InTah™ Blog
5 Reasons to own less stuff.
November 17, 2021
Clutter and ‘stuff’ is easily obtained.
A bargain here and a ‘just in case’ there and we’re soon surrounded by things we hardly use and left still needing more…but what if there was another way?
What if we could survive without all the things?
What if living with less actually had benefits?
We’re huge fans of living simply without surplus over here at InTah and thought that we’d share with you five benefits we’d found to owning less stuff.
NUMBER 1 – It’s more environmentally friendly. The less we consume, the less the earth suffers/has to provide…can’t really argue with that…
NUMBER 2 – Less need for comparison. Everywhere we look we are being sold items to improve our everyday, we are being bombarded with images of others and the lives that we should aspire to, but what if we just got happy with our lot?
What if we realised we had all that we needed and didn’t play into the marketers clever little plans?
If we need less to live our own kind of happily ever after surely we wouldn’t have any reason to crave components of anyone elses?
NUMBER 3 – Less spending. Makes perfect sense; the less stuff we need and buy the more money we’ll save.
NUMBER 4 – Less space required. The less items we accumulate the smaller the space we need to store it all.
Less bills. Less housework. Less energy resources/fuel used.
NUMBER 5 – Less stress. I think it’s obvious that all of the four points above would result in you living with a little less stress on your plate and weight on your shoulders…
We’re sure that there are other benefits to living with less that you can think of but these five really resonated with us because they are quickly attainable and easily noticeable after actually very small adjustments.
PLEASE tag us in your social media posts about your own positive experiences of living with less stuff.
6 Ways to improve your work day.
September 23, 2021
The last couple of years have been interesting (there’s also a few other words that spring to mind to describe them but I like my job here at InTah so will save them for none blogging purposes…) and one thing I’ve heard mentioned lots around here is how people are struggling to get a grip on their working day, how no-one feels like they have ‘it’ all together anymore.
Are you feeling that way?
Sure, we’re all super grateful to have jobs but there’s an air of never feeling like we’re totally on top of our tasks and its escalating into a tornado of totally losing the plot…or maybe that’s just me?…anyway, in my usual trying to be helpful manner I bothered everyone here at InTah HQ and collected our best suggestions for ways in which you could improve your work day (excluding the boss bribery options because they felt a bit more trouble causing than helpful).
PRIORITISE YOUR TASKS – This saves many hours of running around like a headless chicken only to feel like you’ve achieved nothing you really needed to by the end of the day. Take the time to create a well thought out to-do list before you head home/log off everyday and not only will it be easier to know what you’re supposed to do first when you strut into work the next day you will also benefit from (hopefully, maybe) reducing the amount of overthinking you do that night.
TIME BLOCK TASKS – This one was a game changer for me. Rather than working randomly through your prioritised to perfection to-do list and juggling ten tasks at once, block out time dedicated to particular tasks. By applying yourself fully to one job at a time you’ll notice how things are completed in less time and with less stress, you might even find yourself getting ahead of the game!!
TAKE A BREAK – There are no prizes for going at it non-stop, in fact, you’re likely to end up tired, lacking in motivation and making mistakes if you choose to take the all or nothing approach to work tasks. Stop for lunch, get outside if you can; that time blocking idea can help massively with ensuring this happens.
STAY HYDRATED & NOURISHED – Make a point of drinking water and eating wholesome food to keep your energy, patience and creative levels up.
REMEMBER YOUR WHY – What are your long term plans? What does your work mean to you? Checking in with your dreams and aspirations (in work and your non-work life) now and again is a powerful way to stay motivated and feeling like your moving forwards with purpose; if you’ve no idea where you’re heading how can you expect yourself to find the way?…
END OF DAY ROUTINE – I used to carry a lot of stress away from work with me and it would really mess with my at home headspace, I found that a strong end of day routine really helped to alleviate this. Write a to-do list for the next day and prioritise it. Time-block your tasks. Check to see if there is anything you will need to complete your tasks and if it can be easily obtained today rather than tomorrow. Leave your workspace clean and tidy. Are you able to get some fresh air on the way home? Maybe listen to a podcast or music?
