So a prank war started today. Both my team and the team that popped Pedro have formed alliances. Team Unshaken, the murderers, have an unofficial alliance with two other teams, and my team has created a formally drafted treaty with two of the other teams. Plans have been made for tomorrow’s pranks. Surely, chaos will ensue.
The migraine is now subdued, so we love that. I had a meeting with Cameron about finances today, and I’m close to being fully-funded, but still have a little way to go! Please continue to pray for God’s provision in that!
There’s a lot out there about essential oils–good and bad, true and false–and sometimes it’s difficult to get the right information about what is proven and safe versus what people simply assume to be true. Essential oils, when used properly and knowledgeably can greatly benefit your lifestyle–the question is ‘How do I know what proper and safe?’ Don’t worry–this blog will provide you with all of the knowledge and resources to get to a point where you are able to use essential oils in a way that is best for you.
So let’s start with the basics–what are essential oils, and where do they come from? Essential oils are a form of natural oil that has been extracted from a particular plant. For example, to make lavender oil, flowers from lavender plants are dried or distilled for extraction, and to make tea tree oil, the natural oil within the narrow-leaf tea tree plant is extracted from the leaves. Knowing how essential oils are made helps to understand why they are so beneficial: they’re natural substances that can be used in a variety of different ways for a medley of different treatments.
Watch this video to learn the growth, harvest, and distillation processes for Lavender Essential Oil.
To get you started, here are my Top Five Essential Oils that everyone should have.
Tea tree oil is antibiotic, anti-fungal, antiseptic, expectorant, and antiviral. It is generally used to reduce the length of the common cold or similar symptoms, to prevent viral or bacterial infections, and to clean. Tea tree oil is great, because it can be used for a wide array of things from maintaining good health to removing sticky residue from furniture.
Eucalyptus oil is your go-to oil for all things sinus-related. It’s antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, and an amazing decongestant. For sinusitis, bronchitis, allergies, or even just a stuffy nose, eucalyptus oil will clear you up!
Peppermint oil is antiseptic, analgesic, a stimulant, anesthetic, and antispasmodic. It’s best quality is for use to relieve sore muscles and headaches–massage it into your sore back or put a drop on each of your temples, and aches and pains, as well as the worst of migraines, will be relieved. As a bonus, peppermint is also great to use as an energy booster–sniff a whiff of peppermint oil, and get instantly rejuvenated.
Lavender oil is a great healer of topical skin injuries–from cuts and bruises to rashes and burns–lavender oil will speed up the healing process. It is primarily known for its anti-inflammatory qualities, but will also promote restfulness–if you can’t fall asleep, put a drop on each of your temples, and you’ll calm right down.
Lemon oil is the most effective natural cleaner out there. Its fresh citrus scent, as well as its disinfecting abilities, make it a useful tool for washing dishes, counters, floors, clothes–pretty much anything that needs cleaning.
I am so glad that you have sought out knowledge of essential oils through this blog–I’m looking forward to going more in-depth about all my favorite oils as well as teaching you some helpful uses for each and every one!
So, I just got back from Italy, which, naturally, means that I’m more annoying now. Because, after all, there is so much that you can only learn from going abroad. Anyhow, the quick pace of my trip made my mornings a bit hectic, so my morning routine simply needed to speed along right quick. And so, I present: Hacking Your Morning Makeup Routine.
My first bit of advice is probably something that your mom told you to do when you were a kid: lay out your outfit for tomorrow, tonight! I’m going to be honest with you–I never lay out my outfit the night before. Any time that I do, I end up having a different feeling the next day and picking a new outfit. That being said, I DO lay out everything else that I use on a regular basis. I set my desk up for my quiet time, I pull my shower stuff so that it’s easy to grab, and I set out all of my makeup brushes and powders and creams so that, in the morning, I just have to use it all.
So, that’s just my general get-and-keep-yourself-organized rant. Now, we delve into the quick makeup hacks…
Buy yourself some magnetic false eyelashes. Right now. Go get them. Immediately. These have made my morning routine SO much faster and easier. Instead of taking ten minutes to perfect each stupid lash with mascara that never seems to work right, I just snap on my magnetic falsies in under a minute and I’m out the door.
