“If you’re reading this, you have survived your whole life up until this point. You have survived traumas, heartbreak, devastation, the different phases of life. And here you are. You are awesome.” Source unknown
(Companion oil: Young Living Trauma Life™)
A friend of a friend just lost his wife, who was also the mother of their two daughters. It was unexpected — no warning signs. Out of the blue, she suffered a brain aneurysm and never regained consciousness. While she underwent several surgeries, the doctors weren’t hopeful and after a few days, the decision was made to turn off life support. It still feels surreal to them, and the dad is trying to brace himself for when the reality of it all hits.
It’s a common story, really — someone passing away unexpectedly with little or no time to prepare oneself. Even if this hasn’t happened to someone close to you, you’ve probably heard a similar tale. And of course, there are the day to day traumas reported in the news — accidents of all kinds and natural disasters. And we talk to each other about them, count our blessings and say, “It’s a great reminder to love every day and be grateful for what we have.”
Right about now, you might be grizzling, “Hang on, I’m here for Feel Good Friday, not a Dose of Depression !” True. But if you have a friend in need going through a similar scenario of trauma or grief — you might be glad of a few pointers that could help you ease their pain.
I’m not suggesting this in lieu of professional guidance if they need a skilled person who is fully equipped to help them. But in the immediate and early stages before that kind of need might be evident, your kindness and some basic key support mechanisms could really be of huge help to them. And essential oils are a great tool to use alongside professional care if they go down that path.
Young Living has a blend custom made for helping at times like these: Trauma Life™. It’s quite profound in its calming and grounding effect in times of extreme duress. And ongoing, it helps to release buried emotional hurts and wounding from such incidents. All this in one rather tiny bottle. So simple.
Do you feel like you want to help but you don’t know what to say? This is one of the most wondrous beauties of essential oils — all that needs to happen is for them to be inhaled or rubbed on and they will go to work. No words of wisdom are necessary. Put a little on your own wrists and inhale them, then ask if your friend would like to try some, too. You could say, “It smells a bit odd but this stuff makes me feel better when I’m upset,” and offer them the bottle. Whether they do or don’t try it then, leave it with them “to borrow for now just in case”. You never know.
Sudden loss where one hasn’t been able to say goodbye or take care of unresolved matters can cause other intense responses along with the grief — emotions like shock, depression, hopelessness, anger and guilt.
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.
Trauma Life™ covers a lot of bases, and there are also some essential oils that specifically target such reactions, some of which might not appear straight away.
Frankincense is well known for elevating spirits when someone is feeling very low. Young Living’s Hope™ was created especially for times of hopelessness, with Release™ being a valuable blend to let go of anger (commonly stored in the liver). And for guilt, there is Forgiveness™. Our first thought for that blend could be forgiving others, but how about when you’re weighed down with guilt? Forgiving oneself is one way to heal that (along with making amends where one can).
Anxiety and fear are also common responses, as sudden trauma can increase our feelings of vulnerability and loss of ‘the order of things’. Further companion oils that could help alleviate or cope with grief depending on the person are Valor™, Grounding™, Acceptance™ and Hope™.
Along with offering the comfort of essential oils, what are some other simple things you might do to help?
- Maintaining as normal a routine as possible is something you might feel you can encourage and actively support your friend with doing
- A sense of structure can help them feel in control to some degree. Things like going to bed and rising at the same time as they habitually did, drinking plenty of water and eating nutritious food at the same times as usual
- Maybe you can offer to bring pot-luck over and encourage a walk after dinner. This will ensure they are eating something comforting and nutritious, give them some exercise and help clear their head
- Walking and talking seem to flow hand in hand — it’s less daunting to have a chat when you’re moving — and don’t be afraid that you won’t know what to say. Just be a good listener and that’s probably all they want and need
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.
Now, I’m off to smell some roses, have a nice meal and a stroll, contemplate some things I have gratitude for, and tell some people how much I love them. Maybe you’re doing likewise.
