Do you remember the first time you heard or learned about Seasonal Affective Disorder?
I learned about SAD when I went through it. I'd heard of the winter blues but I thought it was just something people said because of the snow and darker days. To be honest I love both of those things, well only during the holidays and then the sun can come back once they're over lol. But seriously, I had no clue that it was a real thing or how much of an affect the weather changing could have on your mental and emotional health. That was until my first year in Germany, back in 2016.
If you've ever been to Germany then you know it gets a different kind of dark there. Mix that with the cold, I was just not prepared. That first year it was just me not wanting to leave the couch or bed, I could've taken a nap at anytime. My entire being just felt run down. I couldn't figure it out. I thought it was just because of the recent move. So I just let it run its course. Winter 2017 came around and it was like a freight train. I wasn't myself, it was horrendous. The things that use to make me happy were problems, it was just awful.
I happened to be doing some research for a challenge in my oil community and I ran across a page talking about SAD. All of the symptoms that were mentioned was everything I was feeling. So I did more research and more research until I was convinced and then made an appointment. I was given some great info and advice but I wanted to make sure that I honored a natural way without disrupting my body more than it already was. Thankfully I was able to find tools that helped me dang near instantly.
The first day of winter is on the 21st and while it can mean a beautiful back drop for your selfies or family outings it can also mean a shift in internal balance and having the right tools, for you, can be a life saver and mean the difference between being able to enjoy the winter season or living in misery.
Yes, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that is triggered by the changes in sunlight or daylight and the weather. Some of the symptoms of SAD can be things like; a decrease in energy and increase in moodiness. There are lots of resources out there to help you find the right tools so you can manage anything the winter blues brings your way. I want to share with you the tools that helped me.
Remember that we are all different, so use what works or sounds good to you and leave what doesn't. Be sure to check in with your health care provider, as well.
❄️ Get in sunlight whenever it's available or grab a Happy Light if you're some where the sun just refuses
to cooperate. Light therapy is a great way to trick your brain into releasing those amazing mood-boosting chemicals that can help so much with the lows that comes with SAD.
❄️ Up your vitamin D with supplements. To all my military friends, I know that the clinic (at some locations) will give them to you so make a stop there if it's more convenient for you. My go-to's for added vitamin D are OmegaGize and Super D. OmegaGize is like a super fish oil supplement. It has the power of omega-3 fatty acids and CoQ10. But what I got it for was the D3. All of these together are great supports of your brain and so much more. It was like night and day when I started using this. Eventually YL came out with Super D, which contains 250% of your vitamin d. This is a great supplement to support mood and hormone regulation, along with so much more, exactly what I was looking for.
❄️ Don't oversleep. For me this was so hard to not do. When you're feeling low all you want to do is sleep, but the more you just sleep you keep your body in the lower state -- you keep your serotonin levels low.
❄️ Schedule in fun things. I made sure to have fun activities lined up with the fam, even just a board game
at home was so helpful. I found that when I still did the things that made me happy when the sun was out during the colder months it boosted my mood. It was like carrying the longer days with. It also helped with not completely going into hibernation. When I would isolate myself it only made it worse. Getting out was big for me.
❄️ Eat as healthy as you can. This is another one that can be hard because we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, when the days get shorter and colder, the sweet treats and comfort food are every where. Don't restrict yourself, definitely enjoy those things that make you happy, just be mindful of the amount of sugars and things like that because they can make it worse.
❄️ Check-in with yourself. Make time for yourself so you can be aware of any other changes. Schedules are changing, lots of things are going on and it can bring stress. Hold space for you to just breathe and answer the question "how am I?"
❄️ Lastly, bust out all the happy oils. Make your roller recipes and get them in your diffusers as often as you can. Citrus oils are my go-to oils when I need a boost. Molecules in oils are able to cross the blood-brain barrier and impact areas of our brain that control feelings of anxiety and depression. Each citrus oils has its own mood related benefits a couple of my faves are Orange and Bergamot.
Here are a few recipes to try, they are perfect for roller recipes or your diffuser:
Orange + Peppermint
Bergamot + Frankincense + Lime
Lemon + Rosemary + Peppermint
Winter doesn't have to bring you down, it can be just as fun as the warmers we just have to be a little more intentional about taking care of our internal balance.