Next on the list, get yourself a wand curling iron. I used to curl my hair every day, and I wish that I still did because I love the way that my hair looks curled. Now, I only do it a few times a week because I really don’t want to damage my hair. I don’t get my hair professionally cut, so its susceptibility to severe damage is high. All that being said, a wand hair curler will get your hair all done up much, much faster than its traditional counterpart. I used to be a firm advocate for the clip curler–when the wand came out, I thought it was dumb–but alas, I have seen the error of my ways and have corrected. And now, I can honestly tell you that the wand is the way to go. The clip curler takes me about forty-five minutes to curl all of my hair. The wand takes me ten, maybe fifteen minutes to get my curls. Definitely, the way to go.
As the spring semester rolls itself out into what has been a surprisingly quick few months, we are approaching spring break at alarming speeds. I don’t know what your plans for spring break are, but I am packing up and heading out of the US for the first time. I’m taking this International Hospitality class, and as a part of the course, we go to Italy for spring break. Being that I’m a college student and I have very little excess money to spend for this trip–and we’re going to be taking a train to several different towns throughout the week–I will only be bringing a carry-on, no additional baggage. That being said, I have nine by fourteen by twenty-two inches to pack everything that I need for a week while leaving room for the inevitable shopping that will be done.
Luckily, however, I have a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to getting a suitcase packed tight, and, in this blog, I will share them all with you.
Start off by making a list of all of the items that you will be taking. Getting your mind focused on what you need is the best way to start this process. Do some research; plan out outfits; think logically and practically–if you’re going sightseeing in Europe for a week, bring a couple pairs of jeans or slacks and 5 or so tops. Don’t overpack!
2.Gather and lay out all of your items.
Once you have your list, gather everything that you want to pack and lay it all out in categories of their physical attributes. Put bulky stuff together, socks together, heavy stuff together, toiletries together… get everything sorted so that when you go to actually pack it into your suitcase, you’ll only have to do it once.
3.Roll, don’t fold, your clothes.
To save space and be able to cram your stuff into a tighter space, roll clothing into cylinders or spheres, don’t fold them. This video will give you some good ideas of how to do that.
4.Heavy, then bulky, then itty-bitty.
Start by packing the biggest items in the wheel-end–you don’t want your suitcase to fall over all the time in the airport! Then move to the bigger stuff, putting it in in layers, filling small gaps with smaller, more flexible items.
5.If you’re checking a bag, put a shopping bag in one of the external pockets.
Nine out of ten airlines will allow you to carry on a shopping bag for no charge. Carry an empty one with your checked bag so that, if you’re a few pounds over, you can just take a couple items out and carry them in the shopping bag. (Be sure to bring a touristy-looking shopping bag though, not just Walmart or something).
Last week, was the first week of my lifehacks on cutting expenses and saving money. I told you all about how I went paperless in order to save money on all things education and career. Up next in the money-saving series, college campus food! I don’t know about you, but the food at the dining halls just is not the most thrilling of cuisines. Since I live on campus though, I have to have a meal plan, and since I have to spend that money, I might as well make the most of it–right? So, I have below some tips and tricks to vamp up the food at the dining halls and make eating much less expensive (while not tasting gross!).
I cannot express enough how great of an idea and how beneficial for all parties Green2Go is. Not only is it much better for the environment than the traditional styrofoam containers, but it is also such a great way to save money! Personally, I’m not the hugest advocate for environmental protection–honestly, I do what makes fiscal sense for me–but, the convenience that you get from Green2Go is enough to push me to use them. I do not know why more people do not use them!
Anyhow, what I do, is I get dinner from the buffet using Green2Go. I don’t know about you, but the food that I can pack into that Green2Go is way more than enough for one meal, so I get plenty of lots of different items that I then separate into tupperware containers for more meals throughout my week. This allows me to have the lowest meal plan and still get plenty to eat. (Last semester, with meal plan level one, I had over two hundred dollars left over!).
You also get every tenth meal free! So, any time that you use your Green2Go, get a punch, and you’ll have a free meal in no time.
