SHOP & STYLE
Life can overwhelm us. Due to unexpected events happening sometimes relentlessly we wonder how we can cope. Everything is going great and WHAM the unexpected happens. Recently I heard an extremely busy colleague say “Next” regarding some unexpected news (which meant she had to pack up her whole business and home within a short period of time) She told me about it, shrugged her shoulders, smiled and said “Next!” She knew that “something” (whether good or bad) was always going to happen next. This is life. We don’t know what is happening next. How we cope with the unexpected determines our quality of life and the amount of overwhelm we are likely to experience. Here are some ways to cope with overwhelm:
1. Expect the Unexpected
You do get what you expect. Go with the flow. Remember that everything happens for a reason. Fighting what we cant control contributes to frustration and anxiety. “It is what it is”
2. The Light and Dark Keys on a Piano are what make the Music.
We need light and shade in our life. Think about how a painting would look without both. Opposites give contrast. Therefore the dark makes the light even brighter. It is all about contrast and balance. “dark days make the good days even better”
3. Make Choices… or Not
Don’t let the “need to make a choice” overwhelm you. You can make a choice and take away the overthinking. If you feel pressured into making a choice you can also NOT make a choice. That in itself is choosing to do nothing. Wait and see what happens. You will soon know when the obvious rears up in front of you what you need to do. There is a difference between a “feeling” that something is right and a strong gut instinct. If you aren’t sure – just sit with it and see what happens. The Dalai Lama said “Sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck”
4.Does this serve me?
I have a note on my phone “S.A.T.” (for Stop And Think). The purpose is to think whether something I am about to do will serve me for what I want to achieve right at that moment. It has helped tremendously with a sense of overwhelm I had when attempting to do everything at once and accomplish it all in a day. We all only have a certain amount of time in a day. The words Stop And Think ensures I don’t go into auto pilot like a machine.
5.The Sun Rises Every Morning and Sets Every Night
….Regardless! Once we realise that we cannot control every event in our life we can relax and enjoy life.
6.Clear the Screen to avoid Overwhelm
When you feel overwhelmed take a step back and look in a different direction. Change the scenery. Go for a walk, Go for a drive. Look at nature. Feel nature. Jump in the pool. Jump in the ocean. Play with your children. Take a break. Come back with fresh eyes and you will see everything is clearer and easier.
7.Do what you enjoy and give the rest to someone else
As much as you can – delegate. There is something to be said for sharing the load. If you love bookwork do it yourself. If you don’t then give it to someone who does or who wants the work. If you can help someone by giving them the work then look at this as spreading the love and helping others as well as yourself. There may be something you can do that others can’t or don’t like to do. Sharing is caring and you would be amazed at the difference it can make if you reach out and ask for help – It gives you more time to help others too. Create the space for you. Not everything needs to be done by you.
8.Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Is this you? … Piling all the big problems and then some smaller problems into a great big huge pile – Oh yes! My husband used to say “You are doing it again” .. Do you know what? I dont do this any more. The small problems I think about for a minute and then thats it. Small problems are not worth sweating over. If they really are small they will sort. Bigger problems dealt with calmly and logically will work out too. My dear old Aunt used to say “what does it matter in the scheme of things?”. She was right. The scheme of things is our life and if we spend our life worrying about the small things that sense of overwhelm will always be there.
9. Create Boundaries for Yourself as well as Others
I am a firm believer in “If its going to be its up to me”. Recently I wanted to get a project done which was essential to me. It was really important. I banned myself from Facebook, television, told my family I needed to focus on this and do you know what? Other people probably didnt even notice that I had backed off. I was worried about family and friends and that I was neglecting them. No. It didnt make one speck of difference. I got my project completed and was able to celebrate. For me this was a milestone. Create and appreciate boundaries for yourself and for other people.
10. Appreciate
Have an overwhelming sense of appreciation. There you go …. a positive use for the word “overwhelm”. There are so many wonderful people and so many wonderful things to do …. overwhelm yourself with gratitude today and see what happens.