Stay healthy sis
𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬. 𝘚𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. -- 𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘵
I pushed so hard against planning because I felt like it put me in a box and I can't stand being restricted. It took a lot of knocks upside the head to realize that I actually thrive when I take the time to plan my week ahead and it actually gives me a lot more space to be creative and spontaneous -- live outside that box.
Two years ago my word was intentional and one of the goals I set for my personal growth was to be more intentional about planning my weeks on Sunday. The little steps I took throughout that year helped me build a habit. These things stopped me from just surviving day to day they helped me thrive, the entire week.
These are the things I ended up finding the most success with, helping me get ready for the week ahead;
𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝑰𝒏
I talk a lot about stopping and asking yourself how you're doing and I know it may seem silly but it does wonders for your mental health and for making you more self-aware about how you're feeling, which in turn allows you to create a plan that is going to be beneficial not harmful to you.
𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓
Take a look at what you've already got in the books for the week. If you're feeling anxious at all during the week or about the week you can avoid looking at your calendar which can cause more anxiety or cause you to end up in last minute mode when a notification goes off about something you had planned/scheduled and forgot about it.
𝑽𝒊𝒔𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑾𝒆𝒆𝒌
How do you want your week to go? Go beyond the obvious answers like, "a good week" "a successful week". Dig deep and ask yourself how you want to show up this week and what do you need to do in order to show up that way. What do you need to do to feel how want to feel come Friday. See yourself doing those things.
𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒆
You knew I was going to say it at some point. Schedule time for yourself. Your name had better show up at the top of your priority list every day this week. Schedule in breaks, time to move your body, time to just breathe. Whatever you need to do to stay aligned.
𝑨𝒔𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒑
Here's where you are letting go of the idea that you have to do everything yourself. As you're reflecting on your week ahead you might see where there's conflicts in schedules. Reschedule where you can and those things that can't be rescheduled turn to your support team and ask for what you need so that the week goes off with out a hitch. One of the biggest things to remember, it was hard for me, don't expect your support system to know what it is that you need -- ASK FOR WHAT YOU NEED!
𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒏 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑭𝒖𝒏
Make sure that you have some time for fun or just something you can look forward to that changes up the vibe of the week. You know the saying, "all work and no play...". Give yourself something to look forward to. A dinner out with friends, a date night with your partner, a date with your couch and binge worthy shows or a good movie. Whatever gets you excited beyond the work stuff.
𝑬𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚 𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒚
Now you've gotten everything taken care of, enjoy your Sunday. It can be very easy to get caught up in all that is coming but don't worry you've done everything you need to do to get the week in order, there's nothing left for you to do. Enjoy now!
𝑮𝒆𝒕 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑺𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑
It's time to do your sleep routine. Dump everything that's running through your mind into a journal, through meditation, or even stretching. You want to start this routine the same time every night so your body gets use to it and the wind down becomes a habit. Good sleep is crucial to your body and your mind so you can show up, for the week, how you want to.
You've got this and you will slay the week ahead. The last thing I want you to remember, you don't have to be perfect. This isn't the gospel and maybe you'd tweak something to fit you, do that. It's important that you don't be anybody but yourself and do what works for you, feels good to you because that is what will bring you the most success.
One of the reasons, I hear most, that people are hesitant to start using oils is because they think they won't get used.
First off that's a choice that you have to make, to use them. There is a reason you want them as a tool for your wellness and you have to choose everyday that you want to use the tools you have at your disposal to elevate your wellness.
It's just like the choice to brush your teeth or put on deodorant. You don't question whether buying either of those will be a waste because you make the choice to use them every day to keep things fresh. Same goes for oils.
But I know some of you are still like show me, so here goes a quick way you can use oils in your already put together daily routines.
When you are getting in a workout or saying your morning affirmations use Frankincense. This is my fave for bringing peace to my body and perfect for spirituality. You can apply Frankincense to your neck and wrists while you are getting in your affirmations, practicing yoga, meditating, or even when you are heading out for a walk. During ancient times Frankincense was more valuable than gold and let me tell you it's one you'll put at high value once you get it into your daily routine.
