It’s not often that I get to take a long vacation, but when I do, it’s always worth it.
Only a few years back did I discover the holy grail of maximising the benefits of aromatherapy. Don’t blame me for just unearthing this exhilarating experience. As an African adage puts it; “whatever the time a man wakes up is when he knows it is morning”.
Prior to my vacation, it had been one roller coaster ride after another; with my stress levels going way off the roof, and my cortisol levels creating a futile attempt to maintain my much worked at weight loss.
“Stress is debilitating and that’s a fact!”
For many who have had scary stress-related experiences, this would not come as a shocking statement. For the first time ever, I experienced a physical breakdown resulting from “extreme” exhaustion. You know that feeling where the world literally stops revolving in your mental consciousness and the questions that pop into your mind are; “Is this it?”, “Is this the moment?”, as your body comes sprawling to the ground and by some stroke of blessing you find yourself regaining consciousness, but in a hospital bed and the only prognosis your doctor gives you is; Extreme Exhaustion”. What the bonkers? These experiences are better left imagined. At this point, I realised a vacation was no longer a luxury but a necessity giving my work schedule. I’d seen it coming! How could I not have? Not with the constant memory loss and inability to be mentally coherent in intellectual discourse where you’d otherwise be a think-tank goddess.
Fast-forward to my 3-weeks vacation. I decided to be deliberate about releasing stress during my vacation. It is my pleasure to share my stress management journey with these 7 tips;
SLEEP. SLEEP. SLEEP
Before the “shopaholic” tendencies set in, I chose to spend the first 10 days getting all the sleep my body could permit. She sure did take an interest on the sleep pay-cheque for every sleep-currency I had deprived her over the past months.Give sleep no mercy especially where stress is concerned. Sleep deprivation could cause more harm to your body. I often experience reduced metabolic action and irritability resulting from sleep deprivation. If you struggle to put sleep in motion, aromatherapy could help the process along. I enjoyed the benefit of burning and diffusing Àbélà Snooze Tight Aromatherapy Candle & Synergy Blend. A variation of use could be to add a few drops of Àbélà Synergy Blend in a bathtub or bath-bucket of water with a few tablespoons of milk to help it dissolve.
EAT RIGHT. DRINK RIGHT
“Don’t eat this, don’t eat that!”.With the explosion of knowledge, health research and diet fads, it’s a wonder we still eat food. Agreed, some foods may absolutely be bad for our bodies, however, It is important to understand your body’s rhythm and reaction to certain food types. Whatever is good for Jane may be bad for Amaka. Whilst some people thrive on carbohydrates, some others thrive best on proteins. If you are like me with CCI (Complex Carbohydrate Intolerance), you’d want to steer clear from certain types of carbohydrates and high glycemic foods as they trigger stomach bloating and indigestion. Eating more greens and drinking more water is always a good place to start eating right.
TAKE A DAILY DOSE OF SUPPLEMENTS
In spite of how conscious we may be about our diet, it may be challenging to get all the necessary requirements from food alone. I thrived on taking a daily dose of evening prime rose and biotin supplements to balance my hormones. NOTE: Before taking any food supplements, it is imperative to consult your doctor as body requirements differ.
TREAT YOUR SKIN TO NATURAL OIL THERAPY
Stress can strip your skin of necessary nutrients required for that youthful glow we all desire.I literally saw my face glow within 3 days of daily moisturising my face with African Argan oil and Vitamin E oil. Truly amazing results. African Baobab Oil is also a great choice for oil treatment with its skin regenerative properties. Trying out the Argan oil, Baobab oil & Vitamin E should be fine for most skin types, but like I would always advise consulting an esthetician or your doctor before using any oils, supplements or treatments even though natural.
TAKE LONG WALKS TO ANYWHERE
If you are as lazy as I can be when gym activity is concerned, don’t despair. A 30 minute walk a day is a good place to start an exercise regime.I mapped out a walking trail for myself that would require a minimum of 20 minutes walk to the park and 20 minutes walk from the park. If I was up to it, I would do this in the late morning and do another walk in the late evening. I realised how enjoyable and different the walk experience is for both walk-times.
FIND AND ENGAGE IN A HOBBY YOU LOVE
It is interesting to know how we get so lost in work we forget to live a little. We often forget to smell the roses, or see the butterflies perch. My simple advice: “Get a Life!”, outside of the work I mean. lol. Find a hobby you love and be deliberate about scheduling time to engage in it. Whatever your interests, be it reading, dancing, playing the guitar or the drums, you’d be amazed how much joy your heart wields just by the mere thought of it.
INDULGE IN AN AROMATHERAPY BATH
This is by far my most exhilarating, mentally and emotionally rewarding of all the activities in my de-stressing regime, hence I saved it for last. Enjoying the therapeutic benefits of water and aroma is a ritual I do not take lightly. I literally took my bath sessions to a whole new level with the power of natural aromatics. Every night, I basked in the fullness of a warm water bath, filling the bathtub with warm water and a few sachets of Àbélà by Scents of Africa® Aromatherapy Tranquility Bath Salts or Àbélà by Scents of Africa® Rose Lavender Herbal Bath Tea Infusion.
Fantastic writeup Ma’am.
Thank you Damilola. With your growing work in web design and development, it’s a wonder you don’t get mentally stressed out. How do you de-stress?