In Conclusion
Step away, clear the screen and focus on what is right for you. Focus only what needs to be done right this minute because everything else can wait and will sort out. Enjoy your life and feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for what you have today, right now. Contact Moana Robinson from B Styled for Life on 1300 366 675 today
If you feel overwhelmed and anxious, you are not alone. Like many other women, you are stressed to the point that you’re only reacting to situations. With coaching you can take back control of your life for a more tranquil state of mind, body, and spirit! A Life Coach helps you to:
- Figure out what is causing stress
- Lower the occurrence of stressful situations
- Practice relaxation techniques
- Cope more effectively with change
Why Seek a Solution?
Consistently feeling overwhelm and anxiety can take a toll on your body over time. You may start to feel unwell physically, mentally, and emotionally. From stomach pains to insomnia, irritability, anger, loss of concentration and rise of blood pressure, there are many damaging effects that can occur for women who do not seek healthy solutions.
The Role of a Life Coach
A life coach can help you understand why exactly you feel the way you do and how to modify your thoughts to cope better with pressures. By exploring your stress levels, a life coach guides you in identifying which situations trigger overwhelm and anxiety for you, what is your unique threshold, and what techniques to use to manage stress effectively at work and home. With your Life Coach, you get a concrete plan for how to fix the overwhelm and anxiety. When you are overwhelmed, it is hard to find solutions to day to day problems. You will get some real strategies for times of stress by learning how to transform your negative thoughts into positive ones and reduce anger reactions.
Getting Back Control of Your Life
Having a life coach by your side will help you to solve the issues causing you to be anxious and overwhelmed. As a result, you will:
- Rest more
- Spend more time in positive situations
- Improve relationships
- Feel restored and more content
- Be more productive
- Enjoy more success
Learn the skills to stay more in control of your life from this point forward! Come away from the coaching sessions with an improved understanding of when you are taking too much on and what situations induce pressure for you.
A Healthier and Happier You
Obtain healthier and more effective solutions naturally. A Life Coach helps you by giving you the tools to enable you to feel better and have a more positive outlook on the world around you! Your physical, emotional, and mental health will improve, and you will have the tools to take control of your life using stress-free actions. Take your first step to enjoying an improved life by contacting Moana at bstyledforlife today. If you would like to know about Life Coaching Services that Moana can offer, please visit B Styled for Life’s Life Coaching Page, Contact Moana on 1300 366 675 or fill in the contact form.
Why Is Celebrating Success So Important?
Celebrating success helps to achieve more in life. It helps us appreciate what we have and what we have done. It helps us celebrate who we are and helps us to celebrate life.
Birthdays, Weddings, Anything
Celebrating success is the reason we have birthdays and wedding anniversaries. We are celebrating milestones. Celebrating success doesn’t always mean accomplishment in what you have done. It can be celebrating living life as the person you are, living with someone you love or celebrating being where you love to be. Even funerals are sometimes called a “Celebration of Life”
Celebrating is Good for Community and Connection
International sporting events where trophies are presented are a way of celebrating success. Think of the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games where everyone is celebrating success with the athletes who have trained so hard. Celebrating success brings energy and excitement to experiences. It is a way to reward yourself and others for efforts. Celebrating brings people together in body and spirit.
A Wonderful Reminder
Celebrating success and what you have achieved is something which is an important reinforcement of positive actions. This is why we have graduation ceremonies to celebrate the culmination of hard work done during courses and training. Celebrating success is the reason we have certificates as proof of what we have achieved. The visual reminder of qualifications attained gives us a sense of pride in what we have accomplished.
On the completion of courses I like to present my attendees with a Certificate so that they can see they have proof of what they have achieved. It shows the name of the course, the date completed and there is something about seeing your name on a Certificate of Achievement which gives a sense of pride and helps with self-esteem.
Personal Visual Celebration
One of the best ways to motivate yourself is to think of how you are going to celebrate when you have completed a task or project. Resource yourself to be more motivated by visualising what it will be like when you have completed a goal.