When you are in a creative space get Joy in your diffuser. I find that when I'm feeling good, happy the creative juices flow. Joy is perfect for when you are working, journaling, or for when you just fill blocked. It is an oil that has a magnetic energy that brings joy to your mind, heart, and soul. The properties of this oil can be a tool to help you overcome even the deepest-seated emotions that are blocking you.
And lastly, when you are winding down from your day grab Lavender -- it's relaxations best friend. There are so many ways to use Lavender but in this sense grab your diffuser and fill it with Lavender for when you are taking a bath, taking a nap, reading or even when you are doing breathing techniques to come down from your day. If you want to really ramp up the relaxation effect, create your own bath salts using Lavender. It's super easy to do, you can even make it ahead of time and have it sitting on your bath waiting for you whenever you need it.
There you have it, boom. I just gave you ways to use 3 oils and it didn't require you to do anything extra or add anytime to your routine. I highly recommend that you leave these (or any oils you're using) out in the places you'll be using them. When they are sitting out, staring you in the face, you will use them. If you leave them hidden you won't. Simple as that
No matter you reason for getting started, you can do it in a way that feels right to you and honors your healing and growth. When you join the EssentOily Family community you'll have all the support you need, when you need it.
Grab what you need here and if you have any questions you can comment below or connect with me and we'll chat.
The time leading up to Thanksgiving has been filled with thoughts of family, friends, food, food, and more delicious food. You've been perfecting that family recipe and coming up with new ones to become part of this yearly tradition. So much to be thankful for and so much more to look forward to.
There is something that we tend to not think about, until after the holiday season, and that's our tummy (gut) health. You're going to be filling it with all kinds of yummy things but you've gotta keep it happy and healthy at the same time.
Healing my gut has been a journey and during this time it can be easy to get off track and allow sickness to creep up. I don't want that for me and I don't want that for you either, sos here's my go-to gut health products to keep your tummy happy.
Save this so you can be prepared for Thanksgiving as well as the rest of the holiday season and beyond.
Morning
- Start your day with EssentialZymes. Enzymes are so helpful in breaking down and digesting food, so they're a great place to start your Thanksgiving Day. Add a few drops of Lemon Vitality to a glass of water, the one you drink to take your EssentialZymes with would be perfect. Lemon is a gentle cleanser, provides liver support, and tastes yummy!
- NingXia Red is going to become your new best friend once you get started using it. 2oz is all you need a day to help support so many aspects of your health. For the holidays it's going to be a game changer because NingXia contains ingredients that can help keep your blood sugar naturally balanced & help provide sustained energy. You could even swap your water out for NingXia and add your Lemon Vitality drops to it to take your EssentialZymes.
Post-Meal
- Rub some Peppermint or Digize on your tummy. Both of these oils are great for aiding in digestion and to help with that stuffiness you may be feeling.
- Take EssentialZymes-4. These are different than the enzymes we started the day with, and they're great to take after a big meal. they can help your body adjust to eating things you might not be used to eating all the time, and help you absorb what's nutritious and get rid of the rest.
Evening
- Make sure to get in a good probiotic. I love Life 9. Probiotics are full of "good guys" that go into your gut, fight off the bad guys, and repopulate the area with health.
- Pop a few DetoxZyme to get in even more enzymes. I wasn't kidding when I said you needed these for good gut health. they'll help your body detox from the excess goodies you may have enjoyed and help you recover.
- Lastly, take a Cortistop. Cortistop helps to balance cortisol levels. Cortisol is known as the "death hormone" that is released when we are under stress. The holiday season can be stressful and taking care of you is going to be important to make sure you are able to show up exactly how you want to the entire season. Having this stress-reducing supplement in your arsenal will help you do just that.
Stressing can cause it's own issues in our guts, having the tools to help manage it is crucial. Grab my free 10 Self-Care Tips to Reduce Holiday Stress to help you create easy ways for you to enjoy the season without the hard emotions and stress that may come along with it.
Create your free young living account to make check-out a breeze when you add these products to your cart.
I don't know about you mama, but when either of my boys are under the weather I'm looking for everything and anything to help them feel better. They may drive us crazy, lol, but when they have that helpless look -- I'd give anything to have the crazy back.