Budget Your Points
Photo by Courtney McDowell
Forever an advocate of all things Google, I also use Google Sheets to keep track of my meal plan. I created a spreadsheet that allows me to input the meals that I purchase using my meal points. From there, it keeps track of the total amount that I have spent, my balance, the number of days that have already passed in the semester, and the number of days that remain in the semester. I have created a template of this spreadsheet that you can access to make a copy of here.
All you have to do is put the semester standing in the top cell, and all of the dates and day calculations will fill themselves out. Then, just put n “x” into the meals that you eat, add any additional dollars that you spend in “Other,” and you’re golden.
Comment below any money-saving tips that you may have!
Last week, I told you all about how I handle my finances in a way that is efficient and effective by using GoogleSheets. One of the reasons why I love budgeting and financial planning so much is because it helps me to understand the accounts that I hold in a more tangential way. From there, I am able to keep everything accountable and not waste money in any way. Alongside being organized, employing frugality is beneficial in ensuring the longevity of your finances. Because of this, I have several aspects of my life that I have hacked to be more fiscally conservative. In this post and my next few, I will be explaining several ways that I have cut down on waste and saved myself a lot of money.
About a year and a half ago, I decided to buy myself an iPad, and in doing so, I invested in a paperless future. All of my work, all of my notes, all of my studying, takes place on either my computer, iPad, or phone–I officially use zero paper, and it’s saved me tons of money.
First and foremost, I no longer have to buy notebooks, but I still get the benefit of handwritten notes. There are several fantastic note-taking apps, but my favorite is Goodnotes. It allows me to make tons of folders and notebooks for all of my particular needs. I can also upload documents into the app and mark them up easily. I use an Apple Pencil with my iPad and am able to effectively take notes on Powerpoint slides, handouts that I’ve easily scanned into the app, or even just a blank notebook. This is also very handy for homework–I can just pull open a notebook with plain white, lined, graph, or practically any form of paper under the sun and start doing some math or marketing or finance.
Goodnotes is an awesome way to get all of my documents in one place and always easily accessible.
Also a benefit of going digital, I can access PDF versions of most of my textbooks and download them to Goodnotes. That way, I don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on textbooks. I can simply add them to my class’s folder in Goodnotes and have them easily accessible at all times. And since they’re PDFs that I add to Goodnotes, I can also mark them up ’til the cows come home.
Two weeks ago, I told you all about the time management methods and tools that I use to keep an organized schedule. For me, using GCal as a schedule of my work, school, and social life is critical for ensuring a relatively stress-free situation. Second on my list of most important areas to keep organized is my finances, so I am going to use this post to lay out the organizational tools and methods that I use to keep my finances in order.
Firstly, and probably most instrumental, is the use of Google Sheets. I used to use Excell spreadsheets for all of my finances, and the debate over which is better is still quite a hot one, but I have concluded that, for my purposes, the ease of access that Google Sheets provides ultimately works best for me.
Photo by Courtney McDowell
I have created a template of the Sheet that I use to keep track of my finances. If you would like to use this for yourself, simply click here, and you will be able to add a copy to your Google Drive that will be your own document. To do so, simply navigate to the top right corner of the page, click “File” and “Make a copy…,” and you’re all set!
Now let’s get into the details of the document. I receive a deposit for work every two weeks, so I have made twenty-five biweekly budget tabs. The only tab visible now is entitled “Paycheck Calculator 18 Jan.” To open the rest of them, click “View” and hover over “Hidden sheets” and you will be able to select the sheet that you would like to edit or view. Within this biweekly budget, I have a breakdown of what the funds are used for. The top left module of the sheet is the general breakdown of the biweekly funds. The bottom half contains categories that I spend money on frequently. There, I keep track of my discretionary income.
The other tabs allow me to keep track of my savings, taxes, and tithing.
The “Savings Breakdown” tab denotes several accounts in which I keep my savings. There are modules for several accounts in which the savings that come from my paychecks are automatically added. At the bottom of the sheet, I keep track of the general savings that is much more long-term such as a house, new car, and retirement.