I really hope that these tips help you to improve your working day, if you try any of them out let us know, tag us in your social media posts, and stay strong; YOU ARE AWESOME.
The 4 R’s for more energy.
September 3, 2021
As we move into September and those colder, darker months are just around the corner, we can start to feel more sluggish than usual (then again, after the last couple of years, who isn’t feeling more sluggish than usual?!), we start to lose interest in the things we shouldn’t and want to hibernate until spring…but what if this year was different?
What if this year we could arm ourselves with ways to keep our energy levels up throughout autumn and winter?
Here at InTah we like to keep things simple, if things get too complicated we are guaranteed to lose interest, so with this in mind we present to you our 4 R’s for more energy.
REST
Obvious we know but sleep is so important when it comes to our overall health, wellbeing and energy levels.
What stops you from getting a good nights sleep? Do you have a relaxing bedtime routine? Are there things in your day that you need to get a grip on or help with to alleviate finding yourself overthinking at all hours?
REFUEL
Eat to nourish yourself. Eat real foods. Eat when your hungry and enjoy what you eat.
Todays pace of life can mean that we either aren’t consuming food when we should or that when we do eat it is chosen for its speed of availability over its goodness.
Keeping a food diary for a week can really help you to identify problem areas with your eating habits which in turn can empower you to start to make the small changes you need.
Cutting back on stimulants (eg. coffee, sugar and alcohol) is an awesome place to start…
RUN ABOUT
Energy creates energy – even a brisk 20 minute walk around the block can leave you feeling more alive and raring to go.
Schedule in some movement everyday. It doesn’t have to be in a gym if that’s not your thing, in fact, if it’s not your thing, don’t try and force it to be your thing, simply find something that takes you happy; dancing, swimming, hiking, SUP…you get the idea…
Get the blood pumping, get your temperature up a little; MOVE MORE!
RECONNECT
Gather with friends and family, people who make you laugh and with whom you feel completely comfortable around.
Arrange virtual catch ups or road trips to those out of reach.
Join new clubs and mix in new circles.
Human relationships both inspire us and ease us, help us to cope and grow and that’s exactly why the idea of reconnecting is an important on in our four point energy upping plan.
The three steps to take to discover the life you really want.
August 18, 2021
Have you ever found yourself daydreaming about a slightly (or majorly) different way of life?
Are there certain parts of your everyday that you wish, well, weren’t parts of your everyday?
As great as it is to have future goals and aspirations here at InTah we believe strongly in creating a life you love, that you can experience everyday, one that isn’t just for the one day maybe list but is your actual here and now.
Now we totally understand that this isn’t going to happen overnight but it’ll never happen if we don’t start somewhere and we think we’ve found the three key steps to get things moving in the direction you want them to.
STEP 1
Visualise your ideal day and write it down.
From the moment you open your eyes until the moment you go to sleep, document exactly how it would look. The times things would happen at, what you would eat, how you would feel – to get anywhere you need to know your destination right?
STEP 2
List all the steps you will need to take to move from your current everyday to your dream one.
If you envisage yourself getting up an hour earlier than you do now put it on your list, if you see yourself working remotely would you need to get a new job or retrain?
Every little difference between your now day and your ideal day needs to be considered, not in too much detail, it’s just about drawing attention to where differences need to be made.
STEP 3
Now we start to get into the finer details of things.
You need to explore the specifics of how you will make the transition.
What can you start doing immediately? E.g set your alarm clock an hour earlier everyday.
What takes a little more investigation and planning? E.g training courses and how to fund them.
Start with the simple stuff, the inexpensive and easy stuff, then continue to work through your to-do list. Make a plan. Make it happen.
We’ve got you thinking now right?….
30 Ways to move from surviving to thriving.
June 9, 2021
Anyone else feel like they’ve been in survival mode for far too long?…
Like maybe it’s time to remove yourself from your couch, escape the momentum of groundhog day, embrace life where it is right now and take brave steps towards thriving on your terms?…
…Yeah, me too…but it’s not always that easy…hence this blog…
The other day our awesome leader shared with us these 30 ways to move from surviving to thriving, 30 super simple ideas that will help you to recharge your batteries, get thinking about what you really want your life to look like and inspire moves towards making it there.
