Annnndddd I'm back!
Ok I know it has been awhile, much has happened!! Without going into detail, I had a family crisis in the midst of this global crisis and I was needed in other places for a little while. Now I am back to talk with you about mental health and discuss some ways we can help ourselves and others stay sane in these crazy times.
Some people, many people actually, more than you or I probably know, struggle with mental wellness on a daily basis... before all of this crazy stuff hit our world and turned it upside down. Many people are very good at hiding their struggles with things like depression and anxiety and so you never really know what's going on with them unless you take the time to really have conversation and check in with them more than say.. once a month. (absolutely no judgment here, I know there are people in my life I need to check in with more often!)
There are also those who have gotten SO good at hiding it that even tho you may know them well, they know how to hide their depression even better. So what gives? How do we help ourselves and others maintain or achieve mental wellness?
As someone who has struggled a lot in the past with anxiety and depression at times with a few panic attacks sprinkled in here and there, I can tell you that until I became self aware, I didn't even realize that anything was wrong. I thought that was a normal life. I called it stress. I used things like alcohol and retail therapy to alleviate this stress and you know, it worked. temporarily.
And then....
I was introduced to essential oils!
My life was about to change in major ways and I didn't even realize it.
Now before you run out and purchase essential oils from your local department store or grocery store please read the rest of this because it's important.
These were not just any essential oils, they were the good ones, the certified pure therapeutic grade, safe to cook with kind of oils. Why does that matter? Because anything less than that, typically contain lots of contaminants like synthetic ingredients that are super harmful to your health and no better for you than sugary drinks and chemical laden foods. If you would like to learn more about essential oils and what makes these particular oils so beneficial to all systems of the body, check out my free online class Essential Oils 101
Ok back to the mental wellness part of this. When I was first told that certain essential oils could help with emotions, I thought "this person is crazy" I don't buy that. (shows you how uninformed I was huh :)
I did however, believe that they could help me with my "stress" so I started using one particular blend called the grounding blend. It did not magically make my stress disappear overnight, in fact, at first, I couldn't have told you it did anything at all. But I liked the smell, it was calming to me. So, I continued to use it. Every day. Multiple times a day. And you know what, slowly, gradually, without me even noticing, I was changing. One day I realized that I could handle what I used to consider "a crisis event" with a whole lot more calmness than I previously had. I didn't use alcohol as frequently as before and I felt better overall, mentally, emotionally and of course physically as well.
Ok this is getting a little long so we're gonna have to come back to this :) Next time, I will tell you about some of the other things I did to improve my mental well being that eventually led to eliminating those panic attacks.
As always, I'd love to hear your feedback, questions or comments, maybe some things you have found helpful to improve your mental health.
Until next time....
Hugs!!!