Things have been crazy around here lately. I did the unexpected…I broke my pinkie on my left hand. Now most would ask if I was right handed or left handed. Well, I am right handed…so I can do most things BUT NOT typing on the computer, organize several areas in my home, regular chores (that I can live with) and a myriad of other things in regard to clothing that I will not mention. I think that I might have invented a new exercise program with that last one. I am still laughing about that.
So what happens when life throws you a curve ball? How do you handle the stress? What are the things that you do to reduce that stress? Think about that for a moment. You need a plan of action. Too often we focus on what we haven’t done or the time it takes to get those things done. We go to bed and then we can’t sleep because our minds are racing. We lose sleep, get up grouchy and often time late.
So what can we do to reduce stress and sleep better? We need that plan. I have several steps for you to try.
- Live a simple life. Often we can eliminate things from our lives to slow down and reduce stress. You need to go through your schedules, priorities and responsibilities and choose what is truly necessary.
- Organize your time. Know what is important to you…those goals and responsibilities. Plan your time around those. This will help reduce stress. And yes, there will be unexpected things…we all have them. Planning times of rest and play give you the flexibility to handle the unexpected.
- Organize your space. I get so frustrated when I can’t find things. So, a time to declutter is a good idea.For those who are overwhelmed with clutter, choose to do one thing a day. There are a multitude of declutter tips on Pinterest. Just find a list that works for you and do it.
- Live healthy. Make choices that reflect the lifestyle that you want. Healthy food choices make a difference. Exercise makes a difference.Start with ten minutes a day. Use essential oils to help maintain good health…more about that later.
- Live in the present. You only have the present…the now. You can’t change the past so worrying about what you should have done doesn’t change the present. It just adds stress. Worrying about the future doesn’t change anything either, besides you might not have tomorrow. Just live in the now, the present. God will provide what you need now…let Him handle the future. He understands it better than we do.
- Be thankful. You are blessed in so many ways. Just stop and think about those blessings. Then go out and thank God for those blessings.
Now I mentioned earlier essential oils. What can they do? For one, they can be used to reduce stress and ground us during times of the unexpected. I use several oils for this: Balance (Grounding Blend), Vetiver, Sandalwood, Cedarwood and Lavender. Applied to the neck and bottoms of the feet, these oils help to calm and soothe. Lavender is great in your bath with some epsom salts. The cedarwood and vetiver are especially helpful to calm down the brain to help you ease into sleep. Balance is my oil of choice during the day to help calm me down. If you want to know more, contact me.
So back to the beginning, I am typing this with a broken hand…no, it is not easy but I am not stressed over this. Hopefully, my orthopedic hand surgeon will release me soon to rehab. But in the meantime, I am going to enjoy my break from the routine and enjoy this time of refreshing. Have a great day, friends!
Debbie
The Oil Advantage 