So, as there really is no time like the present, let’s explore the little steps we could take to turn our worlds around.
1. Dedicate some time at the start of your day to grounding yourself and setting some positive intentions.
2. Eat a nourishing and whole food based breakfast to set you up for the day from the inside out.
3. Give yourself permission to sleep. Not resting isn’t a sign of strength.
4. Detox from TV and do some stuff in the real world instead.
5. Get lost in a book.
6. Transform your to-do list. Prioritise, prioritise, prioritise.
7. Set goals and take daily action to make them happen. Just one little step in the right direction everyday will get you to where you want to be.
8. Consistently let go of expectations; those you place on yourself, on others or on situations, be open to the element of surprise.
9. Write a journal or gratitude log for 5 minutes a day.
10. Formulate a personal mantra.
11. Get up and dance (like no-one is watching) when life feels too serious.
12. Spend time with people who matter, people who uplift you and inspire you.
13. Learn something you assumed was difficult, go on, surprise yourself.
14. Embrace alone time.
15. Plant something and witness the transformation process.
16. Don’t assume, find freedom in releasing the burden of assumptions – go with what you know.
17. Choose love over fear.
18. Laugh as much as possible.
19. Put yourself in someone elses shoes.
20. Focus on what you love and admire rather than anything that gives you reason to complain.
21. Show your appreciation for the people who support you.
22. Do something you’ve never done before.
23. Enjoy nature.
24. Listen without judgement.
25. Remind yourself that you are the light and that energy you omit is contagious.
26. Seek out the good in the situation. You’re not failing you’re just mid-conquer.
27. Laugh as much as possible.
28. Discover your purpose.
29. Pay it forward.
30. Allow yourself to change. It’s ok to move on, to evolve and become what you want to be.
Did we miss anything?
Wherever you are at right now is nothing more than your start line, your day one, a position from which your longer term goals could seem a million miles away from but, remember, the sooner you start walking the sooner you’ll get there and there is always a progression from here.
Ever just wanted to run away?…
May 7, 2021
Yeah! Me too!
I totally understand that we all have off days and moments that we want to escape from but, if you’re anything like me, and I’m really hoping that you are, the past year and a bit has brought me more of these types of ponderings than ever before.
It’s not that I hate my life, I feel super grateful for my situation everyday (especially if my boss is reading this – I’m lucky; I love my work), it’s that i crave feeling purposeful, that buzz of energy from planning an adventure…going on an adventure…and as a stay at home freelancing mum I get scared I may never adventure again…
Now you may be wondering where I’m going with my ramblings (I often question myself in that exact tone of voice) but I thought it was quite a good way to start chatting about why I love InTah so much.
Besides the fact that the boss let’s me creatively run free and the team are rather entertaining, InTah gave me back my sense of adventure.
It has enabled me too dream a little bigger, given me the nudge that I needed to really think about, and admit out loud, how I want my life to look going forwards and even provided me with some of the stepping stones to get me there.
It’s about creating moments of personal growth, opportunities for optimism and giving an individual back their sense of purpose after a prolonged pause – because that’s how it feels sometimes right?…like pause was pressed on your life…
It creates the space to think and evolve at your own pace yet also provides the tools we all need to do that; educational courses, life changing trips and inspiring gatherings of influential speakers and opportunities.
It’s truly magical when you realise that you’re not alone. When you feel understood and surrounded by support you suddenly find the strength to grow in whatever direction you need to grow, personally or professionally. You stand a little taller and surer…you don’t want to run away anymore…or at least i don’t until I press ‘publish’ on this blog and something crashes…
If any of this resonates with you then please do let me know and sign up for our newsletter – Let’s InTah our lives together!
6 Ways To Reduce Food Waste.
April 21, 2021
If you are intent on living a more sustainable life but not sure where to start then reducing your food waste is a great place.
