Can smells trigger trauma?

The short answer: yes.

Can you do something about it?  Yes, again.  

It’s taken me a bit to process what happened a few nights ago.  We were all in bed and it was nearing midnight.  Suddenly my husband and I smelled burning plastic.  We were immediately out of bed searching the house.  Appliances, outlets, the garage, the attic, each room.  We pinpointed the smell in our teenagers’ room and when we turned on the light, it was smoky.  Although I appeared calm on the outside, I was fighting panic and had to grab my Peace & Calming essential oil while I prayed for safety and to find the problem.  We checked everything we thought it could be - the fan/light, anything plugged into an outlet.  I was having flashbacks from my youth that were extremely emotional, but kept my focus on finding the issue. There were no flames.  

With the girls groggily awake, one pointed to the mini camera sitting on the rug next to the outlet (not plugged in).  Sure enough, it was hot, self combusting, and melting into the rug.  We removed it from the house quickly, but there was no way the girls could sleep in there, so we sent them downstairs to sleep.  The smell was so strong, and we were wide awake, on high alert, wanting to make sure we got the true cause.  We kept checking for awhile as we got fans going, blowing the smoke out the window

 Upon returning to our bedroom and feeling like we could finally sleep, my guard went down, and the tears flooded out.  My husband comforted me and I cried out to God for peace and the ability to sleep (and added more Peace & Calming). You see, when I was in high school, my house burned.  We lost pretty much everything, and it was extremely traumatic for our whole family.  I remember it so vividly.  And that smell - that burnt house smell is one I will never forget.  Through an amazing church and community, the Lord blessed our family and we saw many miracles as we worked to rebuild our lives that would never be the same.  As the years passed, I thought I was past the trauma simply because I didn't think of it often.    

Then a few years ago, my sister’s house burned.  That brought up emotions I hadn’t felt in a long time, as I cried for her loss and tried to give what little support I could from far away.  When I went to visit and she took me through her burnt shell of a home, the smell triggered my past trauma, and I felt like melting into a puddle of weeping tears as I was transported back in time seeing flashes of my burnt teenage home - but I couldn’t break down there - it wasn’t my house, and there she was living a nightmare for a second time, this time as a mom, with repeat trauma herself that was much worse than mine.  I consciously stuffed my feelings.  But these kinds of things seem to keep coming back so that we can deal with them.

So this time, as I am still reeling from panic and anxiety, I’ve decided to take the time to process and deal with the trauma triggered by the smell and situation of the other night.  Prayer is always my first go-to, as God is mindful of all of His children.  And combining prayer with essential oils is powerful.  The thing is - I already know how to release trauma and heal emotions as I teach classes on emotional healing with essential oils - but I have not ventured near this specific trauma myself - it was buried deep.  So with this incident as a reminder that I still need healing, I am now open to letting it go through techniques I have used with success in the past for both myself and others.  I am ready to heal. 

Do you have emotions or trauma you have buried deep that you are in need of healing?   Have you been triggered by smells?  

You are not alone.  The sense of smell is the most powerful sense we have and the only one that goes directly to the seat of emotion and memory in our brains.  If you smell baking bread and it takes you back in time to your grandmother's kitchen, that pleasant memory is one of the ways the sense of smell works.  We can see and feel where we were when we smelled that scent, especially if strong emotions were felt at the time.  With trauma, it is not so pleasant. In fact, it can be debilitating for many, who struggle to heal.  

There is hope.  I will share more on overcoming trauma through smell in Part 2.

When was the last time you felt brave or had to muster up the courage to do something that made you tremble?  When you are a kid, it seems there are many times when this happens, although the instances seem simple.  Maybe it's being brave to share a toy, order your own food at a restaurant for the first time, be gracious when you lose, or step over the edge when rappelling.  As a young adult, you perhaps have to muster your courage even more as you set off into the world on your own and navigate school, work, social life, and just being an adult.  Once you have children, courage may be seen in pushing through the day with patience on little sleep, finding a way to stay sane when you haven't talked to an adult all day long, or even watching your children grow up and start to be independent.  But even with the instances of daily courage, there are some that stand out and push us far past our comfort zone.  

Most of us have no desire to go against the grain, say or do things that would be polarizing, or speak up in front of others.  Most of us just want to live our lives,  quietly raising our children and minding our own business.  But there are certain things that bring out mama bear like nothing else.   Protecting our children from danger is one of these.  When I used to think of protecting my children from danger, I would think of the past and fighting off wolves or bears.  Few of us face that in the modern world.  I would also think of snatching my child out of the street, or teaching them to say no to drugs.  These are real dangers that our children face.  But there are also dangers within systems that we trust.  These can be the most dangerous simply because of our trust in them.   It takes an enormous amount of courage to stand up for our children in the face of large organizations and people in positions of power, especially when the majority of the people around you don't have the same understanding of the danger.   My inner mama bear woke up a few years ago, and now she will never go into hibernation again.

