By Julieta Hernandez Photo Courtesy of doTERRA
As far as we’re concerned, nobody knows the real reason for the case of the Mondays. In order to get back in the game, some alleviation is due, and aromatic nature is here to help.
The addition of essential oils to a morning routine can work as an immediate mood lifter. Smells have a little more mental power than we think: our noses immediately absorb them into our smell receptors, which follows a direct path to our limbic system. That’s the part of our brain that supports our emotions, behavior, and memory. For some of us, the Monday morning/midday brain fog gets in the way of that.
For a burst invigoration or for a deep breath of calm, carrying a tiny bottle makes a world of difference. Cutting through that brain fog with the sharp aroma of peppermint is how I get back in the game for Mondays, and a touch of frankincense for the afternoon pick-me-up is what my mom has always sworn by. Cardamom is another go-to for the start of my week, but it’s not just the clear respiratory benefits that have me sniffing, its the strong personality of its unique spicy-fruity aroma.
Whatever your aroma palette prefers, applying essential oils to your Mondays (and the rest of your week as well, but Mondays always need it the most) goes way past just a sniff or a touch under the nose. I learned from doTERRA essential oil company, who has independent retailers and workshop opportunities in Corpus Christi, about how to take application further.
During your morning commute to work, you can dab some oil into a cotton ball and stick it into the air vents of a car. Oils can also be mixed into a spray bottle with water and sprayed over your home furniture. Depending on the oil type, adding a diffuser oil and rubbing an aroma directly onto your skin has its own added benefits. Also depending on the oil, you can add a few drops to a hot bath for a soothing soak. Eucalyptus and lavender are appropriate choices for this one.
doTERRA retails oils through knowledgeable advocates in the area who can answer the more specific questions about what benefits someone may be looking for in oils, which is way easier than a google binge on what each of the oils do. During my first cold of the season, a local wellness advocate Kat Rosales recommended an essential oil blend for me. In a small bottle was this mixture called On Guard, a blend composed specifically for the body’s immune system and defense. It smelled warm and spicy, with a hint of orange peel, and helped ease the inflammation of my sinuses a notable amount.
But it’s not just colds oil blends can save you from: headaches, migraines, nausea, digestion, and other things that’ll push you off your game can be eased with the right oil. Temperament, anxiety, and restlessness can be wafted away by a natural aroma.
For the inevitableness of Mondays and trying to make them just a little bit easier, or for when the rest of the week gets a little bumpy, advocates are full of recommendations (and discounts). Local ones, like Kat, are only a sniff away.
