this time as a chance to pace around the place. You'll hit at least a few hundred steps in the meantime.
Whether you can take your full lunch break or grab a quick bite to bring back to your desk, it's crucial to use this as a chance to get up and move around.
Forget trying to find the best parking spot in the grocery store's parking lot. Instead, park farther away, allowing yourself to walk more steps to get to where you want to be.
Make the habit of taking calls on the go and try to schedule meetings when you can get up and walk alongside each other. Added bonus: the positive energy from the endorphins may just be what your calls and meetings have been missing!
Getting up and moving seems easy, but sometimes we simply don't give ourselves the time to do so. If you're still scraping for chances to get your steps in, consider scheduling reminders on your calendar.
To say the team is thrilled to be chatting with Ms. Jacquelyn Clark, the talented voice behind the popular lifestyle blog Lark & Linen today is an understatement; we’ve been such fangirls of the blog for years, as we’ve followed (and pinned) just about every gorgeous home tour and scrumptious recipe. So when Jacquelyn took the leap to entrepreneurship to launch her own interior design business, we knew it had success written all over it. Read along as we chat with Jacquelyn below, to learn how it all began, how she landed a coveted editorial job with Style Me Pretty to then land her own design clients for Lark & Linen, all while maintaining a popular lifestyle blog!
JC: When I first started my career as an interior designer almost a decade ago, I was working for a wonderful architect downtown Toronto. The company was great, I mean to this day I think of those co-workers as family, but the work itself didn’t completely fulfill me (ie: a lot of schools, government offices and libraries). In order to fuel my creative spirit I began penning my blog, Lark & Linen, on the side. For the first little while, I kept it pretty under my hat – only my closest friends and family knew. But before long, people started catching wind. For me, the turning point was in 2012 – almost two years after I began. I was travelling through Scotland when I received a very exciting email from Abby Larson, the genius behind Style Me Pretty. She had somehow found my blog, had this idea for Style Me Pretty Living, and asked me if I’d be interested in helping her launch it. From there, things began moving pretty quickly.
I acted as editor for SMP Living for just under two years. During that time, my blog continued to grow, and I began receiving requests for interior design services. And while working for SMP Living was an absolute dream, designing spaces in the physical sense was something I missed tremendously so taking on small projects in the evening and on the weekends was a no brainer. After a year and a half of essentially working three full time jobs, I began to feel burnt out and knew that something needed to give. Launching my own business had always been a thought in the back of my mind, I had a little bit of a nest egg built up from almost two years of non-stop work, and knew in my gut that I just needed to go full tilt. I launched my own interior design studio in October of 2015 and haven’t looked back!
WOM: What’s your favorite design project you’ve ever worked on? JC: Oh you can’t make me choose! I’ve actually been INCREDIBLY lucky on the client front so far and have worked with some really amazing people. All of my clients have given me a lot of creative freedom, and have instilled a lot of trust in my abilities. And in my experience, those are always the projects that end up with the best results. I’ve done everything from tiny powder room refreshers to full guts, and I have invested so much of myself in each and every one. This question is like Sophie’s choice!
WOM: Ha! Fair enough! How about a work mantra? JC: “Nobody died”. Ha! No, but for real – I do tend to be of the anxious mindset, and I constantly have to remind myself to put things into perspective. While I fully believe that design is in the details, I do have to check myself and remember that the outlet that’s 1/8th of an inch off centre or the grout that came out slightly lighter than I’d like is really and truly not the end of the world. Nobody died, it could always be worse, and there’s nothing here that can’t be fixed.
WOM: What does your typical day look like? JC: I’m the antithesis of a morning person, so I typically roll out of bed around 8. On a good day, I’ll lace up my runners as soon as my feet hit the ground, go for a quick run and grab a tea on my way home before getting ready for the day. On most days however, I groggily fill the kettle, turn on my computer and make a to-do list in my pyjamas. Once I’m actually awake, dressed and ready, my days are always a combination of client meetings, furniture sourcing, blog writing, recipe creating, delivery coordinating madness. It’s busy, and it’s hectic, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I do try to shut everything down by 7 so Justin and I can make and enjoy dinner together, but often end up tackling a few more things into the wee hours of the morning. Now that I have a steady stream of clients and a better grasp of how much I can take on and when, my current goal is to work on the work-life balance thing, so we’ll see how that goes this year!
WOM: Tell us a bit about the creative process for you. JC: It really and truly depends on the client and their needs, but I always start with a q&a series to really hone in on what it is my client is after, both from a design standpoint and a lifestyle perspective. From there it’s all about the details: site documenting, budget planning and the not-so-fun essentials. Once everything has been worked out logistically, I really start brainstorming. This typically involves a serious Pinterest love affair, reconnecting with my stack of design magazines, and evolves from there!
WOM: What do you love about your job? JC: As an introvert, a business in interior design makes for the perfect balance between collaboration (with my clients, my contractors and the like) and sealing myself up in a yoga pant-clad bubble and getting all of those creative energies out on paper. It’s fantastic!
WOM: We’re always sharing the best ways to update a space here on WOM. What’s your favorite way to accessorize a room? JC: Rugs and custom drapery. They really and truly make a space each and every time.
WOM: We’re sure you’re inundated with a whole lot of pretty every day. How often do you redecorate your own space? JC: Ha! Constantly! We’re actually house hunting right now, which has tempered my big re-decorating ways, but it hasn’t stopped me from picking up new accessories, pillow covers and the like here and there.
WOM: As an interior designer, where do you find inspiration? JC: While Pinterest is a great source, of course, I do find I’m most inspired when travelling. I always seem to come up with my best ideas when out and about exploring! WOM: We can totally see that. And do you have a girl crush or style icon? JC: I really admire Catherine Kwong. She is a master at interior design and her projects always bridge that gap between all out luxury and total livability. She’s a design genius, as far as I’m concerned.
WOM: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? JC: “Be humble and grateful, always.”
WOM: And what advice do you have for individuals hoping to follow your path? JC: Start a blog! The connections you can make through blogging are invaluable, it allows you to really hone in on your personal style and, probably most importantly, you have full creative control. That last point is hugely beneficial for a designer and, unless you’re designing your own home for your own single self, rarely, if ever, happens.
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