I tell more about this in my chapter of Courage, Dear Heart.  This is an anthology full of inspiring stories of women and how they mustered the courage to move forward in the face of hardship.  Get your copy here!

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common condition in children that often continues into adulthood. If you are the parent of a child struggling with ADHD, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out how to best manage their symptoms. It's even more difficult if you have ADHD and your child has ADHD, too.  The good news is that there are many natural ways you can help your child manage their ADHD (and these work for adults, too!). 

One of the most effective ways of managing ADHD is through diet and supplements. A well-balanced diet as found in "Disease Proof Your Child:  Feeding Your Kids Right" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, with plenty of plant-based protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates can help keep your child’s blood sugar levels stable throughout the day, helping them maintain focus and concentration. Adding specific supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and magnesium can also help support the brain as recommended in books like “Healing ADD” by Dr. Daniel Amen. Supporting the gut microbiome with  probiotics, prebiotics, and enzymes is also incredibly beneficial for managing ADHD symptoms naturally.  It is essential to remove dyes, fast food, processed food, refined sugars and refined grains from the home.  (Yes, this means no candy!)

Essential oils have been used for centuries to improve mental clarity and emotional balance. The scents from essential oils move through the olfactory system and go straight to the brain.  For those living with ADHD, diffusing essential oils like vetiver, cedarwood, lavender, peppermint, and frankincense can help immensely with focus, calmness, and sleep while you are healing from the inside out through diet and supplements. These can be applied topically, as well.  Find my "Focus" roller recipe here.  My daughter loves how these oils make a difference for her concentrations levels.  It is best to use these morning and night - breathing for several minutes at a time, and then breathing them during study times.  

Eliminating dyes (especially artificial colors), refined sugar and flour products (like candy bars or white bread), fast food meals or any other processed/junk food from your home will make a huge difference in your child’s behavior and overall health.. Keeping an organized environment with labels on things like drawers and shelves can also be helpful in providing visual cues to help them stay on task throughout the day. Also, establishing a daily routine where expectations stay the same each day helps provide structure so they know what to expect throughout the day which helps alleviate anxiety associated with change or unpredictability.  Finally, lists of daily tasks to be checked off can be very effective to help both parent and child see progress throughout the day.  

 Living with someone who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder does not have to be overwhelming if you take actionable steps towards managing their symptoms naturally through diet changes, specific supplementation as suggested in the books above, using essential oils, eliminating certain dyes, and avoiding refined sugar/flour products & fast food/junk food meals.  You can keep it under control through keeping a clean organized environment, providing visual cues, and maintaining routines that provide structure and predictability throughout each day.  These things will all contribute towards successfully managing your child's ADHD behavior naturally! Taking these proactive steps may seem daunting but trust me when I say it is worth it! As a holistic mom who deals with ADHD in myself and several of my children daily, I understand how difficult this journey can be but I assure you that these strategies work! Good luck!

When it's time to take your schoolwork seriously, having a little extra focus can go a long way. That's why I'm going to show you how to make your own focus roller with essential oils. This simple DIY project will help your family stay focused and energized when taking on those tough tasks! 

Let’s start by gathering our supplies. You will need a 10ml glass roller bottle, fractionated coconut oil, and these five essential oils: vetiver, lavender, frankincense, peppermint, and cedarwood. Once you have all of your ingredients gathered together, you can begin creating your powerful focus roller blend! 

 

Add 5-10 drops of vetiver oil to your roller bottle. Vetiver is known for its calming abilities which can be helpful when trying to focus on a task or activity. Next add 3-5 drops each of lavender and frankincense oil. Lavender has the ability to soothe and relax the mind while frankincense helps promote clarity and alertness. For an extra boost add 2-3 drops each of peppermint and cedarwood oil. Peppermint naturally energizes while cedarwood helps sharpen concentration and mental alertness. Finally, fill the remaining space in the bottle with fractionated coconut oil before replacing the roller top and giving it a good swirl!  

 

When it's time to use your new focus roller simply apply one drop behind each ear or roll onto the temples as needed throughout the day for an extra boost of energy and concentration! The great thing about this blend is that it's safe enough for children over 2 years old so they can get in on the action too! 

    

Making your own DIY essential oils focus blend is quick, easy, and affordable - perfect for busy moms looking for natural solutions for their families! With just five essential oils plus some fractionated coconut oil you can create a powerful focus blend that everyone in the family will love using again and again throughout hectic school days or stressful days at work. So don't wait until chaos ensues - grab those ingredients now and make your own DIY focus roller! You'll be glad you did!