In a time where health and happiness have many “faces”, we are presented with, I would like to remind you of the result of one of the world’s longest studies of adulthood: Relations make more of an impact on our health and happiness than our genes, social class and IQ. Read along to know why, and get my take on how to boost your relations with 12 dates.

The self-caring DO YOU

 

 

In January 2021, Karmameju launched DO YOU - a loving encouragement to find the inner sense of self, and to prioritise you before you care for all others around you.

Karmameju’s mantra is A holistic approach to beauty: our mission is to not only create visible results for the skin holistically, it is also to make a positive shift in mindset through self-care - this is exactly the loving sentiment of DO YOU. 

Self-care can be many different things to each individual: Taking a nap even though you are busy. Prioritising time spent on the bathroom where all your little rituals result in healthier skin and a happier you. Seeing a friend you miss. Asking somebody else to cook food so that you can go for a walk. It is loving to DO YOU and truly charitable for everybody around you to be the happiest version of yourself…

 

 

The charitable DO YOU - with others 

 

We believe that it is also charitable when you pass on DO YOU, inspire others to DO YOU, you consciously focus on it together and even while doing it together. In a world where health and happiness have so many different “faces” we are presented with, I would like to remind you of the result of one of the world’s longest studies of adulthood: 

A Harvard study that began in 1938, and to this day includes over 2.000 participants: “The Harvard Study of Adult Development”. The most surprising thing about the study may be that one of the most important elements of a long and happy life is relations. Many have heard of the importance of relations, as it has been addressed a lot in the media, but can we ever hear it enough? 

 

 

Lessons from Harvard Study of Adult Development

 

The study shows that with close relations to people we hold dear, when we feel like a part of a community, and we help each other, it makes more of an impact on our health and happiness than our genes, social class and IQ.

“Our relations, and how happy we are in our relations, have a strong influence on our health. Taking care of the body is important but taking care of your relations is also a type of self-care, that, I believe, is the revelation”, says Robert Waldinger, director of the study, psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

When asked what lessons he learned from the study, Waldinger said he practices meditation daily and invests time and energy in his relationships, more than ever before:

"It's easy to get isolated, to get caught up in work and not remember: 'Oh, I haven't seen these friends in a long time,'" Waldinger said. "So I try to be more aware of my relationships than I used to."

 

12 dates - 12 deposits of happiness in the calendar

 

 

We want to encourage you to DO YOU with others. 

To help ensure that one day doesn't take over the next, and you don't get to prioritise, you can perhaps start by inducing some “deposits of happiness” with the people who are important to you. Deposits of happiness is a nice term that can be used every time you put something in the calendar, and that you look forward to.

Try to book 12 dates in your calendar to DO YOU and to DO YOU with others - one date a month. Even putting it in the calendar will spark little bubbles of dopamine in body and mind.

 

 

 

        

DO YOU is in many ways both self-loving and charitable
But only when your cup is full, it returns manifold to those around us... At the core of everything we do at Karmameju Skincare, we want to contribute to making your everyday life the best it can be. And when we lovingly encourage you to share DO YOU, we do it both for you and for those you may inspire and make a positive change with.

 

With love,

Mette