Relieving Stress

The deadline for your project is not too far ahead. Panic sets in. You can’t sleep, you feel like something’s pushing on your chest not allowing you to breathe, head hurts, your muscles feel sore, you’re anxious and you can barely eat. Or you eat way way too much. Everyday life makes you feel ‘stuck’. Between the kids, spouse, work and other projects you can’t even remember who you are. You fall asleep exhausted and you wake up still tired and another stressful day begins.

STOP!

Really, just stop. For a moment…

Stop and smell the roses.

Often disregarded, a little thing – can be as small as a bee buzzing or a butterfly flying around you. You hadn’t even noticed it before but now that you have you’re smiling. It may not be enough to relieve you of your stress but it’s a first step.

We all try to keep up with the pace everyone and everything around us sets for us. We seem to be running, not walking anymore. Today is about bigger, faster, more expensive. Does that mean it’s better?

Look, I’m not telling you to drop all your responsibilities and run to the park or the seaside. I’m telling you it’s good to stop sometimes. Really good. Just stop and breathe in, breathe out and look around you. Acknowledge everything that surrounds you a given time. Live in that moment. You will both be fully aware of things but at the same time disconnected from the daily stress.

Here’s a few things you can do daily to help you disconnect and relax:

A soothing stress-relieving tea:

To a cup of hot water add a teaspoon of mixed borage and lavender.

Strain and drink warm. Even add a bit of honey if you’d like it sweet.

Lavender is a great herb to relieve stress and anxiety and borage helps improve adrenaline production and balance in times of stress.

Essential oils of lavender, chamomile, mint, catnip and rosemary help when stressed. Take a clean cloth and wet it with warm water and dab a few drops of essential oil on it. Place on your forehead while still warm and allow yourself a few minutes of time out.

Citrus essential oils such as bergamot, orange and lemon help improve your mood and combat anxiety. *

If stress is giving you problems sleeping properly I’d recommend getting a muslin/cotton/linen bag and stuff it with lavender and chamomile. Keep it in your bed around your pillow. Inhale deeply the scent before sleeping. These are two herbs long known for their ability to help induce a restful sleep.

Use an oil burner and essential oils during the day to help combat stress and anxiety and promote a state of well being: only a few drops of essential oil added to the water in the oil burner is enough. Use essential oils such as white sandalwood (relaxing and anti-depressant)**, chamomile (helps relieve headaches and is relaxing), benzoin (helps relax the airways when you have difficulty breathing due to stress and anxiety) and geranium (anti-depressant and known to relieve nervous tension and stress).

Last but not least, laugh. Laugh out loud, laugh ’till you cry and your belly hurts.

Laughter is the best medicine, after all

* Citrus essential oils are know to cause allergic reactions even if you’re not a known allergic. Use common-sense caution and test before use.

** White sandalwood essential oil has become more expensive and hard to find due to the tree being placed under government protection in India after increased illegal harvesting and poaching. Cheaper alternatives are essential oil dilutions of 5% or 10% in a carrier oil such as jojoba. Do not use substitutes of Australian Sandalwood or Sandalwood Amyris/Amyris Balsamifera. The sandalwood I refer to is Santalum Album. Always check the label of the product!

Blessings of Light and Joy to you all,

Kallista