Month: March 2019

Sincerely Silver: building strength through stories

Published on by Hannah2 Comments

I was so excited to partner with Sincerely Silver and try a few of their amazing products. This brand is unique in that it not only sells high quality products, but it also has a powerful brand mission: feminism. Their website includes tons of great historical information, followed by how they incorporate feminism into their mission as a company. Here is a short description from their site:

“The people of Sincerely Silver believe that feminism is and should be a form of equality for all sexes, in which a person is free to be whoever they want to be without economic, political or social limitation. We believe that feminism is still relevant today, but not in the way it was understood in its inception and not in the way it is understood by its modern definition (third and fourth wave). Feminism is still important today because, individually, women are still in need. We believe that feminism was an important historical movement since it addressed the disadvantages of women as a group in society. However, we believe that feminism today should focus on the individual stories of women, and not on the idea that women as a group are oppressed. As a company, we are focused on building each other up through encouraging one another: we believe there is strength in every woman’s story.”

I love partnering with brands like this; brands that focus on a larger goal rooted in social justice and advocacy. Like this brand, I also believe in the immense power of personal stories/narratives. Now, on to the fun stuff: the goodies! I opted for a rose gold name necklace and a “Be Kind” necklace.

I almost never buy any rose gold jewelry because I typically lean towards silver, but I went out on a limb and ordered my name in rose gold. I’m so glad I did!

 

The rose gold is beautiful in this delicate personalized name necklace. It is made of sterling silver plated with 18k rose gold so it is very high quality–and you can tell.

The “Be Kind” necklace is made of sterling silver and comes on an 18” chain. It is such a beautiful, simple piece that brings me joy every time I look at it. This would be a fantastic gift for a friend or for Mother’s Day, which is coming up soon! I love jewelry that has a positive message; it serves as a simple, constant reminder throughout the day. Sincerely Silver has a number of necklaces like this with positive messages; my other favorite is “Be still.”

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I will definitely buy more jewelry from Sincerely Silver; they have some really unique products. I love the idea of their custom sound wave necklace–you can have a custom sound wave (from a song, poetry reading, etc.) imprinted on a necklace! I’ve never seen a necklace like this anywhere else. One more detail I forgot to mention: all of their products are very reasonably priced and they arrive quickly (huge plus in my book).

Use code SINCERELY15 for a discount when you order from https://www.sincerelysilver.co!

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Disclaimer: I received this product from Sincerely Silver, but all opinions, thoughts, and photos are my own and represent my own experience.

 

Ted Talk Friday: 8 Lessons on Building a Company People Enjoy Working For

Published on by HannahLeave a comment

I am interested in workplace wellbeing from a number of different perspectives: as a lover of psychology, as an employee, and as an employee of a wellbeing technology company. I love how McCord breaks down her lessons into eight simple ideas. A lot of these ideas echo the lessons I learned in Brené Brown’s most recent book, Dare to Lead. I think lesson #6 is the hardest lesson for most companies…watch the video and let me know if you agree!

 

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Do you agree with these 8 lessons? Are there any other lessons you would add?

The Hard Work of Self-Compassion

Published on by Hannah2 Comments

If you’re a perfectionist, or recovering perfectionist, like me, you know that self-compassion is far from easy. I still remember reading Kristin Neff’s book on self-compassion and feeling complete shock at how unkind I was to myself. I remember reading, “Treat yourself like you would treat a good friend” and I’m sure my mouth dropped. I would never think or say things I say to myself to a friend, or even my worst enemies.

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Self-compassion, as defined by Dr. Kristin Neff, is made up of three key elements:

  1. Self-kindness vs. Self-judgement: We are all imperfect and self-compassion requires us to both acknowledge and accept those imperfections with kindness and love rather than judgment.
  2. Common humanity vs. Isolation: Imperfection is part of what makes us human–no one is perfect!
  3. Mindfulness vs. Over-identification: Be mindful of what you are thinking and feeling, but do not let those thoughts and feelings control you or become part of who you are.

I’ve been working on my self-compassion for the past three years since I read the book–and it’s not a simple change. Yesterday I found myself thinking, “It’s ok, babe. You’ve got this.” I paused and realized that this was my new internal voice; what a beautiful moment that has come after years of putting in work and changing my narrative. That is how I talk to my friends and those I care about, and I’m finally using that confident, compassionate, and loving voice for myself as well. I stopped what I was doing and nearly felt like crying because of how proud I was.

That voice does not come naturally to a lot of us, particularly those of us who have perfectionistic tendencies. I know many in the world of academic research see self-compassion as a bit “fluffy,” which has always bothered me. While it might sound fluffy in that it focuses on self-love and accepting imperfections, the science is loud and clear about the benefits that come with self-compassion. Researchers have found that self-compassion can increase immune function, lower the heart rate, and increases overall wellbeing.

Self-compassion is a skill we can build and it can help buffer us against the kind of self-directed negativity that accompanies depression and anxiety. Research shows that self-compassion can weaken the association between perfectionism and depression.

I’ve always been on the more anxious side; I primarily worry the most about my future and my performance, whether at work or school or in an interview. Building my self-compassion practice hasn’t made these anxious feelings go away, but it certainly helps when things go wrong or I make a mistake. I’ve developed mantras like “You’re ok” and “This is not on you” that help me get through difficult times. These mantras aren’t excuses to avoid taking responsibility for my mistakes, but they are ways I can minimize how my mistakes impact my mindset. You can still own your mistakes and learn from them while practicing self-compassion!

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Curious about how self-compassionate you are? Take the quiz here!

Ted Talk Friday: What I learned from 2,000 obituaries

Published on by Hannah1 Comment

I was immediately drawn in to this talk during the first minute; my dad actually does the same thing that this speaker, Lux Narayan, and reads through obituaries quite frequently. Narayan’s talk is a beautiful testament to having a life worth living–a life that is focused on what matters and having a positive impact, no matter how small. I also love that someone whose career focuses on data can develop such an interdisciplinary talk that ties in to some many important themes.

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Do you often read obituaries? If not, do you plan to start reading them after hearing this talk?