Tips for waking up to a stress free morning

14/05/2023
Diana Taylor
Essential Oils, Wellness Articles

Stress is a part of life and something we all experience every single day, but we also all go through seasons where we experience more stress. What is most important is how we cope with that stress.

Stress is a natural human response, it’s how we react to challenges and situations that happen in our life.

For years I have battled with scalp psoriasis since I was a child, and for many years it was thought to be and treated as a severe case of dandruff. Over time I realised it would often become worse when I was close to exams, and as I got older I started to realise that it was always manageable unless I was going through a period of stress. With research and the help of my GP, it was diagnosed to be scalp psoriasis, which in time spread to my skin due to going through a very high-stress period in my life. Having a correct diagnosis was only the first step, because although I was prescribed medication to help, in order to truly get the matter under control I also had to address my stress levels and start putting conscious effort into self-care and stress-relieving activities.

I started to use aromatherapy, yoga, meditation, and dancing, paying more attention to eating healthy and exercising more regularly. You may wonder what healthy eating has to do with it. Have you found yourself binging on chocolate, crisps or ice cream when feeling low? During periods of stress, we often gravitate to unhealthy foods which can have a negative impact on our immune system leading to other problems. Creating a better balance in my life created outlets for stress and anxiety relief, and paired with aromatherapy and eating healthier which helped my mind and body repair and cope better I have been able to keep my psoriasis under control. It is something I have to be conscious of and is a change of lifestyle to ensure I continue to manage my stress levels. In our modern world, our lives are busier than ever and it is very easy to get caught up in the rat race and start putting self-care on the sidelines.

It is so easy to ignore our stress or bottle it up, or worse, deny it. How often do we truly admit to being stressed when someone asks us how we are? It seems we are geared to automatically say, “oh I’m fine” or “not more than usual”. Sound familiar?

Fortunately, and sometimes unfortunately the mind-body connection exists.

And when the mind is ignored and overwhelmed the body starts to show signs of stress no matter how hard we try to ignore it. The longer we ignore it the more severe the body’s reactions start to become until we are forced to pay attention.

Here are examples of how we see this in our lives, how often have you experienced one of these symptoms?

Headaches, neck and shoulder pain and tension after a stressful day?
Falling ill after a stressful period?
Have a skin flareup such as blemishes, eczema, psoriasis, or skin sensitivities?
Change in bowel habits?
Notice your period comes early or late after a season of stress?
For some cold sores popping up is a sign of stress. Because when there is acute stress, the body releases key hormones, such as cortisol, catecholamines (norepinephrine), and adrenaline in response to the fight or flight response. This triggers the immune system to step up and in the process, glucocorticoids can reactivate latent viral infections such as herpes simplex 1 aka cold sores!

There are many studies showing us how stress can negatively impact our health if left ignored.

In 1975, Dr Robert Ader defined a term called Psychoimmunology. It is the study of how our emotions are connected to our bodies. How stress can have an impact on the endocrine, nervous, and immune systems. We have known for a very long time that stress can have an effect on our health, either causing or worsening problems.

This is why it is so important to talk about stress, how it impacts us, and what we can do to manage it. That is why self-care has become a such big topic of discussion today. Because as a society, over time we have been programmed to ignore stress, and focus on quick fixes for the symptoms, but not treat the underlying cause: the stress itself.

Instead of talking about our emotions or expressing our feelings we have formed a habit of bottling it all up, and instead of addressing the core reason for our insomnia, we take a tablet to help us sleep. This has become the reality of modern life.

There are multiple studies showing that sleep deprivation plays a role in how our minds and body manage stress. To read more on this topic click here

The good news is we are starting to become more aware of the problems stress causes, and becoming more aware of how important self-care is.

Here are some tips to help you start your day stress-free and manage stress levels.

Tips for starting a stress-free day:

Morning routines play a huge role in setting the tone for the day. If you rush and scramble through your morning, the chances are the rest of your day is going to feel the same.

It is better to be able to start your day calmly with confidence, peace, and a positive attitude. This can help ground and start the day on a good note which then overflows into the rest of the day to help us effectively complete tasks. In addition, it helps us handle the stress that comes our way without feeling triggered or overwhelmed.

Here are things I do help me start a stress-free day and that make a HUGE difference in my day:

Get organised! Yep, the night before a work day I lay out my clothes, pack my bag and keep any snacks or lunch packs ready for the next morning. This way I don’t panic about being late because I need to get all these little things done before I can walk out the door and get to my destination on time.

Drink a large glass of warm water. Often times we wake up mildly dehydrated this can impact moods creating more anxiety, causing more tension, and making us feel more fatigued. Drinking a large glass of water every morning can improve our emotional and physical health.
Unplug for the first hour after waking up! I try not to get hooked onto my electronics first thing in the morning. Instead, I start my day with prayer, followed by 10 minutes of gentle yoga, to help set a positive note for the day. This makes a huge difference in mood, productivity and focuses for the day. Studies have shown watching 10 mins of negative news can negatively impact your mood 8 hours later.
Stop and breathe in some essential oils. I like to do a self-scan and check in with myself. How is my body feeling? How am I feeling emotionally? Based on this I choose what essential oils I am going to take a minute and breathe in or diffuse to help support my needs.
Our sense of smell is a powerful tool and is one of the most underutilized senses. It is our most primal sense. It stops us from drinking sour milk and alerts us if there is smoke or natural gases. While other animals such as dogs and cats have a keener sense of smell, our human sense of smell is still impressive and helps protect us. It is also the only one of our senses that tap directly into the part of the brain responsible for emotion and memory which is how a perfume can trigger a memory.

“Several studies, have indicated that various essential oils, such as lavender, lemon and bergamot can help to relieve stress, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders. Inhalation of essential oils can communicate signals to the olfactory system and stimulate the brain helping it to reduce stress hormones such as cortisol and release serotonin and dopamine aka happy hormones.

So why not start your morning on the right foot? Kickstart your day with these tips and see what a difference they can make to your day. You will be surprised how these simple additions to your morning routine can make a world of difference in how you feel!

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