We are truly blessed when it comes to our health, I'm very much so about being proactive instead of reactive. We do a lot to make sure that we feed our bodies what it needs to run and fight in tip top shape. Hey, we're human though and sometimes we get taken down and we have to help our bodies by giving it a little more while it's fighting the good fight.
I have my go-to's that I reach for when any of us our out of sorts but recently I had to bring it because Kee had a cough and mucus that was lingering and refused to be evicted by my usual weapons. Like most kids, heck my almost 17yr old still does this, Kee was swallowing all the snot instead of blowing it out and mama we know that does nothing good. So, when it carried on far longer than I'd like for it to I went in search of a recipe that I could use in the bath for him. I ended up finding not only a recipe that reminded me why I'll never be without oils again but I also ran across an oil that I'd had for a while and never used -- as you probably guessed it ended up coming in clutch.
I'm dubbing this the Get Well, Kid bath salts detox and here's what you need:
- Ravintsara
- Frankincense
- Idaho Blue Spruce
- Eucalyptus Radiata
- Wintergreen
- Epsom Salt
- Baking Soda (aluminum free)
- Glass jar
These 5 oils worked so good together because of their amazing benefits.
Ravintsara is from Madagascar and referred to as "the oil that heals". This is a really good oil for working with your respiratory system, opening things up and allowing for those deep breaths. It's also known for being clarifying as well as purifying, all things that we needed.
Frankincense is truly a king of kings when it comes to oils. I could talk about this oil for literally days but for the purpose of this detox I specifically wanting its help with immune system.
Idaho Blue Spruce is a must have in my house not only for making the house smell like a fresh tree farm but also, you want all the tree oils when you're under the weather. Idaho Blue Spruce has been used by Native Americans for lots of things but what I added it in this detox for was Kee's throat. It's known as a relaxant and so, along with it's other benefits, I wanted to see how well it could help with his coughing.
Eucalyptus Radiata like all other eucalyptus oils, is a fave because of that "aaahhh" feeling you get when you smell it and Eucalyptus Radiata is always my choice when it comes to the kids because it's on the milder side. I wanted to help Kee kick out the mucus and this was the perfect oil for that.
Wintergreen is very stimulating and since, as you can tell from the other oils, I was looking to help Kee get out the mucus Wintergreen was a no brainer. Plus, I always love it for a post-workout massage and he was feeling a little achy.
Those oils ended up being so huge for him!
Epsom salt and baking soda are always my go-to's for detox baths because, well you know how well epsom salt works for pulling out toxins from the body so it's a must but the added benefit of baking soda always takes it to another level for me. Baking soda has cleansing and detoxifying properties that may help to purify your body and boost immunity and when you're trying to get rid of unwanted intruders this is always what you're looking for, lol. Now you want it to be aluminum free because you don't want to be introducing heavy metals to your body, the idea is pulling toxins out not putting them in. So always, always grab the aluminum free kind.
Now, once you've gotten all of your ingredients together you can add them to your jar and allow them to sit as long as you possibly can. I recommend overnight, so that the oils can combined together and be linked and ready for action. But if you need to use it right away, give it a few minutes, and you'll be good to go and will still get great action from the detox salts.
I've been using oils for a while so and Kee's been using them since before he could walk so I eyeball a lot but here are the measurements if you're just starting out or like a roadmap.
- 15 drops Ravintsara
- 6 drops Frankincense
- 6 drops blue Spruce
- 2 drops Eucalyptus Radiata
- 1 drop Wintergreen
- 1/4 cup Epsom & Baking soda
You can go more or less, you know your babies so use your judgement. But remember that more is less when you are using pure essential oils!
Once I'd gotten it all in the jar I gave it a shake and let it sit for a few hours (we needed it like RIGHT now) and then ran a bath. Get the water as warm as your little one can stand it and then add the detox salts. I always have Kee do his soaks for 10-15 minutes. By minute 5 he was already feeling so much better. After the right amount of time for your little make sure to rinse them off with cold water. This will help close up those pores and while it isn't always the fun part is important.
And that's it!
12 minutes of soaking and I started seeing my normal Kam Bam and my mama defenses went down 10 fold. We have the tools to be proactive as well as the tools to give our body a boost when they need it.
*I'm not a doctor, I'm not treating or diagnosing, I'm just a mama sharing what worked so other mama's can have that peace of mind too*