The “Taxable Income” tab allows me to keep track of the funds that I will need to have to pay as taxes in February, and the “Tithing” tab allows me to keep track of the funds that I pay as a tithe to my church. Both of these take the amount from the biweekly budgets that I am supposed to pay–this is connected via formulas and cannot be edited–as well as a separate module that I use to keep track of the funds that have been withdrawn.
If you have any finance-related tips, comment below!
As the temperature drops and the stress rises, the likelihood that everyone on this campus will get sick vastly increases. Personally, my body has fallen trap to the cold and flu bug. And that’s a pretty darn big bummer. BUT, luckily, I do have some college life hacks to help combat those pesky illnesses. Below, you will find different medicines, methods, and essential oils that you can use to help reduce particular symptoms that you may be feeling.
Medicine wise, pseudoephedrine is the best drug on the market to relieve a stuffed up sinus. It is a sympathomimetic drug which means that it decongests any blockages in your sinuses. Generally, pseudoephedrine starts working about 30 minutes after first taking it and lasts about six to twelve hours depending on the dosage. Make sure you pay attention to how much you are taking because the dosage allowance is usually less than most over the counter drugs.
As far as essential oils go, eucalyptus oil is absolutely fabulous for unstuffing your stuffy nose. Eucalyptus oil is your go-to oil for all things sinus-related. It’s antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, and an amazing decongestant. For sinusitis, bronchitis, allergies, or even just a stuffy nose, eucalyptus oil will clear you up!
If you have a headache, drinking caffeine can really help. When combined with ibuprofen, I find that my headaches severely lessen. Peppermint oil is also great for headaches and muscle pain. Peppermint oil is antiseptic, analgesic, a stimulant, anesthetic, and antispasmodic. It’s greatest quality is for use to relieve sore muscles and headaches–massage it into your sore back or put a drop on each of your temples, and aches and pains, as well as the worst of migraines, will be relieved. As a bonus, peppermint is also great to use as an energy booster–sniff a whiff of peppermint oil, and get instantly rejuvenated.
Realistically, the absolute best thing that you can do for your body is getting some sleep. If you are feeling sick, make sure to allow yourself enough time to get some good rest so that your body can naturally heal itself in the way that it is meant to. Medicines, tricks, and essential oils are helpful, but the best way to kick an illness is to let your immune system do its job–the best way for it to do that is with sleep.
As school starts back up again and everyone is forced to get back in the swing of things, figuring out how to do so can be quite a daunting task. Whether you have twelve, eighteen, or twenty-four class credits, whether you work five, fifteen, or thirty hours a week–figuring out how to manage your time is something that is not only incredibly difficult but also fundamentally important in ensuring a successful semester with minimal stress. With this in mind, I’ve decided to make my life hack blog debut themed around setting yourself up for success in the new semester with time management hacks! Continue reading to learn my tricks to an organized life.
This semester, I am enrolled in twenty-four credits and I work twenty-five to thirty hours a week, and I like to have a social life, so proper scheduling is vital to ensure that I don’t explode. The biggest part of my organizational life is founded upon the use of Google Calendar for scheduling my time throughout each week. Though my method may be a bit excessive to some, it is something that has made my life much simpler. GCal has many functions that make scheduling easy and pain-free and is the best online calendar that I have found thus far. Here’s what I do with GCal:
Photo by Courtney McDowell
Every semester, I make a calendar for each of my classes, and then I have several indefinite calendars that I use–one for work, one for activities, one for workouts, one for birthdays and holidays. From that point, I put everything that I do into my calendar. The way that I do things for school is a little different than the way that I do everything else, so I’ll split up my explanation.
Photo by Courtney McDowell
For non-school things, I simply make a calendar event and input what I will be doing when I will be doing it. For work stuff that I need to do, I attach the files that I need to use for each particular task so that everything is in one place. One great thing about GCal is that you can set up a reoccurring event, and that’s helpful because I have lots of things that I do every week or every other week, so I make one calendar event, and I can make it automatically occur every week or month or whatever the task requires. For example, every Thursday, I send out an email to my staff with their schedules. I put in one Thursday event that says “Email Staff” and I’m reminded every week.
