If you follow me over on my instagram account then you’ll know that I was insanely lucky enough to be whisked away for an overnight retreat at Limewood House with PANDORA and some amazing girls. Whilst there I ate, drank, relaxed and ate some more. Not only did I come away with new friends and a pain in the side of my stomach from laughing, but I felt renewed and refreshed from taking a well-earned digital detox.
A PANDORA Retreat
Though PANDORA is a huge company that most people know about I feel like not many people actually know about them. I only say this because I myself only truly started to learn about the brands bones and morals once I got to know the girls and speak with them. Working together has been a true eye opener and has given me a whole new level of respect for a brand I’ve known and loved for a while. From the fact that PANDORA offers all staff members, including those working in the factory in Thailand valuable social, health and educational benefits to big things like not selling diamonds (because you can never truly know where they came from or if they were ethically sourced) show that PANDORA is a brand with a heart. Just speaking to the girls about their jobs and how much they love working for the brand made me realise how much PANDORA value their staff.
Anyway, I’m going to stop going on about PANDORA now! The retreat was to celebrate the ESSENCE collection which is a range truly close to my heart. Not only because it’s downright beautiful (you’ve probably seen me wearing these in every post in the last month!) but also because it has thought and meaning behind it! Whilst away we took time out from our lives back home, did a digital detox and filmed some exciting footage based around the collection.
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The Essence Collection
I now have two bracelets from PANDORA’S ESSENCE collection and to me, each one demonstrates how perfectly they work both for gifting and as something you might want to treat yourself to as a daily reminder. You see, each charm has a meaning and thought process behind it so it sits on your bracelet as a daily reminder of something you are, or want to be. Charms include the likes of positivity, honesty, loyalty and balance. Let me talk you through mine!
The first bracelet I got was a gift from the PANDORA ladies I received at a dinner I mentioned before for Internations Womens day. It’s an absolutely gorgeous solid gold bracelet with a marble charm that represents positivity. With it came a note explaining why they thought it was representative of me and the thought process behind it. It made it so much more special than just a love heart or a “pretty” charm . . not that the marble isn’t amazing . . I mean I am a blogger and marble runs through our veins.
The second bracelet was as part of this collaboration. I was able to choose three charms that I felt represented me or were representative of what I was striving for. I went for a silver bracelet this time as you guys know how much I love to mix my gold and silver jewellery up, with a charm that has strong value to me, Loyalty. Not only in the sense of being loyal to my friends and family, but also in being loyal to myself. In my personal life, I try always to do what I want and not just be a yes man. But also in my work life, it is so important to always stay true to my gut and not work with brands that aren’t “me“.
The most important charm was my balance charm, so much so that I got two to reitterate that point! For me, my work life balance is pretty much non existent. My boyfriend calls me a “Smombie” a smartphone zombie! I work on my phone and quite frankly I enjoy working, therefore I am always doing it. Since my boyfriend came back it kind of changed, purely because he demanded so. But there’s definitely a long way to go. And I need to remind myself that it’s not just for his sake but also for mine. Being on your phone all day everyday isn’t healthy whether it’s your work or not.
Taking a Digital Detox
With my balance charms strong in my mind, I decided to base my video collaboration on the digital detox and how I’ve been making time for myself away from my phone. It’s great if you’re someone who can leave your phone for 24 hours or a whole weekend, but as I said before I’m a self confessed addict so small steps people. If you’re like me and need to take it down a level but you’re not quite ready to go the full 24 hours then follow the below steps on how I take some small moments throughout the day!
The 1 Hour Rule
The first way I started to ease myself off of my phone was to take an hour before bed and an hour in the morning away from my phone. I brought a traditional alarm clock and a book which stopped the need for having my phone close to me in the bedroom. I was (and still sometimes am) terrible for scrolling until the moment I call asleep!
Take 15
I tend to have my phone glued to my hand throughout the day no matter what I’m doing which means my concentration and attention is never fully on one thing. Now when I have a cup of tea I actually take a real life tea break and just enjoy the fresh air, sit with my dog and take in the moment. I’m sure nothing that crazy will happen on instagram if I don’t look at it for 15 minutes!
Sunday Spa
I learnt this tip from Estee Lalonde’s book Bloom. On a Sunday I do a little at home spa. I have a long hot shower I moisturise deeply, I do a face mask and I paint my nails, all sans phone. Sunday is the day of rest people so even if it is only for a couple of hours, it’s my me time.
Leave Your Phone
This one is my favourite but also something I never truly manage to do as often as I’d like. The ultimate in digital detox is to leave your phone at home when you go to meet a friend. I often find myself on my phone when talking to people without even realising and it is SO RUDE! If I haven’t got plans then sometimes I like to just take the dog for a walk and leave my phone at home. It’s so liberating!
Video coming soon . . .
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