If you haven't already admired her bright smile on our IG, Harmony Butcher is a long-time wellness enthusiast and friend of the brand. Forever glowing, we were lucky enough to sit down with her and chat about her career to date and her skincare routine.
Tell us about you and your journey to date - how did Harmony ‘23 come to be?
My journey has been full of ups and downs, lots of lessons learned, heartache, disappointments, joy-filled moments, discovering who I am and remembering my worth, hard conversations, confronting moments, an abundance of love, finding my passions, amazing opportunities. All whilst being surrounded by the people I love who feel like absolute human sunshine. You could say it has been somewhat of a rollercoaster, haha. However, I am grateful for it all because I truly believe I wouldn't be who I am today without it: the great, the not-so-great and all the in-betweens. I'd do it all again just to be where I am now.
2023 for me, is all about taking the pressure off and removing the timeline for healing, enjoying the right here right now, being content with what I have, pursuing simple, living a slow life and finding joy again (in a whole new, refreshing way).
The great, the not so great and all the in-betweens... I'd do it all again just to be where I am now.
I am almost 24, so I still have a long way to go, and I have so many more things to learn (which is awesome because I never want to stop learning) and I am grateful for this journey called life that I am on and the beautiful people that I get to share it with.
What does your day-to-day look like?
Every day looks different for me! I'm grateful for my work because it has given me the freedom to be flexible and prioritise a balanced lifestyle. However, it does mean that my schedule is different every week. My morning routine is the one thing I do every day to keep some sort of routine and consistency for myself. I wake up, have a big glass of water, and then I'll enjoy a coffee (with miracle collagen, of course, haha) and journal. I feel the difference within myself on the days that I journal and the days that I don't. My mornings to myself are very special to me. It creates such a beautiful tone for my day, and it helps ground me and bring me back to the moment I am in.
Harmony's morning routine:
I wake up, have a big glass of water then I'll enjoy a coffee (With Miracle Collagen of course) and journal. It creates such a beautiful tone for my day and helps ground me and bring me back to the now.
What's the most challenging lesson learned so far in your career?
My worth is not defined by my accomplishments (or my looks, success or status I may or may not obtain). I am a constant work-in-progress when it comes to reminding myself of this nugget of gold that I have learnt in my industry. Who I am goes far beyond what the eye can see. I am not my accomplishments or the jobs I do or don't book or how I look today (or any other day), my skin's current condition, or how successful I am in a material form. Who I am is Harmony. And I am more than enough regardless of all of these things. Every time I remind myself of this truth, I step into everything I was created to be and feel free to be 100% my authentic self.
WHO I am goes far beyond what the eye can see; I am not my accomplishments or the jobs I do or don't book or how I look today or how my skin's current condition is, or how successful I am in a material form. Who I am is Harmony.
Is there a particular moment in life or career that stands out for you?
The seemingly insignificant, simple, ordinary moments have made my life extraordinary. It sounds a little cheesy, but these moments fill my heart with deep joy and the most genuine sense of gratitude. Some that come to mind are: weekends away down the coast staying in a caravan with my husband, slow mornings with nowhere to be and nothing to do, afternoon coffees on the headland watching the ocean, family dinners, morning swims on a day off, dinners at my grandmas' when she cooks her chicken curry, lunches with friends when we end up talking about things that matter for hours, and many more things.
It is the seemingly insignificant, simple, ordinary moments that have made my life extraordinary; they truly fill my heart with deep joy & gratitude.
What do you do for yourself when you feel a little 'meh'? How do you support your personal wellness?
If you are having a bad day today or have had one this week, please know you are not alone!! And it is okay to have bad moments/days/weeks/months. The past six months, for me, have been quite tough. I've had many days where I wake up feeling 'meh' and lacking the energy or motivation to have a good day. The good news is that just because you wake up that way doesn't mean it has to set the tone for your entire day.
Some things that I have been doing to support my mental and physical health on these 'down days' are:
1. Deep breaths.
Honestly. It helps more than you know! Google' box breathing' and see if this works for you and reduces your stress.
2. Gratitude journaling.
Gratitude is the gateway to experiencing joy. Sometimes it is hard to think of something you are grateful for amidst a bad day, but if you look close enough, you will find there is always something to be grateful for. The perspective shift from focusing on what I am lacking to focusing on everything that I do have that is right in front of me, always helps to calm me and reminds me that there is more to life than how I am feeling right now- everything is temporary, the good and the bad, and everything will be okay.