That feature is also helpful for school things. I put in “RCL” on the first Monday of the semester, and have it repeat every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of the semester in my RCL calendar, and my semester is set. From that point, I go through each syllabus and input every assignment and due date into each class’s calendar so that I have one place where every assignment, quiz, and exam is. From that point, as I go through my semester, I look at my upcoming week and plan out when I want to study for something or work on each particular assignment and then go ahead and put that right into my calendar as well. This way, I can take big projects and break them up in my calendar over a one or two week period to that I don’t lose my mind! Yay!
If you have any questions about GCal or time management, feel free to comment below!
For every essential oil fanatic, there is someone who simply does not buy into the hype of the essential oil movement and argues that essential oils are, other than their yummy fragrant qualities, altogether ineffective. Two years ago, the Los Angeles Times wrote an article about this essential oil placebo controversy and highlighted the fact that there always seems to be new studies coming out that contradict each other–some argue that bergamot oil is useful in quelling tummy troubles; others argue that it is all just one big case of the placebo effect that all of the hipsters and soccer moms have bought into again.
From the research that I have done, it seems to me like scientists simply just do not know whether essential oils are actually proven to definitively provide benefit to their users–it all very well may be a placebo effect. According to a study done by the University of Minnesota, this is partly because essential oil studies are difficult to conduct blindly due to the aromatic qualities of the essential oils. Often times, it is difficult to give a control group subject a placebo essential oil to use without them smelling it–or without them not noticing the lack of a scent. This makes conducting valid research studies very difficult because there is truly no way to have a control group that is comparable with the experimental group that the effects are supposed to take place in. And not being able to conduct studies means that getting unambiguous results is something that we really just should not have any hope for.
Although there is no hard and fast proof that the effects of essential oils are not a result of the placebo effect, there are definitive benefits to their use–even if it is all just in our heads, at least it is working. Bergamot oil may just be something that smells vaguely like spicy citrus, but it sure does help me when I rub it on my stomach when I am having stomach aches. So although there is, at this point in time, no proof of a non-placebo effect, I will continue to use my essential oils, and I suggest that you do the same, because–even if it is just some crazy mental abstraction–the mental abstraction leads to real physical effects.
Recently, I have been thinking seriously about getting a tattoo. I have wanted to have a tattoo for just about my whole life, but I could not for the life of me come up with one design that I knew that I would always love for the rest of my life. Recently, I was doodling, and I sketched out something that I really happened to like, and for the past few months, I keep falling back on that drawing as something that I would like to have permanently inked onto my body.
Photo by Courtney M.McDowell
Now that I have a design that I like, there is a whole slew of other important details that I will need to take care of–where on my body I will want my tattoo, how big I will want my tattoo to be, who I will trust to ink me… But that is not why I am telling you about all of this–no, I am here today to tell you about the research that I have done regarding using essential oils for…
From what I can tell, there are tons of recipes out there that you can use to take care of your skin post-tat and make sure that you stay healthy and hydrated and are without any infection or threat of it. I was really impressed by Pronounce Skin Care’s blog about and recipe for after-tattoo cream using a blend of several carrier oils as well as helichrysum oil, frankincense oil, and lavender oil. In the near future, as I plan out the logistics of how I will be getting my tattoo, using this recipe and creating this cream is something that I will be doing.
One thing that you may notice if you open up those oil links is that both helichrysum and frankincense essential oils are quite expensive. Two or three months ago, these oils would not have been as expensive as they are now, but recently, the prices of truly high-quality essential oils have skyrocketed. Make sure that, as you purchase your oils, you are getting what you really want–finding a bargain is always a blast, but only if your deal gets you something that you actually want and is of actual benefit to you. Sometimes less expensive oils are not true extractions and have been previously diluted to lessen the cost of producing the oil–watch out for that!!
Thus far, I’ve given you a lot of recipes, so I thought it was important to give you one location to get all of your recipes. I’ll be updating this cookbook post with more recipes as I post more blogs that include recipes.
This lotion blend is the one I recommended to my friends to use for their sunburns. It has a very calming effect on the mind and body and will soothe skin irritations as well as a groggy mind.