I remember what it was like to do something small such as clean up a spare room which had been very cluttered. for way too long. I visualised what that room would look like when cleared out and decorated. This gave me the motivation to do it. Once done I kept opening the door to that room and visually took in for real the clean, beautiful space in front of me instead of that messy, cluttered space of a “dumping area” . It gave me a sense of satisfaction to see that area looking gorgeous. Even by opening the door to check the beautiful clean, clear and light space I was celebrating success. It made me feel accomplished and happy.
A Powerful Procrasination Buster
Many of us have tasks that we just don’t feel like doing and a great tip to cure procrastination is to “eat that frog” first as described in the book by Brian Tracy. Do the worst job first and after that everything else is easy. You can celebrate success by allowing yourself to do what you have been wanting to do instead. When in business it is true that sometimes we do what we have to do first in order to get to do what we want to do. All play and no work will not get you ahead in business. When you have done work that you are proud of celebrate it. Go out and play, have fun. Treat yourself to something you have been wanting to do or have.
Your Type of Celebration
Make a list of everything you love to do. Think of what makes you feel really good. Is it catching up with a friend for coffee? Going for a swim in the ocean? Having a massage? Knowing what you love to do helps you to begin with the end in mind. It helps with motivation and setting goals.
That Special Child
Celebrating success is almost like bribing yourself and thats ok. We all have that inner child and loving your inner child means that you don’t always need to celebrate success with something unhealthy such as chocolate or alcohol. The best way to celebrate success is to think of something you love to do and make a list as the more ways you can think of that are YOUR way of celebrating success. This will give you even more motivation to achieve your dreams and goals.
Self Discovery and Personal Development is Key to Success
Discovering what success means to you is the first step after writing that list of what it is that you love to do. If success to you is achieving a university degree or completing a course? Think about the purpose of that university degree or that course. What will that give you? How will it make you feel and the success of completion may give you satisfaction and a sense of achievement. It may give you a sense of pride and it is worth celebrating that achievement. By celebrating success you will want to go onto the next step with that university degree or course so that you have another reason to celebrate.
Each Day is a Celebration
Each day is a celebration of success in itself. We all know the power of gratitude and celebrating success is similar to this. Endorphins are created when you have the satisfaction of accomplishing. This could be a job well done or having helped someone . Celebrating success is a positive pattern to lead a fulfilling and satisfying life.
You Deserve This
We all deserve to be proud of who we are and what we have done in life. Surrounding yourself with people who love celebrating success is a healthy way to live. The tall poppy syndrome is the other side of the scale. It is the down side of success and is a negative culture developed by people experiencing jealousy and bitterness.
Success is Motivating and Inspirational
I personally like to see people doing well and achieving their goals and dreams. It is motivating and inspiring. The definition of success is personal and so is the way you celebrate your success. This is all part of personal development and getting to know yourself and knowing the life you are creating for yourself. It takes work to really know what success means for you and it takes work to achieve that success because part of achieving success is recognising when you HAVE achieved the success that you are after.
The Key to Living a Life to Be Proud Of
The most important celebration you can have is the celebration of you and your life. This way you will constantly be living a life that you are proud of. If you would like a discovery session with Moana to see how you can celebrate success in your life or how to recognise steps you can take now towards achieving your dreams and goals contact Moana here.
Do you wear 20% of your wardrobe only 80% of the time? I am going to show you how To Spring Clean Your Wardrobe In Under 1 Hour.
Do you realise that the average woman spends an extra 90 minutes a week just going through their wardrobe deciding what to wear?
A lot of women actually feel paralysed with fear when it comes to choosing clothes to go out in. This can be for the simple reason that they have too many clothes and don’t even know what they have in their wardrobe.
I have heard of one woman who will not go out on a date with her husband because she simply does not know what to wear as she has too many choices but nothing to wear!
Every single item in your wardrobe needs to have a purpose otherwise it is taking up “rent free space”
I am Moana Robinson from B Styled for Life., I love helping women look, feel and be their best!
