Although they in no way offer a miracle cure, essential oils offer emotional guidance on our journey to achieving our goals. Often the feeling of frustration and hopelessness hinders our ability to stick to our New Year goals. Aromatherapy can help offer assistance in getting through the more challenging times and help us to feel at ease.
Here are just a few simple ideas which may offer a helping hand when times are hard .
(1) Swap indulging in food for enjoying a hot bath.
It’s that luxurious feeling that can make us feel so good when we’re indulging in unhealthy food. Often it’s the evenings when we’re relaxing at home that we may feel tempted to reach for the biscuit tin. And why shouldn’t we? Surely we deserve a nice treat after a long day at work?
A great way to help us steer away from this is to indulge in something else such as a lovely warm bath. It’s a great way to make us feel pampered and relaxed, but without affecting our waistlines.
Spend time preparing your bath to make it as relaxing as possible. Try adding a cup full of Epsom salts, along with 4-5 drops of Lavender. Light a candle and take your time to indulge in a guilt free luxury.
(2) Meditate to help reduce cravings
Perhaps even harder than setting out to do something new this year, is giving something up that may have been with us a long time. Whether it’s smoking, eating junk food or cutting down on alcohol. It is never easy to kick old habits that have been with us a long time.
Essential oils alone can be of great assistance when trying to repress those cravings. Our sense of smell is an incredible sense and is very much linked to our thoughts and emotions. Simply having a bottle to hand of essential oils such as Grapefruit or Basil, can help offer mental clarity and guide us to make more beneficial decisions.
Taking time out to practice mindfulness and meditation can be hugely beneficial to helping you beat those unhealthy habits.
Try diffusing any of the three essential oils to help to centre your thoughts and have a moment to yourself.
Frankincense – grounding, relaxing, restoring.
Sandalwood – calming, focusing, centering.
Sage – cleansing, balancing.
(3) Uplifting blends to promote optimism.
Finally, it can’t be ignored that setting out to achieve your New Year’s resolutions can mean facing moments when you feel disheartened, disappointed and downright exhausted!! It’s important to remember that these things can take time and try not to get frustrated with yourself when things don’t go to plan.
For those moments, try taking a moment to reflect upon the positives of what you’ve achieved so far and remind yourself of why you set out to achieve your goals in the first place.
Essential oils can offer that added feel good boost and help us to remain positive. Make the most of bright and cheerful citrus scents or uplifting floral oils.
Try diffusing blends such as:
3 drops Lime, 2 drops Clary Sage.
4 drops Sweet Orange, 2 drops Geranium
3 drops of Grapefruit, 2 drops of Jasmin.
There are many ways to help you stay on track – it may be teaming up with a friend to help motivate you to get down to the gym, or posting motivational notes around the house to keep you staying positive. We hope we’ve given you some extra ideas on how to help you keep motivated and stay positive during the challenging times.