According to figures from WRAP, Food waste in primary production in the UK, 2019, a huge 3.6 million tonnes of food is wasted by the food industry every year in the uk, this figure does not include domestic waste…yet people are still going hungry…
Reducing your food waste helps to conserve energy and resources associated with its production, reduces methane emissions from landfill stacked high with waste products and wrapping, plus, it saves money.
Food is something that we all consume daily so why not make it one of the first places that we consider making sustainability associated efforts?
…and it’s for this reason that we thought we would offer you our top six ways that you can reduce your food waste;
Meal plan. Draw up a menu for the week, go through your fridge, freezer and cupboards to utilise what you already have and write a shopping list of the things you don’t. This approach not only goes towards saving the environment but it also helps you to save cash; win, win!
Get label savvy. Do you know the difference between your ‘best before’ and your ‘use by’ dates?…Neither did we until we had a read of the really handy guide provided by Love Food Hate Waste . Also, download the Olio app – a super handy app and community that allows you to give away or collect unsellable but perfectly edible food – you’re welcome..
Batch cooking. If you’re cooking one or two portions you might as well cook four or five right?…pop the extras in the freezer and you’ve got great grub ready to go, you’ve avoided throwing away any excess ingredients and you’ve probably saved yourself some money by avoiding buying a takeaway when you’re short on time to cook.
Love your leftovers. Before you scrape those scraps into the bin maybe stop and consider if you could turn them into another culinary creation…Google is your (recipe) friend…
Consider your options. Could your food waste be better utilised elsewhere? A compost heap or as animal food maybe?
Ensure that you’re storing food correctly. Always keep older items at the front of your fridge or cupboard and be sure to keep an eye on food in your freezer. Is everything being stored to encourage its longevity?
We hope that these easy to follow tips encourage you on your sustainable lifestyle journey and, as always, we’d love to hear your experiences or ideas, drop us an email or tag us in your social media; if we all support each others little steps we can make a huge difference together.
5 Simple Steps Towards Living More Sustainably.
April 7, 2021
What is sustainable living?
‘Sustainable living is a practical philosophy that aims to reduce personal and societal environmental impact by making positive changes which counteract climate change and other negative environmental concerns…more simply, sustainable living is a method of reducing one’s carbon footprint.’ – Thank you Sustainable Jungle for clearing that one up for us!
…but where do we start?
So we know that moving towards a more sustainable way of life is the way to go but once you start delving into the how’s it can all become a bit overwhelming!
There’s so much to be done!
There are so many questions!
Over here at InTah we felt just like you, the more we chatted and investigated the more we found out about the things that we should (or could) be doing and it all started to feel a bit much…then we remembered; every seemingly little effort we make is a step in the right direction and if everyone started taking some steps we (and the world) would soon reap some big rewards.
This is why we decided to share with you our 5 simple steps towards living more sustainably;
1. Reuse or recycle – Before you throw things away hit pause and ask yourself if the item in question could be used as something different or if someone else could maybe make use of it?…’One man’s trash is another man’s treasure’…
2. Shop local – Support local businesses, reduce any impact caused by transport, maybe make use of more locally produced materials and supplies…yes, we know that Amazon is easy but…
3. Consider if you need to shop at all! – Are you buying that because you really need it or because it looks all fancy? Could you just save the money? Are you bored?…
4. Quit the throw away culture – Say no to single use plastics and see point number 1.
5. Get energy efficient – Could your home use a little less fuel of any description? Could you cut down how often you use your car?…that’s what we thought…
We are firm believers that if we all just make a little bit of an effort we can make a big difference to the environment.
Let’s start to pay more attention to what we’re buying and what it’s made of, where it came from and how we dispose of it when it’s served its purpose.
Let’s look at our skincare and food, our cleaning products and our forms of transport; let’s normalise living sustainably.
Adventuring Through Adversity
March 6, 2021
None of us are exempt from challenging times in life, we have and will all face a level of adversity at some point, but how could we actually embrace these moments and use them to our advantage?
By seeing them as an opportunity for exploration and adventure that’s how!
Maybe we could choose an escape route?
This could show up as a complete change of scenery and/or an additional challenge to ourselves, mentally or physically.