Ingredients:
6 oz unscented lotion (or alternative–e.g. coconut oil)
The circulation lotion blend is great for situations when you need to get the blood flowing to a particular area of your body. If you’re feeling tired or swollen, if your hair or nails are becoming brittle, if your extremities are always cold or numb, you might be suffering from poor circulation. Making this lotion blend and using it on a daily basis will help to promote blood flow and increase your body’s circulation capabilities.
Ingredients:
6 oz unscented lotion (or alternative–e.g. coconut oil)
Muscle pain is a very common side-effect of life–especially when we’re walking upwards of ten miles a day to get to classes and meetings and social events and study groups that are taking place all over campus. If you’re experiencing sore muscles, applying this lotion to the affected areas will help a bunch!
Ingredients:
6 oz unscented lotion (or alternative–e.g. coconut oil)
Don’t Let Your Professors Catch You Asleep In Class!
Ingredients:
15 drops Lemongrass Oil
10 drops Rosemary Oil
5 drops Peppermint Oil
Get the Heck Into Bed!
Ingredients:
20 drops Geranium Oil
10 drops Bergamot Oil
10 drops Lavender Oil
Makeup Remover
Ingredients:
8 oz water
1 T castile soap
1 T vegetable glyserine
1 t calendula oil
10 drops lavender oil
5 drops geranium oil
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until mixed thoroughly. When you’re ready to take off the day’s makeup, apply a few drops of your blend to a cotton round and rub in small circles to remove your makeup. Make you store it in a cool dry place and keep it out of direct sunlight.
Facial Toner
Ingredients:
½ C witch hazel
½ C water
15 drops geranium oil
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until mixed thoroughly. To use this toner, apply a few drops to a cotton round and gently massage it onto your face and neck. Be careful if your skin is sensitive, because the witch hazel that is in this recipe may cause irritation. Make sure to use it within six (ish) months!
Makeup Brush Cleaner
Ingredients:
2 t castile soap
4 drops tea tree oil
2 drop lemon oil
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until mixed thoroughly. This recipe is enough for about fifteen brushes. To use it, swirl the bristles gently in the cleanser, and massage it into the ends of the bristles and up through the roots. Repeat this process until there is no longer any makeup residue on the brushes.
When I first started using essential oils, I was really excited about their benefits when it comes to beauty products. Most of the blends that I first made were beauty products–homemade cleansers and toners and perfumes. Well, now that I have a little more experience, I have refined my tastes and developed a few core recipes that I really like to use for beauty products. Read more to find out what they are!
Removing your makeup every night is a crucial aspect of keeping clear and healthy skin! Use this recipe to make a remover that will calm and cleanse your skin all at once.
Ingredients:
8 oz of water
1 T of castile soap
1 T of vegetable glycerine
1 t of calendula oil
10 drops of lavender oil
5 drops of geranium oil
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until mixed thoroughly. When you’re ready to take off the day’s makeup, apply a few drops of your blend to a cotton round and rub in small circles to remove your makeup. Make you store it in a cool dry place and keep it out of direct sunlight.
Facial Toner That Doesn’t Sting Your Skin
Toner is important in making sure that those pores stay clear and dry. Use a toner after removing your makeup to make sure that those teenie tiny holes stay healthy.
Ingredients:
½ C of witch hazel
½ C of water
15 drops of geranium oil
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until mixed thoroughly. To use this toner, apply a few drops to a cotton round and gently massage it onto your face and neck. Be careful if your skin is sensitive, because the witch hazel that is in this recipe may cause irritation. Make sure to use it within six (ish) months!
Makeup Brush Cleaner–For All of Those Bristles That Touch Your Face Every Day
It’s recommended that you wash your makeup brushes at least once a month to get rid of any bacteria that may build up on the bristles. Use this solution to clean your brushes!
Ingredients:
2 t of castile soap
4 drops of tea tree oil
2 drops of lemon oil
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until mixed thoroughly. This recipe is enough for about fifteen brushes. To use it, swirl the bristles gently in the cleanser, and massage it into the ends of the bristles and up through the roots. Repeat this process until there is no longer any makeup residue on the brushes.
Comment below if you’d like me to post any specific recipes!