3. Slow down my pace.
Cancel appointments if I need to. Take a mental health day away from work. And if I do have to go to work, I try my best to focus on being grounded.
4. Listen to my body.
Sometimes moving my body does help to clear my mind. If I am feeling up to it, I will do this. Pilates walks or surfing would be my movements of choice. Always remember to move in a way that feels good for YOU. If I am not feeling up for movement, I will let my body fully rest and remind myself I deserve this rest.
5. Speak positive confessions over myself.
Negative emotions usually trigger the root cause of my bad days, and these emotions typically come from my negative thoughts. I find that when I journal out how I am feeling or what I am thinking and give myself time to process this, I can better understand what cognitive distortions I am experiencing.
Re-frame my negative thoughts to more positive ones that are life-giving and truth-filled.
From this, I try my best to separate the lies from what is true and re-frame my negative thoughts to more positive ones that are life-giving and truth-filled. I like to write these then down and use them as my screensaver or stick them on sticky notes on my laptop/around my house as physical reminders of what is TRUE. It helps me to subconsciously speak positively to myself (instead of subconsciously thinking negatively about myself).
6. Book an appointment with my therapist.
My therapist taught me about cognitive distortions!! And so many other things.
7. Do something that fills my heart with joy.
Listen to my favourite songs, walk by the ocean, bake something yummy, swim/surf, chat with a friend I trust, write, and play the guitar. Whatever is good for YOUR soul, do that.
8. Reduce screen time.
If I am having a bad day, I will do my best to reduce time on social media apps or delete them for that day.
I let myself feel how I'm feeling. Cry if I need to cry, Rest where I need to rest, declutter my schedule, set boundaries and say no to things that won't do my mental health any good.
In saying all this, I have definitely had days where I have tried so many things and I find it hard to shake off my feelings. And that's okay. I let myself feel how I'm feeling. Cry if I need to cry. Rest where I need to rest. Declutter my schedule. Set boundaries and say no to things that won't harm my mental health (and say yes to something that will help my mental health).
I read something the other day that resonated so much with me:
You won't master the rest of your life in one day. Just relax. Master the day. Then just keep doing that and showing up as best as possible every day. (source unknown).
So, be kind to yourself. Take the pressure off. You are allowed to have bad days. Life is not a sprint. It's a marathon, a long one. So spend your time and energy doing these things you love that fill your heart with joy.
Is there anything that sparks your interest that you would like to get into, or restart this year?
I've dedicated this year to having fun and enjoying life in the simplest, purest and most joy-filled way. I want to do things my 8-year-old self would be proud of and fill my days with the things, people and places that set my soul on fire! I've gotten back into surfing, which has made me wonder why I stopped! This is definitely something my 8-year-old self would be super proud of. I have also picked up my guitar again, which I last did years ago, and I'm also getting more in touch with my creative side and writing more.
I've decided that the people who make me the happiest are my husband, family and closest friends. And the place I feel most happy and grounded is at home, by the ocean. So, I plan on doing a lot of this with these people at home this year.
I want to do things that my 8-year-old self would be proud of and fill my days with the things, people and places that set my soul on fire.
What does Inner Beauty mean to you?
Everything. Beauty is defined by the things we can not see but by the items from within. Our society places so much focus and emphasis on the external. But really, it's internal that matters. Looks fade, and what remains is our soul, our heart, and who we are as individuals. This is what truly matters. And for this reason, these are the things that define beauty.
At the end of the day, looks fade and what remains is our soul, our heart, who we are as individuals. This is what truly matters.
Do you have a book or podcast you have loved lately? Spill…
I always love listening to the super soul by Oprah... she has so many amazing guests on all the time, and they also aren't too long, so I always finish them and get so much out of them. I also love anything by Brene Brown - she's incredible. A goal of mine is to actually read more this year! A book I am starting is 'The Body Keeps The Score' by Bessel Van Der Kolk. I have heard it is incredible, so I look forward to reading it.
Lastly, what is your favourite IMBIBE product and why?
Ohhh, I have too many!! I'd probably say that the Miracle Collagen and the Collagen Lips are on par. I use both of these every day and need constant refills, haha.