Here are my top 10 tips to ensuring your wardrobe is working for you and not creating extra work, costing time and wasting energy!
- Do a logistics check – Are your most worn items at the left side of your wardrobe? Most of us look to the left side first and then to the right. Items such as exercise clothes or everyday clothes you need in a hurry should be here.
- Cull any clothes you do not wear or haven’t worn for at least twelve months. For the diehard hoarders, have a bag or basket in your wardrobe to place rarely worn items. If you haven’t missed it place the bag in another room. If you still haven’t missed the item, you know you don’t need it. Donations are usually gratefully received by someone else if the items are in good condition. Otherwise – out it goes!
- Group similar types of clothing together, i.e. tops, skirts, pants, dresses, long dresses, jackets and accessories
- Hang as many clothes as possible so that they keep their shape and are visible
- The more you can see your clothes the more likely you are to wear them
- Shoes can be placed in see through boxes to keep them in good condition and to ensure they are easy to find in a hurry. You can buy hanging shoe bags or store them in boxes.
- Check if you have any double-ups. If you have say, five black t shirts you could pack some away and bring them out slowly as you need them.
- Give yourself a rule to delete one item as you buy one item
- Go through your wardrobe in between seasons and pack away the clothes you will not be wearing for a few months
- You can conduct your own Wardrobe Audit with a simple step by step guide. Download this free Wardrobe Organising Workbook
Want your biggest style question answered? Simply email me and if selected we’ll write up a whole post to answer your question (don’t worry you can stay anonymous).
Contact Moana Robinson at B Styled for Life for more advice.
Do you ever wonder how some women look great no matter what they’re wearing? You can too by maximising the fit of the clothes you have so that you have a completely wearable wardrobe. We all vary in size from time to time and keeping that 80% of your wardrobe wearable is what you want instead of 20% and the rest taking up space. The secret is a good tailor.
The Importance of the Fit for a Wearable Wardrobe
For clothing to look great on your body, it’s less about how much it costs and more about how it fits together as well as being the right colour and quality fabric. The truth is that clothing rarely fits perfectly right off the rack. Did you watch the show Mad Men? It was set back in an era when women’s fashion was all about getting clothing tailored to fit perfectly; the female characters in the show looked feminine and chic because of the form-fitting dresses they had in their wardrobe. Nowadays, most women want to look amazing in a shirt, skirt, or another clothing item bought right from the store. A good fit is rarely achievable this way. Garments can look incredible on you by taking out a centimetre at the waist, tightening seams on a blouse, or adjusting pants that are too tight. See more about correct fitting garments here.
Get a Quality Tailor – or an Alterations Person
A big reason movie stars look so perfect is that their stylists demand alterations for all of their clothes. Many women resist going to the tailors because of assumption that it is expensive, they don’t know which tailor to use, or simply aren’t willing to put in the effort. Quite often dry cleaners provide an alterations service. If you don’t sew or have something trickier than minor hems and seams it is a good idea to invest the time into finding someone. The truth is though that while it may take time to find a good go-to provider of alteration services, the initial effort is well worth it. The tailor will get to know your body shape and you may be able to bargain for a lower price if you have several items. Start with a simple alteration to find out if you are happy with the tailor and then build up a good relationship so that they get to know you and how you like your clothes to be altered.
Choose Basics that are Wearable Daily
While you will want some dressy items, such as formal wear for weddings, the majority of your wearable wardrobe should be the everyday basics. Invest is good fabrics that will last you several seasons rather than the cheaper alternatives that are likely to fall apart after only one or two washes. Take these basic pieces to the tailor to ensure they fit just right. These types of items include casual pants, dresses, and shirts that you wear for work and on the weekends.
Choose Clothes that Fit Your Shape
Once you know the types of clothes that fit your body shape best, you will find it much easier to shop and get a size that looks great on you. If you find a dress or other wearable items you love and feel fabulous in it, consider getting it in other patterns or colours. Once you know your best colours and styles for you it is a good way to add variety to your wearable wardrobe with styles you love in different colours or fabrics. Moana has recently discovered a fashion brand which enables you to select different fabrics and colours in a particular style that suits. Verducci clothing is made in Australia out of quality fabric and if you are prepared to wait the six weeks it is well worthwhile.
