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.
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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!).
Diet and Supplements for ADHD Management
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 for Focus & Calm
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.
Environmental Management & Routines
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!
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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!
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Recently, I have felt really down as the months of involuntary isolation from the world have dragged on. At first, I took a break, worked on projects, had some fun hanging out with my kids. But as the weeks rolled on, not being with the other friends and family I normally see on a daily basis started to emotionally take a toll on me. I have greatly missed serving in the children's ministry each week at church, volunteering at my children's school, participating in my fitness classes, teaching my wellness classes, and so much more. The stress of distance learning with 6 kids in school has been enormous - don't get me started on that! I have continued to do some of things at home that I enjoy like gardening, and have taken up sourdough bread making, but there are many things I have not been able to do. I miss my friends, I miss being around people! I know I am not the only one feeling this way. Many are feeling the strain from this whole situation.
I've felt down before, so I pulled from my resources 12 different ways I know how to lift myself emotionally. I already do some of these, and have once again implemented those that I have not been doing. I hope they can be of use to you.
- Gratitude journal. Take a few minutes each day to write down gratitude for things in your life that are positive. Look for the good, and open your eyes to see the silver lining in every situation. This is something that has really helped me.
- Prayer and meditation. I love to start and end my day with these. Ground yourself with God and the earth and get quiet. Ask for help when you need it, express gratitude verbally, ponder on positive actions you can take.
- Reframe negative events. Step back and look at the big picture, put your thoughts into perspective. The present situation will not last forever, there will be better days ahead.
- Create positive experiences. Find ways to spread light and love to others. Be compassionate and kind. It warms my heart how many examples of this I have seen these last few months.
- Keep good posture. Standing, even sitting in good posture helps our bodies feel good.
- Smile for at least 20 seconds in the mirror. Find a way to laugh at least 5-10 minutes per day. The release of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin is a sure way to lift your mood and it feels so good!
- Exercise at least 30 minutes per day. Exercise releases norepinephrine, endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin, improving both general health and mood, and it's fun, too! Since my preferred place of exercise was closed, and I had so much to do at home with my kids and their school, I let this one slip for awhile - but I am back on track and can already feel the positive benefits again!
- Do service with a group. Finding unity through service is even possible from a distance.
- Listen to positive music. Put something on that makes you want to dance. This lifts my mood immediately!
- Give yourself 3 step goals. Set goals that involve simple steps, then work to achieve them. A sense of accomplishment goes a long way to feeling good about yourself and lifting your mood.
- Positive affirmations. Repeat these throughout the day to keep yourself in a positive mindset.
- Essential oils - Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Orange, Citrus Fresh, Joy, Cypress, Grand Fir, Frankincense, and Peppermint are good mood lifters. Clary Sage, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Geranium, Jasmine, Juniper, Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Ylang ylang, Peace & Calming, Stress Away, and Valor are calming oils. Diffuse, or apply topically. As you inhale, the aroma passes through your olfactory system into the limbic region of the brain which controls memory and emotion. These can have immediate effect and are my first go-to for a quick calm down or pick-me-up. Find these here.
Need assistance with releasing emotions?
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I have been performing my violin since I was 6 years old but I have only had stage fright since I became an adult. I usually feel fine until I'm on stage and then I start sweating and shaking with anxiety. I always wonder if people can see my knees knocking together. I know my tone suffers when my hands shake because my bow shakes, too. I am so happy now that I have found a few things that actually help me settle down! I feel so much more calm when I use these things along with deep breathing.
My favorite oils for nervous jitters before a musical performance or public speaking:
Here's a video of me at the Beauty School talent show hosted at the Young Living Highland Flats farm in Idaho just for fun!
Essential oils are the best thing I have found to help with emotions. I apply them liberally a half hour before, and then again right before my performance time. I breathe them all. I also like to put Frankincense on my head, Valor on the back of my neck, Stress Away on my wrists, and Peace & Calming on my heart.
We have several classes on emotional health this month (including one with a special guest speaker tomorrow), check them out here.
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