essential oils // stress relief in motherhood

yesterday was hard.  i pulled back the tangle of unmade covers around eight forty and fell into bed feeling worn out and past the verge of tears.  i think i was too tired to cry, thursday had taken its toll.  it was one of those days where everything culminated to a feeling of utter fogginess, the inability to pinpoint anything that had contributed to the difficulty of the day.   just everything, everything felt so heavy.  i suppose all i need to say to explain is that staying home with a stair-crawling one year old, a no napping three year old, and a diaper eating dog (sorry for the tmi) can wear a person out if they don't take a time out now and then.

as said by loving mothers around the world since he beginning of time: motherhood is the hardest thing one will ever do, yet the culminating point of joy in one's life.  i love it so much it hurts and can say with absolute certainty that it is the most beautiful aspect of my life, apart from my marriage.  as a little girl i knew i was destined to be a mama.  it has always been my calling and i would rather have a handful of exhausted moments and take the chance of getting worn down and be a mother than not have these amazing babies at the center of my world.  they are my everything.  but it is also really hard, too.  seriously, ridiculously, inexplicably hard.  as in no one could ever really prepare you for how difficult being a parent is if they tried their with all their might.  but, at the same time, what a blessing it is to be a mother.  to take care of these precious little humans.  there's nothing like it nor nothing better.

that night after the kids had been fed and bathed and read to and tucked in, and after i posted a little lament on instagram, i remembered i had something that could possibly give me respite and help.  after all, what i was really needing in that moment of gloom and anxiety was a bit of relaxation.  i was in need of being uplifted, the knots of my self-directed doubt and the stress of my worry unraveled.  my emotional state was in needed of nurturing, a little hug, perhaps.

so i grabbed my oil diffuser, plugged it in next to my bed, grabbed a glass of pinot, and diffused four drops of stress relief and four drops of lavender.  i put joy on my wrists and on the back of my neck.  i smelled orange and put a drop of it in some ice water.  i sat there, eyes closed, and felt like i was in a spa somewhere far away, tucked in the mountains.  despite the blatant fact that there were stale cheerios and several bottles (probably spoiled) of half drank milk on the floor of my bedroom and i felt like i was at a fancy resort.  pretty magical, i'd say.  if i had had more energy, i'd put a few drops of lavender in the bath.  bliss, my friends.

sometimes in life we just need a little push in the right direction to gather momentum.  we need the opportunity to nurture our emotional needs, giving our soul well deserved attention that most times goes neglected.  that being said, i think it's pretty neat that i have these uplifting oils at my disposal to help me out if i need it.  i went to bed that night feeling hopeful.  relaxed.  happy.  and in the morning, rejuvenated and ready to spend the day mothering the best i can to my little ones.  now i am not saying that you just rub oils everywhere and feel completely better, but boy do they help.  i am thankful for them.

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