Bath Time

After a long stressful day, or when you feel like you can't catch your breath, remember to take a time out. I have found that the perfect time out is a bath. According to http://www.easy-aromatherapy-recipes.com/bath-salt-recipe.html, here is the best recipe for a stress free bath.

Ingredients

2 cups Epsom Salt OR Dead Sea Salt

1 cup Sea Salt

1/2 cup Baking Soda

6 drops Bergamot essential oil

6 drops Sweet Orange essential oil

3 drops Lavender essential oil

Optional: 6 drops red, 4 drops yellow food coloring

Directions

Mix salt and baking soda together in a bowl using a metal spoon (a wooden spoon will absorb the essential oils and be ruined.)
Drop in the essential oils and food coloring, placing each drop in its own little spot on top of the salts. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
Store mixture in a dark glass or PET plastic jar. Let cure at least 24 hours before using.
Use about one cup of salts per bath. This bath salt recipe makes enough for three baths. Click here for tips on making your bath magical.

Caution: Bergamot and sweet orange can cause photo-sensitivity and sunburn. Do not use before sun exposure

Wondering why? The article notes that "Bergamot and sweet orange are extensively used in aromatherapy for depression because they lift mood and ease tension, stress, anxiety, fear and anger. Lavender soothes and calms the nerves, relieving tension, panic and nervous exhaustion."

Remember to take a time out and enjoy!

Sexy, Spicy and Sweet - Natural Aphrodisiacs

We are huge advocates for sex! Sex is great for many reasons, and has been proven to reduce stress and help with anxiety. So today we thought we would provide you with a list of natural aphrodisiacs to get you in the mood! Some spicy, some sweet but all delicious!

Almonds

Avacados

Celery

Cherries

Chia Tea

Chili Peppers

Chocolate

Cinnamon

Garlic

Honey

Pomegranate

Pumpkin Seeds

Red Wine

Strawberries

 Whipped Cream

Enjoy!

Mantras to get you through the day

Sometimes we need a push, just a little extra motivation to get up and going in the mornings. I have decided to use daily mantras and/or quotes to help get me up and going. What is a mantra? A mantra is a word or statement that is repeated frequently to aid concentration in meditation. The Veterans Administration, San Diego Healthcare System conducted a study regarding this matter, results were pulled from www.prevention.com. In it, 66 volunteers were taught to repeat a mantra. The mantra could be any they chose and they were asked to repeat it as often as they wanted. Six months later, 83% had employed their mantras to help them stay calm, and 75% were able to ease stress, frustration, and tension. "Mantras are a Jacuzzi for the mind," says lead researcher Jill Bormann, PhD, RN. "And unlike many stress-reduction techniques, you can literally use this anywhere, anytime.". So there you have it! Here are a few of my favorites to get you started. I would love to hear your mantras, please comment or write to me in the Ask Alice section of this blog.

"Keep calm and carry on"

"You got this"

"This is temporary"

"Every little thing gonna be alright"

"Just get through today, that is all you have to do"

"Hakuna Matata"

"It will all work out"

Get Your Best Night's Sleep

Studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can have effects on your mood, and overall health, so for all you insomniacs out there here is your guide to a better nights sleep.

Go for a walk. You don’t want to do this right before bed since the endorphin's will kick in and keep you awake. Instead, try to go for a walk after work, when you get home.

Cut out caffeine and alcohol before bed. Caffeine is known to cause sleep issues and alcohol is known for putting you to sleep, but then interferes with your sleep throughout the night.

Turn down the temp. If you are like me then you know that it is impossible to get to sleep when you feel all hot and sticky. I suggest turning down the temp (ideal temp should be about 65° F or 18° C). During the summer months, to keep utility costs down, we use a portable swamp cooler in our room. It works perfect and take just a few minutes to cool down the room.

Take a hot bath. Taking a hot bath can help calm your mind before drifting off to sleep.

Making your bed. Make sure that you make your bed as comfortable as possible. We occasionally put our sheets and pillow cases in the freezer, then we make the bed right before we're ready to turn in for the night.

