Self-care. It’s the word on the street that’s creating a buzz. Apparently, we should all be doing ‘it’? But what exactly is self-care? And how should we apply it to ourselves?

If it all sounds a bit airy, fairy or too new age for you, hold on before you completely sack it off. After all, it’s just a new way of explaining the time-tested method of ‘me time’ or simply put, having time to yourself to unwind. The problem is that the modern world doesn’t really lend itself to self-care. We’re instantly accessible, even when we’re attending to a call of nature or trying to get some shuteye. The other thing is that we’ve created a culture of not wanting to miss out. So, instead we pack as much in as possible, and no surprise, our heads are scrambled, and stress is on the rise.

How to De-stress

Feeling stressed basically means that we have adrenaline and cortisol flowing around our body. That can make us feel on edge, emotional, anxious, nervous, physically sick, have a knot in the stomach, experience a tight chest, and even suffer from a migraine or pain in the neck, shoulders, or back. It’s obvious that stress is pretty dire for our physical and mental health. But we can’t expect to suddenly or instantly de-stress however, so it’s a good idea to allocate time and a routine to help with the process. That’s self-care in action.

This said, it can be difficult to incorporate a de-stress routine into a busy life, so you have to get creative and use tools that are available to you. You might think that you need a large amount of time to de-stress but that isn’t necessarily the case. Actively taking a regular pause throughout the day to focus your mind on something else, even for a matter of two minutes, can really make a difference. Getting up regularly to make a cup of tea, stretch, take a walk around the garden, do a mindfulness meditation for a few minutes, these can all help us to have a mental detox and re-energise for the next task in hand.

Something else that can help to speed up the process of de-stressing is aromatherapy. It might be an age-old holistic therapy, but it very much has a sound scientific basis. It’s agreed that aromatherapy can directly impact on our emotional state of mind and on some of the body’s physiological processes including key anxiety indicators like rate of breathing, heartrate, and blood pressure. 

When we inhale essential oils, they almost instantaneously travel directly to the brain’s limbic system, thanks to the olfactory nerves. This is a significant part of the brain because it handles memories and emotions, which is why an essential oil can help you to feel a specific way, especially as over thousands of years, we’ve been conditioned that certain smells mean different things. Who here doesn’t think that grapefruit gives you a zing and wakes you up?

That’s why we’ve designed our range of 100% natural, essential-oil based Scentered Aromatherapy Balms which can be inhaled through the nose and are also rapidly absorbed into the skin through pulse points like the neck, wrists, and temples. These balms are the perfect complement to our Stop.Inhale.Reset mantra, the forced pause that helps us to calm the mind and reset our mood. 

So whenever you’re feeling stressed, we highly recommend you take a momentary break to apply our DE STRESS Aromatherapy Balm, before deeply inhaling its scent three times. It’s a wonderfully soothing blend with Chamomile to promote calmness and those well-known tension-soothers, Neroli and Mandarin. This is the one to give you a sense of wellbeing, that supports you in juggling that tricky work/life balance throughout the day, remain calm and in control when things get hectic and manage those stressful or anxiety-inducing situations. 

Evening De-stress Routine

Generally, most of us are at home at the end of the day, so evening is a great time to build in a slighter longer de-stress ritual. Also, by doing that, you’re setting yourself up for a good night of sleep which ultimately, will help you feel less stressed.

Try our popular I Want to DE STRESS Gift Set, which comes complete with a full size DE STRESS Aromatherapy Balm and DE STRESS Aromatherapy Candle. Apply some De Stress Balm when you come in from work to begin de-stressing from your day. When convenient, light your De Stress Candle and set the ambiance for a relaxing soak, a good book, a yoga or meditation session, or even whilst you’re in front of the television if that’s how you unwind. Just don’t forget to turn all screens off at least an hour before bed.

The really interesting thing about creating an evening ritual is that it’s repetition creates a mental cue for what’s about to happen. In time, the ritual becomes so ingrained that it becomes automatic behaviour. So the act of burning your candle and smelling it’s gorgeous scent, will signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down and relax, and hey! Your body will recognise its cue and relax much more quickly. Humans are incredible aren’t they!