Jo’s Journal – April 2021

As March comes to an end, the dawn of new freedoms is temptingly close, and we are in full-blown Spring - I am feeling a real sense of freedom, and excitement of what is to come….

There was a point when Easter looked like it might be the new Christmas, with the chance to get together with friends and family, making the most of a deferred celebration. That hasn’t quite happened, so we remain under restrictions to our social and family life. But at least we can meet up outside, and the weather looks like it may stay dry - so there is much to be celebrated.

And soon, with shops and outdoor dining re-opening, we can start to get more of a sense of normality back into our lives…

Much of March for me was spent the same way as February – long walks; experimenting with recipes; planning for when lockdown ends. One sunny Saturday, we discovered a beautiful long walk - part of a national trail, and close to where we live – which gave us incredible countryside views and hedgerows full of birdsong; and the same weekend, we had our first firepit of the year, wrapped up in blankets as we waited for the heat to come through.

Now, we are close to getting our shop open again, and the rest of the team back from being furloughed, so it is an exciting time.

Our new Mantra designs are also really taking shape now, with a launch date of June 1st pencilled in. We have half a dozen new pieces being sampled at the moment.

One I am particularly looking forward to is our mantra of celebration – a burst of energy inspired by fireworks, to represent the sheer explosive joy that will come from the worst of the pandemic being over in this country. Its mantra, ‘I do more than live life - I celebrate it’, tries to capture the feeling of gratitude and excitement we all have for simply being alive.

On that note, I recently read Matt Haig’s magical novel, ‘The Midnight Library’ – whose heart-warming message is that life is to be lived, appreciated and celebrated, for its possibilities and potential, as much as for its current reality. A brilliant message of optimism for the future, for anyone going through a tough time right now.

Another new design we are working on is a Wave, to add to our Symbol Necklaces. We are creating it to bring to life a mantra of change, as we feel it is an important message at this point in time. So many people have gone through enforced change, with their career or business completely up-ended by the economic fall-out from Covid. While no one would have chosen this, many will find brighter opportunities or exciting new paths that come from this change.

We want to encourage this sense of optimism and excitement, even if you do not feel it right now – as an affirmation to keep you going through the disruption. The mantra is, ‘In the waves of change, I find my new direction’.

I am also very excited about a new collaboration with a business and mindset coach, Samantha Hearne. Sam has been a fan and follower of Mantra for a few years now, meeting us first at our very earliest wellbeing event, back in 2017 – the Mindful Living Show. She spoke at another event we attended – the Best You Expo, in 2018 – and has been a long-time purchaser of our jewellery, to gift to friends and clients.  

When we discussed a collaboration, I was struck by Sam’s sheer energy, excitement and vitality. She wears yellow – a lot! – loves sunshine, and has a high-energy, positive vibe, with a real warmth and empathy for fellow female business owners.

(@_samanthahearne_ )

For me, the key purpose of a collaboration is to bring together the power of Mantra Jewellery, with an important message from an inspiring woman. Sam wants every woman to feel confident in herself and her abilities, and to open her eyes to the possibilities and potential of life. Together, we are creating the words and design that will bring Sam’s message to life in a necklace, so people can bring to mind Sam’s words whenever they need a boost.

Our ‘charity of the month’ this month is Family Lives, a charity whose Bullying UK division we work closely with. Our ‘Be Kind’ necklace helps to raise funds for them, so they can continue their work supporting people who have been bullied, in the workplace, school or even at home. As a charity, Family Lives is there to support families in times of need and distress – recognising that early intervention is key.

I was delighted to interview Ann Giles, one of their helpline volunteers, about what drew her to work with this inspiring charity.

April is also Stress Awareness Month, aiming to draw attention to the signs and symptoms of stress, and encourage action to prevent or treat it. In these incredibly challenging times, stress is even more of issue than ever.

Personally, I find that getting out of the house and into the countryside for a long walk is the most effective thing I can do if I am feeling stressed, as it stops me from over-thinking things. The key for me is to get a different perspective on an issue – and a strenuous walk up a hill usually achieves that! But I am very lucky that I haven’t been affected by severe stress or anxiety, unlike many people.

We are also marking Earth Day this month, to celebrate the natural world, and draw attention to our collective responsibility to look after it. As much as anything, I am looking forward to being able to travel longer distances in the UK, so I can revisit the Lake District, Cornwall and other places of amazing beauty. I have missed that the most over these months of lockdown – even more than bars and restaurants, I think!

I look forward to catching up next month – when we should be well on the way to freedom…

Jo xx