If you would like to know about Wardrobe advice and personal styling so that you can have your own wearable wardrobe, please visit B Styled for Life’s Personal Styling page, Contact Moana to fill in the form, or just call Moana on 1300 366 675.
Personal Stylist, Image Consultant or Fashion Stylist.
In the fashion world a Fashion Stylist mainly works with the latest fashion and quite often has a store or boutique or works in a store or shopping centre. Sometimes a Fashion Stylist will work with a photographer and other personnel on media such as television, fashion shows, videos and movies as well as magazine layouts. It was commonly thought that it was mainly celebrities had their own personal stylist who would shop for clothing and accessories for their clients and organise hair and makeup. Some celebrities actually have Stylists on their payroll or hire them on an as-need basis. For many public figures and celebrities having their own personal stylist is very worthwhile as they are always in the public eye and constantly scrutinised with regard to their image and choice of clothing. Usually a stylist or fashion stylist is usually concerned mainly with the job at hand such as the photoshoot or public appearance and takes into account mainly what is the latest fashion trend to ensure their client is always up to date. An Image Consultant on the other hand is usually more focused on a client’s colouring, body shape, proportions and what colours and style of clothing will suit them.
Personal Stylist and Personal Service
As someone who wishes to provide a very personal service Moana from B Styled for Life prefers the term Personal Stylist as she focuses very much on individual style personality, lifestyle, personal preferences as well as her client’s colouring, body shape, proportions, budget and keeps in mind what is currently in fashion and in season without being a slave to the latest fashion. Moana feels that as a Personal Stylist it is her job to equip her clients with knowledge so that they know straight away when shopping what will suit them and what doesn’t. Having a Colour Analysis and Style Consultation can literally save hundreds of dollars.
Focus on What you do Best
Moana believes that although there is that slight difference between the term Image Consultant and Fashion Stylist both services provide the client with valuable information which she can provide as well as the benefit of having an interest in the client’s individual personality. The best part of having your own personal stylist is you can feel like a movie star and why shouldn’t you?. You can focus on what you do best and have someone else give an unbiased opinion on what is going to look best on you, taking into account what you already have in your wardrobe and what your needs are. Because people are more than their outside Image Moana Robinson as Personal Stylist and Life Coach can provide everything that an Image Consultant and Fashion Stylist can plus the benefit of knowing everything that a Life Coaching Diploma encompasses. If you would like to know about Personal Stylist Services that Moana can offer in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, please visit B Styled for Life’s Personal Styling Page, Contact Moana to fill in the form, or just call Moana on 1300 366 675.
Give your Wardrobe a Whole New Look Without Spending a Fortune
Alterations can reinvent that pile of garments you haven’t worn for ages. You may have cleaned out your wardrobe and still like the garments. There may be some minor adjustments needed. The garments may not be the right fit or require some minor repairs. Instead of getting rid of those items think about minor alterations such as:
- Darts put into a dress that just doesn’t hang correctly
- Hem adjustments
- Making a pair of trousers into shorts
- Changing a dress into a top
- Sleeves altered to a more flattering style to suit your arms
- Necklines can be altered
- Collars can be adjusted and made smaller
- Side seams taken in
- Repairs to maintain garments
- Bras can have straps and backs replaced
Change your Clothes From Frumpy to Fabulous Alterations to a hem length can make a huge difference. Depending on the style you can even have material inserted into a dress if it is too short. Thinking outside the box and using your imagination or that of a personal stylist can be enlightening and save you a lot of money. Waiting to Lose Weight before you Buy New Clothes? If you have been holding off buying new clothes until you reach a goal weight one of the best things you can do for self esteem is look your best while on your health journey. Buy yourself that great outfit, wear it now and have the alterations done to take the clothes in. You can “adjust as you go”.