If we are able to totally remove ourselves from a negative situation we could potentially gain not only personal and professional development but also create an immediate sense of space, time to breath away from current concerns and the ‘moment’ to decide where we’d like our lives to go in the future.
Maybe we could see our times of adversity as opportunities for a little self-reflection?
In the heat of the moment it isn’t always easy to hit pause and notice ones own reactions. Is it time to explore our own thought patterns and behaviours?
Is this situation caused by something that we’ve maybe let slide or build up over a period of time?
Do we need to learn how best we can install certain boundaries to protect our happiness in the future?
Embrace any lessons learnt and find comfort that in our times of self-exploration we can at least discover exactly what we definitely don’t want in our world going forwards.
Overcoming adversity might require us to appreciate where we have been, find the good in the situation, and then choose to look forward to the future; maybe this is the route you’ll take, to see rock bottom as a clean slate?
We can’t change the past but we can work towards a whole new and more fulfilling future.
We need to understand that hitting a low point gives us no choice but to climb. We must reflect upon all that we have overcome so far and adapt an overcome anything mentality with a calm and strategic edge; a ‘one step at a time in the right direction’ mindset will move you onwards and upwards towards your end goal far more efficiently than rushing for the summit ever will.
It’s important to remember that, whatever route we choose to take to overcome any adversity in our lives, we are not alone in doing so.
If you feel that things are all a bit too much to tackle on your own then create your own support crew, reach out to family and friends or a professional service such as the ones listed below;
We, the team at InTah, believe in you!
The Power Of Self-Belief.
February 27, 2021
So many of us crave so much more for ourselves, personally as well as professionally, and often we feel that just a little more self-belief might allow us to achieve our dreams – here at InTah we don’t disagree.
Self-belief harnesses many magical powers and can go along way towards turning our lives around if we can put the effort in to change our mindset and allow ourselves to tap into it a little more.
So, if we were to set about learning how to improve our perception of ourselves, if we were willing to put the work into continuous self-development and finally stop comparing ourselves to others what could we expect to get out of it?
How would the power of self-belief show up in and improve our everyday?
- Elevated levels of self-belief give you the nod to make mistakes. Yep, you accept that trying is better than not and embrace perceived failures as important lessons learnt. Fear of imperfection no longer stops you from taking the next step. How nice would that be?
2. A dash of self-belief can be ultra inspiring. With low levels of fear attached to possible outcomes you are no longer restrained to merely doing what’s already been done before and playing it safe, you’re more inclined to think outside of the box and get creative with solutions. How refreshing and innovative is that?!
3. Self-belief lets you see more. When you are feeling great and confident and able, even if you’re not sure how you’ll achieve something, you’re more liable to have a go, thus you’re open to new opportunities. You’re almost like a child in the sense that, because you’re no longer controlled by fear, you’re willing to see the possibility and try…and try again if needed.
4. …and try again….you will no longer have the instant urge to throw in the towel. Not only does self-belief instigate action taking it also provides you with a new sense of persistence. You’ll rise to a challenge and find a way to complete it, to reach that end goal one way or another. You won’t take set backs personally and you’ll have a new found passion for real success. You’d be unstoppable!
5. People will respond to you differently. Now we know that the opinion of others isn’t the be all and end all but it’s really beneficial if they have a good one of you at times. In job interviews or meetings with the bank manager for example, you want them to hear you and have faith in you, and your levels of self-belief help to achieve this. You will hold yourself differently, you’ll be open to new discussions and talk a talk of a ‘can do go getting’ persona rather than an overly cautious and guarded one. You will stand out as knowing what you’re talking about. You will close that deal. This can be equally beneficial within your personal relationships; What discussions need to be had? What boundaries need to be set? Could a little more self-belief offer a boost in your bedroom?…just sayin’…the possibilities (and positives) are endless…
Have we convinced you that it’s well worth you working on your sense of self-belief yet?
Increased levels of self-belief (and all of the benefits it brings) don’t appear overnight but, if we’ve sparked an urge in you to investigate how to improve yours, we’d love to draw your attention to our Adventures, Experiences and Training area, because, well, you’re worth it!
