Self-care to foster Balance

Traditionally, we view reaching good self-care and a balanced state as hitting a goal. Some researchers are now encouraging us to stop thinking about it as an achievement that we either hit or miss.

Instead, they suggest it may be more of a lifelong process – a continuous, never-ending exercise that requires vigilance, self-awareness and timely tweaks.

In a culture that “honours” and “respects” busy, we may feel pushed to be “always busy as a modus operandi”.

In the long term, it leads to being worn out, to illness, and to disengagement from the people we love. On some level, we recognise that being “super busy” isn’t good for us, emotionally or for our physical health. We raise this topic constantly and we acknowledge the need to find balance and a sustainable level of self-care.

Balance is created when we choose to understand ourselves:

Part of finding balance is finding acceptance and understanding ourselves. When we recognise that a lot of things are out of our control, the mental buzz reduces and there’s less stress.

Draw a circle of things you can control: like your decisions, your responses, how you spend your time…and leave the rest outside.

It’s is very liberating to know we are not responsible for everything.

Balance is created when we choose to be vigilant in the protection of our priorities:

Too easily we get sucked into the busy-ness of life and we end up spending the least amount of time on the things we care about the most. Sometimes we need to stop and analyse.

Take a deep breath and think: “Is this what I want? Then we can focus on our priorities.

A former boss used to say, “Perfect is the enemy of good”, a phrase from Voltaire. Meaning it’s better to do something of good quality in the time we have, rather than achieve perfection every time. If we look for perfection, we “steal time” from the things we cherish doing with our loved ones.

Balance is created when we choose to live in the moment:

The constant running thoughts of past and future events fills our body and mind with worries and guilt. Consequently, we automatically feel out of balance.

HOW can we get back to the here and now ?

🌿🌿 When we use our senses, we re-focus in the here and now, as they can only operate in the present.

Our sense of smell is 10,000 times more sensitive than any other sense. The olfactory bulb is the only place in the body where the central nervous system is exposed to the environment. Hence our brain is designed to use aroma to heal and soothe itself, shifting our perspective and changing our vibe.

When you feel you are out of balance and need some “me time”:

🔥 Sit in front of a fire with a cup of tea. The smell of wood is a potent de-stressor, the power of nature indoors to ground and calm emotions.

If you don’t have a log burner or fireplace you can burn Palo Santo wood sticks, or you can use the essential oil. Palo Santo supports emotional pain, nervousness, panic and stress. It fosters energy, concentration & balance.

If you feel unmotivated or sluggish, diffuse uplifting essential oils such as Bergamot, Orange, Lime or Lemon. And Mandarin for kids is amazing! Or Bergamot and coriander, such a nice blend!

🛀 If you enjoy baths, add salts and essential oils for further relaxation.

🧴Boost your creams with calming oils: apply on face and breathe from your hands.

👣 Apply calming oils on sole of the feet; in 20 minutes they are in every cell of the body.

👉 When stress has led to exhaustion, the most useful oils are Geranium, Peppermint, Black pepper, Vetiver, spikenard, Rosemary and Thyme.

👉 If you feel unfocused at work, and experience concentration dips and brain fog, go for Rosemary, Peppermint, Coriander or Lime. It helps avoid diluting that precious extra time you would rather spend with your loved ones.

👉 Creams with thyme and Melaleuca (Tea tree) applied on the chest enhances your immunity, preventing you from worrying “How am I going to work if I get ill?”

👉 A fantastic blend for the autumn season may contain Clove, Black Pepper and Geranium : it’s warm, floral and spicy.

👉 Clove is more than just an aroma; it’s quite a potent essential oil. Clove blended with Ylang Ylang is an excellent natural remedy for anxiety and stress. Use it to invigorate and raise the spirits.

It’s important to look for a good fit: whether it is a roller, a cream, a spray, a diffuser, inhalers, etc. You need to find what works for you to come to “the here and now” !

Balance is also created when we choose to Control our expectations:

Not everything has to be about success or failure, and we don’t have to be good at everything to enjoy experiences. One of my greatest joys is spinning. I do it for fitness and for fun. I feel the air and the sun on my skin, life’s drama is suspended, and nobody can talk to me. It is bliss. Bliss can be found in the ordinary. And you don’t have to be brilliant.

Taking time to really consider your priorities will help you weave self-care into your life in a meaningful way.

Finding balance can simply mean to live in the moment, accept that not everything is under our control, being protective of our priorities, listening to the needs of our whole self and responding with kindness.

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