Keep your bedroom dark. Turn off the electronics, instead try to read for a few minutes (I will recommend a book below) and pull down the blinds. We use blackout sheets that we hung from the top rod. These block out all light coming from our windows.

Try to have a system. What I mean by this is having a set time that you want to be in bed by each night and a set time that you want to get up in the morning. According to www.helpguide.org , sticking to a consistent sleep-wake schedule helps set your body’s internal clock and optimize the quality of your sleep.

I hope you all have enjoyed and these tips help you. And, as promised, I recommend the following . . 

Go the Fuck to Sleep by Adam Manbach

  

Into the mind of depression - My own personal hell

Living with depression is all easier said than done and nobody is perfect. I like to focus on the positive and what you can do to better your life and get through the tough days, but I am not perfect and I have my moments. I wanted to let you all in on what it is like in my mind when the emotions hit. I wrote down all the thoughts that were traveling through my mind, hopefully this gives those that don't understand a look as to what we are going through. Here is a glimpse inside my own personal hell...

Sometimes I don’t know what I want or what I mean, I am just as lost as everyone else trying to read my mind. This feeling is so overwhelming, I can't fight the tears, and what's worse is that I have no idea why. I have no clue as to what triggered this emotion and no idea on how to fix what is broken. I feel alone, I just want to hide and shut the world out. 

This feeling is so much that it hurts. My throat closes up and I feel like can't breathe. I hate knowing that I will call out of work again because I just can't handle it. I wish that I could bring myself to apply for more jobs that I want and the jobs that will make more, but knowing that I cannot commit to these jobs, knowing that the stress alone will be enough to break me has held me back. 

This is something that I would gladly give up, if given the choice but instead it is something that I need to go through. The mental breakdown is usually followed by a crying panic attack that won't stop. Sometimes it's quick, and my tear ducts dry up, and it's over and other times this last's for days or weeks at a time. This wave of emotions screws up everything in my life. It messes with work, because I am constantly having to call out. It screws me up socially because all I want to do is crawl up in bed and shut the world out. My husband has been amazing and has stood by my side through all of this. He is always trying to cheer me up and reassure me that everything will be okay. I am so grateful for him, but sometimes you can't simply be cheered up. Things can make you smile, but at the end of it you feel damaged. The last thing that I ever want to do is let this affect my home life, but the sad truth is that it does, I am just lucky enough to have help and someone that will stand by my side through it all. I realize that I am not alone and that there are others out there that are feeling the same way and going through the same struggles but in my own mind I feel alone.  I know that something is wrong and that something needs to change, but right now I cannot focus on the day, let alone on how to better myself in the future. 

I am always trying to look at the bright side of things, but today I cannot see one. Instead, all that I see are obstacles that are preventing me from having the life I love and want to live. I don’t want my husband to have to cheer me up every day, even though I know he is willing, I fear that eventually he will become exhausted and I will lose my best friend. Thankfully, I see us together forever, and he reassures me that he would never leave my side, but today my mind is terrified that my depression will conquer all and that I will lose everything. 

I know that there are people who do not understand, my own family does not believe in depression or stress, "it's all in your mind", they would say. I can't imagine not having my husband to turn to and it makes me sad that there are people in this world that still feel alone and ashamed and I wish that I could help all of you. I wish that this world was filled with life, love and happiness and it's not. When I see or hear of something sad, it makes me genuinely upset and sends me into a funk, that is about the only time I can pinpoint a trigger. 

I wish that I was Supergirl and I could save the world, I feel I am constantly carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders and it's not mine to carry. I should not let what I cannot change affect me, but it does and there are many things that are out of my reach. I do what I can with volunteering, and having a heart so full makes me a better person, but there is only so much I can do, only so much that I can take before I break. I am only human and I make mistakes, and I am not perfect, but I try to be.

..... All that I ask is that you please don’t judge me. #NoMoreTears

For those of you that are fighting please know that you are not alone, please feel free to contact me with all of your comments, questions and concerns. Ask Alice is now available for those of you needing advice. Together we can help fight this. And remember, when you need it, there is no shame in seeking help from a medical professional.