The Happiness Project

In honour of Mental Health Awareness Week we present;

You may have heard that team bottega have partnered with FUND Jumpers to create a limited edition collection of bespoke jumpers with embroidered mindful statements. The positive statements are particularly apt considering the unusual circumstances we have all been witness to.

The powerful quote from British writer C.S Lewis inspired the 'BRIGHT SIDE' jumper. Over the past year people came together, united in helping each other get through these tough times.

We love how Fran Bacon stylist, designer and fashion writer styled our 'BRIGHT SIDE' coloured jumper. See how you can get the look below!

The second jumper which forms part of our happiness project is the hero 'HAPPY' jumper in rainbow thread which ties our whole colourful collection together. There may be times when we don't feel happy and can't look on the bright side but these jumpers serve as a reminder that there is hope in the fact that everything on earth is temporary, even feelings of sadness.

The philanthropic quote by Mother Teresa inspired the 'HAPPY' jumper. This jumper has many other meanings and inspirations too. There is a tendency in our fast paced world to look and desire things we don’t yet have, living in the moment and being grateful for the now is the key to happiness. 

We aren't mental health experts but we feel good mental health is epitomised by having personal freedom; to be free in every way, free to make your own choices without the worry of others opinion. Freedom is a relative concept and particularly apt today as we begin to gain some of our freedom back, we feel liberated. Never again will we take our freedom for granted, and we plan on living our lives to the absolute fullest.

Since March last year you may have received a few of our newsletters based around the subject of self-care. Subjects included bed time rituals, cooking ideas, home comforts, how-to guides and many more. A favourite around our community was our 'We are Hair for You' newsletter.  The subjects were talked about as coping mechanisms for our community and beyond, to help improve our wellbeing.

The ‘5 pillars of well being’ while reconnecting with nature are; connect, be active, take notice, keep learning and give. We will look briefly at each one in more detail, there are many resources available on the Mental Health Foundation website which will be linked below.

Connection has been arguably the most important and hardest thing to maintain during the pandemic. Speaking to people in our life has been mostly via FaceTime, Zoom or from afar, yet it is the connections of those in our lives, be it friends, family, colleagues or neighbours that were needed for support. The focus here is on building new connections and reaching out to loved ones in order to build your community. 

Exercise releases hormones that make you feel good, and these happy hormones can be released after any form of activity, it does not have to be a marathon but even a walk in the park can positively impact your mood. 

Mindfulness is another pillar of wellbeing and has been somewhat of a buzz word in the press. In short, it's about being still enough to take stock of your surroundings, be curious, catch sight of the beautiful things around you and in your life. Greater awareness of the world around us helps us see the unusual and notice simple pleasures like the changing seasons. 

Learning something new is good for your brain, rediscovering an old interest or signing up for that course you’ve always wanted to do can also improve our confidence and widen our skillset. During lockdown one of team bottega’s members took up virtual painting classes! 

Giving encapsulates many things – from showing goodwill and generosity of spirit to giving presents and giving up our time. Evidence suggests that ‘giving back’ or helping others promotes wellbeing for all ages. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you. We are proud that with every FUND X bottega jumper sold 100 meals are donated to children living in poverty.