Benefits of Alterations
- Buy “off the rack” clothes on sale and even if the garments are not your size just have them altered. Even with the cost of alterations you can literally save hundreds of dollars by making the most of clearance sales.
- If you love a dress, skirt, shirt or pants for the style and colour and want a really “perfect” fit sometimes it works to buy a size bigger to have a dressmaker make alterations personal to your shape.
- When you go for the fitting for alterations ensure that you wear the other garments that you would wear with the garment to be altered and the same shoes especially if it is for a hem. This applies to undergarments as well as a different bra under a top or dress can create a different look to something especially if it is quite fitted. If you are having a coat or jacket altered wear the thickest layer that you may be wearing underneath it to allow for layering.
- Alterations such as hems, side seams, adding darts or tucks, altering sleeves, replacing zips or fasteners can be relatively inexpensive. Sometimes fiddly alterations to jackets and coats can be a bit more time consuming and cost more.
- Do not feel guilty about having professional alterations done. Your time may be better spent elsewhere even if you can sew.
- Alterations can save you so much money. Take into account the cost per wear of a garment that may not have otherwise been worn much at all because it didn’t fit correctly.
Contact Moana Robinson to enquire about the following Spring/Summer Special Full Colour and Style Consultations include a complimentary half hour Wardrobe Assessment* for outfits or garments you may wish opinions on after your consultation. *Available for a Limited time
Dress Code Guideline for Work and Various Events:
Have you wondered recently what dress code is applicable to an event you are attending? Following is a list of the more common events and the dress code for each:
Business Casual Dress Code
(For Example – Networking Events, Day to Day Work) Women: Skirts, dress pants, long-sleeved or three-quarter sleeved tops, dresses and jackets with long, short or three-quarter sleeves Men: Buttoned or polo shirt, with dress pants, V-neck sweater, blazer or sports coat. Ties are optional
Smart Casual Dress Code
(For Example – Office Parties, Happy Hours and business lunches Women: Skirts or dress pants, with blouses and high heels Men: Dressy trousers with collared shirts and loafers
Dressy Casual Dress Code
(For example Church occasions, special invitations) Women: Dress pants or skirt, nice blouse or shirt, classy looking flat shoes, dresses and a nice casual jacket Men: Trousers and dress shirt with leather loafers or slip on shoes, blazer or sports jacket can be worn with a shirt, use co-ordinating colours, tie is optional
Cocktail Dress Code
(For example birthday parties and social and work events) Women: Shortish dress depending on body shape and height, frills are good and the classic “little black dress” is always going to work. Accessorize according to your style personality and the occasion Men: Wear a dark suit and tie, jeans with shirt, jacket and tie is acceptable at some events
Lounge Dress Code
(Daytime Events, Birthday Parties, Business Breakfasts, Afternoon Tea, Funerals*) Women: Dresses that would be appropriate for brunch or afternoon tea, jacket or bolero to cover arms Men: Suits are good, white shirts, ties would usually be optional
White Tie Dress Code
(For example: Charity Fundraisers, Ceremonies, Formal weddings) Women: Long length and accessorize as formal as you like with gloves and bling! Now is your chance for glamorous up-do hairstyles Men: Short or waist length black tailcoat (reaching to the back of the knees), white bow tie, white shirt and optional cummerbund, black pants
Black Tie Dress Code
(For Example: Charity Fundraisers, Political Dinner Parties and formal weddings) Women: Dressy cocktail dress or full length ball gown. Now is your chance to really get dressed up! Bling and special hairstyles Men: Dark suit or tuxedo without tails, white shirt and tie or bow tie with or without a test and cummerbund *Special Note- Funerals are something that deserve a special mention. Even though my husband doesn’t usually wear a shirt and tie he always wears one to a funeral out of respect. Depending on the culture and religion the best idea would be to always dress with respect to the occasion and for the person concerned and their expressed wishes. If you would like to know about Personal Stylist Services that Moana can offer in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, please visit B Styled for Life’s Personal Styling Page, Contact Moana to fill in the form, or just call Moana on 1300 366 675.