Finding Your Center in a Noisy World | How to Reduce Stress Naturally

Busy, Busy Lives

Finding Your Center in a Noisy World | How to Reduce Stress Naturally Part 1 — When the World Feels Loud

Many people are searching for ways to reduce stress naturally, and often the first step is helping the body release the tension it has been carrying. At Casaroma, we do a lot of work with people one-on-one, whether it is through online consultations or in person, and it's becoming more and more common that someone will begin a conversation by saying something like

"I don’t even know exactly what’s wrong… I just feel like everything is a bit too much lately."

If you are feeling like that, it can be good to sit with that feeling for a moment and acknowledge it, but then it is also good to figure out what you are going to do about it to help yourself through it. Although each person is unique, the message that usually comes to the surface is that the body, mind & emotional systems are carrying more so called stress than they are meant to. This stress can come in the form of fear, worry, pressure, to-do lists, shoulds and should nots, etc.

There are many different directions that all of that stress can come from as well. Some come from the world that we watch but we have no active part in, like world events, social media, other peoples lives and even shows or video games that we are watching. These things are very engaging and can bring stress to the body and emotions, but because it is not our actual world, there is nothing that we can do to change those circumstances. Even when we are consciously trying to stay informed in healthy ways, it can raise our stress levels and leave our body and emotions carrying more tension than it realizes. Most of us are not even truly aware of how much stress and tension our bodies are holding onto. We have just learned to cope with it, but rest assured, stress takes a toll on the body.

We also have stress and tension coming from our very own daily lives too, but these circumstances we do have some say over. In this way, we are all the same. We all have stress that comes from our workplace, and from right inside our homes. Whether you have kitchen & laundry chores that never quite seem to get finished, young active children who are full of energy and questions, schedules that are constantly overlapping, partners who because of their own stress levels are perhaps not quite as patient or helpful as they could be, or maybe you have an amazing dog but it likes to bark all the time at absolutely nothing. These things all cause stress to our bodies and minds. We can acknowledge that many of our stressful moments come from very people and circumstances that we may dearly love the most in our worlds, and we would never trade them, but our bodies and emotions can still feel very overwhelmed from our daily circumstances, especially when there are not enough quiet moments in our day or evening. To help our Mental health, we need to have moments where everything settles down and becomes calm too.

Over the years at Casaroma, when someone came to us feeling this way, our first step was not to tell them to change the whole world around them.

Sometimes, it is only the comfort of the daily habits that keeps everything running. We recognize that change has to happen, but how can we make baby step changes that can create positive results without upsetting your whole world? If we can do small things that help release tensiton and stress, many of the other physical symptoms often diminish as well.

Small changes come in many different forms for people.

Sometimes it begins with stepping outside for a few minutes. One of the things I personally love to do is walk in the woods with my dog several times a day. Even in winter, there is a steadiness in nature that reminds me that the world is not always as loud as it seems to be showing us on our screens. That may not be as easy to do for someone who is in the middle of a busy city, but there are many other ways as well. Begin with small lifestyle adjustments. Choose what to have in your home and in your personal environment; it is a game-changer. Creating peaceful moments within your day is one of the most beneficial things you can do. If you like to have background noise, you can choose soft, upbeat music at a low to medium level to help you stay peaceful and positive. The atmosphere of a room can turn everything in an instant, and music does that so well. What we listen to has an impact on our bodies and emotions; whether we want to believe that or not, it has been proven several times through many different studies. Turning off the news or other programs that raise our stress levels, earlier in the evening, and putting on some soft atmospheric music can make a huge difference to you.

As we are all becoming very aware of nowadays, Nutrition plays a key role in keeping our minds sharp and our body pain free. If the body is under its own stress due to malnourishment, how can it help you deal with the stress you are feeling emotionally? Many people are living off prepackaged and processed foods due to busy schedules and a lack of knowledge or enthusiasm for cooking. Unfortunately, the more of this kind of food you eat, the faster your health goes down. How can it help the emotions deal with the stress of your everyday life if the body is too occupied trying to fix it's own stress out problems on the inside of your body? The body manages stress much better both internally our emotionally when blood sugar stays steady, and meals include nourishing proteins, healthy fats, and mineral-rich foods that support balance and energy throughout the day. If you are looking for some help in this area, please book a consultation with us. We would love to help you with meal planning, shopping, reading labels, and even learning how to cook if you want. Nutrition is an epic tool that can be so fun to work with.

Then, of course, we also have the subject of Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy and Emotions are a beautiful couple. They are like Peanut butter and Jam, they go so well together. This is where aromatherapy shines through. It can support the changes that need to happen, and all you have to do is breathe. Scent connects directly to the part of the brain involved with memory and emotion. We come from all walks of life, but we all breathe; therefore, every day, some form of communication is happening between our brains and what we are smelling. Why not make what you are smelling work for you in a more positive way?

Many people are searching for ways to reduce stress naturally, and often the first step is helping the body release the tension it has been carrying. If you need energy? Feel depleted, sad, or out of hope?

Here are some thoughts that can help.

1) Use wash-off products that have natural ingredients- the more chemicals you use, the more stress you put your body under. At Casaroma, we try to avoid chemicals as much as possible. All of our shower gels, cleansers, bubble bath, shampoos, and conditioners are made with natural ingredients and are loved by customers. Some of our most popular morning shower blends are Energizing, Scrumptious, Morning Dew, Uplifting, and Vitality. When you use a natural product with the right blend of essential oils in it,  it becomes a 10-15 minute inhalation of aromatherapy with a purpose, instead of it just being a shower. The same with your shampoo and conditioner, using natural products on your hair with essential oils, can make a difference to your hair and your emotions. Once again, in Casaroma, our most popular hair care blends are Restorative, Floral, Citrus, and of course, Woods. A natural energizing morning shower can make a difference in how you approach your day. Many of these blends that have been mentioned could also be used as diffuser blends to help with the atmosphere of a room. Whether it is your home, car, or workplace, aromatherapy can help you be more positive and less stressed.

Need a calming blend? We can go that way too. These blends work great for evening showers, baths, and diffusing in rooms. You can also put a drop or two on a tissue and tuck in in your pillow to help with sleep.

These are our most popular, but really, we have so many to choose from. Stress Away, Relax, and Serenity can be used daily to help calm the tension in the body and help the mind to learn to handle your unique daily requirements.

When someone comes to us feeling this kind of tension, we often suggest starting with something simple like the Quiet Moments Trio, which brings these three blends together to support moments of calm from the busy part of the day into the quieter hours of the evening.

But more important than any product is the reminder that peace and tranquility are something we have to consciously work on to invite back into our lives. Sometimes it begins with simply recognizing that the outside world does not have to live inside our homes, and that even in busy households, there can still be small moments where the body and emotions can remember to just step back and take a breath.

A Small Note About This Series

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a short series called

Finding Your Center in a Noisy World.

Each article will explore a different aspect of how the body carries stress and how we can support it through:

• lifestyle choices• nourishing foods• and thoughtful aromatherapy

I hope that these reflections help you find small ways to bring steadiness back into your own world.

If this reflection speaks to you, feel free to share it with someone who might also need a few quiet moments in their day.

If there is something you would like me to know, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Finding your center in a noisy world. Part 1 of a Casaroma series exploring how lifestyle, nutrition, and aromatherapy can help ease tension and restore calm.