Well, last week we talked about all of the oils that you can use to get yourself up and ready for the day, and now, we’re going to move on to the oils that you can use at the end of the say to get ready to rest and recharge. And so, I present to you:
Now, I know that we have talked about lavender oil a lot already, but that’s just because it’s a great oil to use for lots of different things. In this case, you can use it to help calm your mind and get you to fall asleep faster. For this, just rub a few drops into your temples, and reap the benefits! Just be careful not to get it into your eyes!! (I’ve done that before–having to then worry about getting it out of your eyes definitely has an opposite-than-the-desired effect).
Bergamot oil is, by far, one of my favorite oils. It’s most common use is for stomach aches or abdominal pain, but if you’re having trouble getting to sleep, this citrus oil will be useful for you in that regard as well! For this one, it’s generally best to put into a diffuser and let it mist into the air in your room as you’re getting ready for bed. Although you’re not going to be applying this oil directly to your skin in this particular instance, just as a general note–be careful when applying bergamot oil to your skin. Bergamot oil is quite photosensitive, meaning that if you put it on your skin, it’ll make that area of your body much more sensitive to the sun. So if you’re going to apply bergamot oil to your skin, be sure to do so in a place that is going to be covered by some clothing.
Aside from simply being a lovely scent, geranium oil has a very calming effect that will help you clear your mind and get rid of any anxious feelings that you may be having. For this particular oil, direct inhalation will do the trick–just go ahead and take a whiff of your oil bottle!
BONUS!!
Here are two blends that I like to use when I need to get to bed!
As my first semester of college seems to just blow by, I’ve learned a few things about myself:
I am not a morning person. At all.
It’s really hard for me to stay awake in my third class of the day.
When it’s finally time for bed, my mind just doesn’t want to stop, because I just know that I have so much more that I should be doing other than sleeping.
In short, I have a difficult time getting out of bed, staying awake throughout the day, and going to sleep at night–what a difficult life, right? Well, I’m sure that I am not the only one facing these issues here at Penn State, so I’ve compiled two lists–one of the best essential oils to use to energize yourself and keep yourself alert and the other of the best essential oils to use to get yourself in a calm state where you’re able to get some sleep! These lists will come in two parts–the first, you get right now, (yay!) and next week, you’ll get the rest of them! Without further ado, I present:
Rosemary has been proven to increase blood flow to the cerebrum, thus is a great oil to use to increase mental productivity! The best way to use this oil for this purpose is to inhale it directly from the bottle–hold it up to your nose and take a whiff or two!
Peppermint oil is just all around one of my favorite essential oils. It’s great for a LOT of things–which we’ve already talked about, so I won’t get into that right now, I’ll just tell you about how great it is for keeping you awake! It is great for boosting your mental clarity, but it is also effective in supporting your physical energy as well–use it when you’re working out after class, and you’ll be golden. You can inhale this one directly, but I think that the most effective results come from rubbing it into the base of your neck or under your nose.
Simply put, orange oil makes you happier. The fresh, tart aroma of orange oil is effective in getting you into a better mood–it doesn’t keep you awake, per se, but you can use one of the other oils to do that, and then use some orange oil to make your awakeness happy! This one is best to inhale directly, but you could also diffuse this one if you’ll be hanging out in your dorm or if you have a portable or personal diffuser.
In keeping with the theme of happiness, next, we’ll talk about grapefruit oil! Similar to orange oil, grapefruit oil is a definite booster of the mood–something about citrus really just makes us humans happy. Alongside being a joy motivator, grapefruit oil is a metabolism booster and will help with physical fatigue as well! Diffusion or inhalation work for this one, but it is most effective if you rub it into your wrists and the sides of your neck.
Lemongrass is a great flavor booster for foods due to it’s zesty and lively flavor, but it is also a fantastic pick-me-up. Apply it topically to your temples, and you will feel instantly uplifted and ready to take on the rest of your day!
Cinnamon oil!! Have we talked about cinnamon oil yet? I don’t think so (but if we have, just pretend that we haven’t, because I’m going to continue right now). Cinnamon oil is another one of my favorites–I have a blend that I spray in my room that is predominantly cinnamon oil.
BONUS!!
Here are two blends that I like to use when I’m tired!
