Yesterday, I shared that I’m “taking it easy.” That’s not always easy to do. About half of my day I’m telling myself to chill the heck out. We feel, or can feel, a lot of pressure under normal circumstances. My routine is all over the place. I am having trouble staying focused. I want to stay healthy and well (don’t we all). But I worry that being a little more at risk in this crazy time, that decisions I make for my health aren’t the best in other areas of my life (like work). I worry about my mom.

And I worry about how we will recover from this mess – financially and otherwise. It’s too much, right? So in response, there are a few things I do, that might be helpful for you. When I feel the tension mount, I:

• Log out of all social media. Log. Completely. Out. Completely.
• I listen to music I love. If you’re a Christian this is a good time for your fav worship music. I love this Pandora station or this Spotify playlist.
• If it’s in the evening, I take a bath with Epsom salts (a lot of Epsom salt). I add my favorite soothing essential oils (usually lavender and cedarwood).
• I have been using this technique to help break up my work day, so I don’t feel so scatterbrained. Surprisingly, it has helped me to focus.
• I allow myself to watch some news because it’s important to me. But I will not watch all day or re-watch the same thing over and over. For instance, today I watched local for a half-hour and the ABC Nightly News – but resisted the urge to watch press conferences or other streaming news.
• When I’m being smart, I DO NOT read the comments on social media posts about just about any topic – but especially COVID-19. But this is also a weakness of mine and one I need to work on. It’s better for my mental health when I avoid them. I feel better when I do. Also, I’ll hate people less (that’s a little joke), if I avoid comment sections.

One of the additional things I am doing (which I’ve shared about previously, here & here) is to continue to use essential oils for emotional support. There is very little we can control about what is happening around us. Taking it easy where we can and taking care of ourselves, is something we can control.

My essential oil use has been a long journey and while I won’t say that I only use Young Living products, some of the my favorites are particularly helpful during this stressful and challenging time. They are my go-to oils for support.

Stress Away, Valor, and Envision are three of my absolute favorite Young Living oils. Stress Away & Valor, in particular, are incredibly calming and help ease my tension. Plus, they smell amazing. Like so good, you could use them both as perfume. I’ve also used both Stress Away and Valor in a blend I like to call “chill.” But I’ve also seen it called “Liquid Xanax.” 🙂 You can find an example of that blend, here. I do not currently have Vetiver. But even without it, it’s a favorite.

That roller goes in my purse when I leave the house and sits on my desk while I work. I use this particular blend over my heart, on the back of my neck, and on my temples. But this infographic is helpful to see the other ways to use essential oils, topically.

If you would like to try out Valor and Stress Away, in particular, you can get them, as well as a great assortment of other YL oils/products in the starter kit (you can pick a starter kit that fits you). The Premium Starter Kit contains all of the items below as well as the Desert Mist or Dewdrop diffuser.

But if you’re interested in purchasing one of the oils (or both Valor & Stress Away) that I’ve shared about, but don’t have a membership & don’t want one, please e-mail me: elaina@elaina-avalos.com or comment. I’d like to chat with you about how we can get you these oils, in particular. 

If you’ve been considering a starter kit – but haven’t jumped in yet, if you become a member (here) this month, I’ll send you a 6-pack of reusable – all natural organic wool dryer balls. These wool dryer balls come in a drawstring bag and are a great way to cut out dryer sheet waste and the extra fragrance we just don’t need in our lives. You can add 3-4 drops of essential oils to the balls – to freshen laundry as you dry, as well as to help reduce static cling.

But ultimately, all I care about is sharing with you what I am doing in the challenging moments. For me, utilizing oils like Valor, Stress Away, lavender, and cedarwoord (or Texas cedarwood) to name just a few, help me when it all feels too much – to be mindful, slow down, and recenter myself.

What are you doing these days to take care of yourself? What are your favorite natural ways – that don’t involve legal stimulants and depressants (that’s a little joke)? I would love to hear what’s working for you right now.