Put your phone down. Pick up some Big Love
Andrew Bluett-Duncan
Director
Dear Paul,
I’ve got a challenge for you today, one that might make you quake in your boots, feel queasy in the pit of your stomach, and possibly turn in your grave, although why anyone is wearing boots in bed at 6.00am is beyond me.
But in case this worrying challenge is too much and too early, on a Saturday morning, I’m going to soften the blow with a tempting offer on our range of Big Love. So, skip to the bottom to find what I mean, or continue reading. If you do both, then you’ll get the “art of living” and the “art of loving”…. not bad for 6 o’clock on a Saturday morning, I think you’ll agree. And it’s all free!
So smugly satisfied was I, with my opening lines connecting living and loving, that I was going to punctuate this with a mildly risqué word, you know, the one that begins with F and ends in K. It was going to lend emphasis to my words and remind you what a bargain you are getting. But I’ve a friend, also an Andrew, who took me to task a little under a year ago for using such language. So reluctant as I am to disappoint him more than once a year, I thought in deference to his sensitivities, and maybe yours, I’d desist. Shame really, it would have been fun.
Anyway, back to your 6.00am challenge. On Monday this week, regular as clockwork, I got another video emailed to me by the psychotherapist Julia Samuel from her Therapy Works website. Her message; “Put your phone away for 20 minutes a day.”
We live in a world where our phones are almost an extension of ourselves. Julia says, “When I lose my phone or I can’t find it, I feel like I’ve lost half my being. Alarm clocks, calendars, news feeds, my connection to those I love.”
The research backs her up. Studies from the University of Texas, show that constant phone use, comes at a cost. Julia continues, "Even having your phone on the table switched off, reduces your ability to focus. Another American study found that even brief breaks from social media, led to significant drops in anxiety, depression and loneliness. Just a short break can shift our mood. Conversations are richer deeper and more satisfying, when phones aren’t visible”.
She mentions watching people in restaurants on their phones. Instead of talking to each other they are scrolling…not a picture of intimacy!
Even if you’re not touching your phone, its presence signals divided attention. And that, she says, was new news for her, and obviously struck a chord.
So, she asks what happens in those 20 minutes without a phone. Well, apparently “our nervous system calms because we’re not in a state of constant alert, our attention span recovers and we can read, think or notice our surroundings, and our creativity is sparked.”
She suggests putting your phone in another room for 20 mins and notice what you do. “Maybe you just take a breather, maybe you talk to someone else, maybe you just let your mind wander. This small act of reclaiming your attention can feel surprisingly nourishing”. She suggests “this week you give yourself 20mins phone free. Think of it as a rest button for your brain, your body and your relationships”. She adds that “if you can make it a daily ritual, 20 mins might change the texture of your whole day, and how you change your day, can change your life.”
It’s Friday morning and we’re putting the final touches to the email. Interestingly, I just went looking for my phone, only to find I’d left it at home. I never do that. A Jungian slip? It obviously spoke to my unconscious. Does this speak to you? Please let me know if you have any experience or dread of being phoneless or phone excessed ….?
To product
You may remember this range from June, when I first introduced it, “Jamie Oliver’s Big Love” collection, created with my chums at Kitchencraft. It’s a lovely, well-made assortment of serving pieces, jug, mugs, plates and bowls that I thought honestly, would fly off the shelves.
It’s sold reasonably well… but not quite with the gusto that I’d expected. I’m not sure whether that’s down to the weather (too warm for roast dinners?), the slightly cringe-worthy naming, or perhaps that Marmite effect Jamie himself has on people. Whatever the reason, I think it deserves another look, and to sweeten the deal, I’m offering you 25% off this week.
Jamie Oliver “Big Love “ Collection
Now, I’ll admit to being irritated by the name Big Love. And the product names ,Big Love Super Server, Big Love Showstopper Cake Stand, Big Love Epic Roaster. “Epic”? Really? Surely it’s for you, to decide whether it’s epic, or not!
But let’s set that aside, because the truth is, it’s actually a lovely range.
They’ve made it all from stoneware, which is a sensible choice. It’s tougher by a considerable margin than common pottery, more chip resistant, and far less prone to thermal shock or likely to crack when putting it in the oven. For big, hardworking kitchenware, that’s a good move.
The colours are well judged too; muted, harmonious tones ,a soft sage green, a pale pink, and a buttery yellow that all sit comfortably together. There’s no picking and choosing, though. The jug only comes in green, the server in yellow, and so on. Which, actually, I rather like. Decision fatigue is thus banished.
So, if you missed it the first time, or were quietly put off by the name, this is your second chance.
(I can also reassure you that in use Jamie's name/branding is not evident other than in a small inscription on the base.) And with 25% off this week, it’s a good opportunity to give Big Love (the range, not the emotion, although you have permission to indulge in both) another go. Use code JAMIE25 if you are shopping online, or tell us who you are if coming into the shops.
Shop all Jamie Oliver Big Love
Last thoughts
Maybe there’s a connection here with my bit on communication that I did a couple of weeks ago. The message there was that the first time something is said to you, you may not get it. Or hear it. Second time around, it's less easy to ignore or deny. Maybe the Big Love collection is just one of those things that needs to be touted more than once?
That’s it for this week. I trust that you have a pleasant and peaceful weekend.
Warm regards,
Andrew
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