Answering queries
Every week the most common questions in my in-box are from those looking for natural support for anxiousness.
So, let me begin with a little explanation of what the frick is going on when we are dealing with this. Understanding is the beginning of healing.
That old Alarm clock
We have a very clever nervous system that dates to those days in the cave. Think of it like an inbuilt alarm system to warn us when our environment just wasn't a safe space to be. A lion was roaming in the area, the neanderthal from the next cave over was looking to steal from us, you know, normal everyday stuff, right?
Em but unfortunately this trauma brain leaves us stuck in the past. Actually!
Growing up is hard to do
Nowadays, there is no lion, but in our formative years we can be told that we shouldn't cry, shouldn't shout, should be seen and not heard. When our teachers could only see the subjects we struggled in, and made us feel small. In the playground maybe we felt excluded and not accepted by others, or were only accepted when we behaved in a certain way. For girls unfortunately a lot of this was based around our appearance and we were often judged on clothing, weight etc.
Those times when we were told what the acceptable norms of society were. So often we were left feeling embarrassed, stupid. small. afraid, rejected, not good enough etc. It's not quite the lion in the room anymore but that response gives the ego the job to make sure we are never going to feel that horrible emotion again. Think of the ego as a hyper over-protective mother for now, I will elaborate more on this topic in another post.
So, what are we left with?
When the nervous system is in this hyper vigilant state, our body feels as though there is a threat in our environment- that damn lion. When we are in this state, we can simply be in a room of people, but the body sends feedback to the mind which then creates thoughts of, not being liked, that we are being judged, or beliefs of low self-worth. These can run on a loop and can often create a physical response to occur for some- going red, heart racing, upset tummy, sweating, zoning out etc. Basically "there is a lion here get out!!!!".
Hitting snooze on the alarm.
There are many things we cannot control, and we cannot go back and change the environments we developed in. However, our genes are not fixed, they're impacted by everything around us. Our body is always seeking to heal. Our brain adapts. it changes through life. It can create new neural pathways if we want to and use tools to help ourselves.
Many of us have not even always had this issue. Traumas and situations can trigger this dormant response in us. (2020 I see you!) We have often been conditioned by some medical systems that tell us we cannot heal ourselves, that this anxiousness or mental unrest is something we will have for life. (crystal ball anyone?)
Yet, we can make choices. A series of small choices that with time and our commitment can transform us.
This is how we heal.
Where the heck do oils come in?
Great question. So, we have an amazing little centre at the top of our nose called the ol-factory Bulb. Nerve endings from here are connected directly to the limbic system- The part of our brain that controls our memory and emotions. Cool huh? So, if we wanted to re-program our old thoughts, belief systems, conditioning, trauma response, wouldn't make sense to use this centre to do so? I think so!
That is just one of the amazing ways that essential oils support this process of healing. They each have their own unique chemistry which can influence the way our body responds to perceived threats and emotional responses. Is this making sense? Let me give you an example?
Take a deep breath.
Let's take a simple oil like wild orange. Part of its unique makeup is a fantastic compound called limonene. When we are in a stressed state cortisol flushes to our cells, including those in our brain and we don't think clearly.
We can say silly things, we can get brain fog and we can often miss totally obvious things (looking for your glasses on your head anyone?). Disaster, right?
Enter our little hero, wild orange. These molecules enter our blood stream at super-fast speed. They block cortisol entering those receptor sites, so we don't react in such a panic. Amazing right? By simply inhaling these therapeutic oils from our palms or diffusing them in our environment we can make a small simple start to healing.
My tool belt.
Essential oils are just one tool I have used to balance my emotional wellness, but they have been the most powerful and easiest to implement.
I will be sharing more about the ways that I use them in my lifestyle over the coming weeks along with some of the other tools I have found effective in supporting myself in my healing journey so far. It's my opinion that it's time we broke the stigma on mental- wellbeing and started to recognise it for what it is. I believe we can diffuse its hold on us. I believe we can heal.
Want to know more?
If you want to learn more about how to support yourself using natural methods, you can join me for one of my classes where I teach a little more about how it all works and how to get started.
Next week's blog will be sharing a little more about our best friend the ego, the role it has played in keeping us "safe" and how to cut those apron strings for more freedom. Sign up for my newsletter below to make sure you don't miss out.