Page 1645

6 Ways To Move On From A Major Breakup

February 29, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Are you reeling from the pain of a major breakup?

Relationships end in painful ways, whether they are mutual or not. When a marriage ends, or the relationship with a significant other comes to a giant halt, it hurts in ways that fracture the spirit. It’s not just the heart that aches. We begin to reflect and compare. We stumble across self-pity, anger, resentments and depression. There are many ways to cope. Here are some points to remember during a breakup while you allow your heart to grieve for the loss.

6 Ways to Move On From A Major Breakup

1. Pay attention to your inner guidance.

We tend to get lost in the emotional roller coaster of worth and self-loathing. Jealousy enters into your life while watching your mate move on quickly. Hatred for what was left behind embraces you until you can’t breathe. Doubt begins to play a huge role. You begin to question if you should have walked away. It’s in those moments that faith comes in. Sit and truly allow your spirit to be guided by something extraordinary.

“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so you can appreciate them when they’re right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself. And sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”- Marilyn Monroe

2. Follow a routine as you recover from the breakup.

Divorce or breakups disrupt all areas of normal waking life. It’s in these moments that stress becomes amplified. Make sure you have a daily routine whether it’s a spiritual practice, exercising, reading, writing or creating. Make a “new normal” for yourself. In a relationship, so much surrounds the other person that when it’s over, we forget what we need. Your identity gets clouded. Routine allows for stability to return to a place of home. As Dr. Phil McGraw says, “You create your own experiences. You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.” Familiarity and routine help heal the mind, body and spirit.

3. Do not reach for the bottle or the pills.

Avoidance is an instinct when we are hurt. Reaching for anything that numbs the pain seems to be first and foremost. This is an excellent time to reach for friends, a therapist, or anyone who can help you get through the healing process. Spend time with people who support and lift you. Go out and make new friends. Life gets turned upside down…momentarily. It is essential to find healthy ways to get through the sadness. Alcohol, food, pills, and any other addiction only mask the underlying issue. It’s best to be gentle with yourself and allow for the emotions to rise and release without stopping them with substance abuse. Don’t stop or cover up your emotions.

4. Allow the breakup grieving process to take its course.

You shouldn’t try to overlook the loss by jumping into another immediate relationship. Rebound love rarely works out. Grieving has no set date. It has no perfect timing. When you can look back at the relationship and the person, without crying, finding a healthy place to begin another relationship is safe. Don’t let grief be substituted by sex or deep depression that shuts you down. Know the difference between a deep depression and sadness. You are allowed to break and then get back up. You are allowed several pity parties, but don’t reside there permanently. Depression is triggered by the continuous involvement of participating in the hurt and memories. A chemical imbalance can also trigger it.

“Tears shed for another person are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of a pure heart.” – José N. Harris, MI VIDA: A Story of Faith, Hope and Love

5. Change your hair and/or your bedroom.

Redecorate your surroundings while having fun with your persona. Enjoy the possibilities of having new things around you. Spark up that wardrobe. Get new bedding. Make space for you. Clean out closets. Throw stuff out. Rearrange your home to match your new life. You get to restart, and at times that requires radical decorating.

6. Take a trip or attend a retreat.

Being alone while taking the first trip is essential. This allows you to get to know yourself again. We identify with our partners. We lose ourselves in relationships, oftentimes romanticizing past events. You are divorced or in a breakup because you tried to give it your all and it didn’t work. It’s time to enjoy the space of being alone and finding your center. Don’t confuse being alone with being lonely. A trip to a new place will realign your worth and the fun of truly loving yourself again. Retreats are also places of sacredness and returning to self-love.

Final Thoughts on Healing Your Heart After a Major Breakup

You get a new beginning. Treat yourself as if you were getting over an illness, a cold, or the flu. Allow for healing. Pamper yourself in the process. Every ending is an opportunity for a new beginning. The ending of a relationship doesn’t need to determine who you are because you are the ultimate love of your life, and many things can be learned when you let a relationship go.

5 Challenges Only An Empath Can Understand

February 29, 2016 by Power of Positivity

If you identify as an empath, you probably know that many challenges come from being highly sensitive. Empaths feel everything very deeply, and they have a hard time dealing with the fast-paced world we live in today. They need a lot of time alone to recharge and decompress and can get hurt very easily in relationships. If you consider yourself a highly sensitive person, or empath, then you will relate to the following struggles.

The 5 challenges of an empath:

1. Being overwhelmed in crowded, noisy places

An empath strays away from places that can easily overwhelm their energy stores – they gravitate toward quiet, relaxing environments. However, most places in the world seem hectic and loud most of the time, which poses a problem for empaths. On the one hand, they can enjoy serenity and solitude more than the average person. But the flip side, it can quickly become isolating. Empaths tend to not have very many friends due to their fragile nature and retreat into their shells when the world gets too overstimulating. Nevertheless, empaths make exceptional friends and lovers. However, finding people, they connect with can pose a challenge as they don’t like going to places that most people do.

2. Getting hurt too easily

Empaths wear their hearts on their sleeves, making it easy to get hurt. Their vulnerability makes them a target for those who take advantage of others, so empaths may not have a very good history with relationships. Empaths have beautiful souls, but their emotions run high, which means that the other person might feel as though they have to tiptoe around their feelings. Empaths tend to spend a lot of time in solitude because they feel others just can’t understand them and their needs.

3. Everyone telling you to stop being so sensitive

All of your life, you’ve probably heard people tell you to just grow up already and stop allowing your emotions to control you, right? Empaths get tired of hearing these same old heartless statements all the time, as they don’t agree with them. Some people feel more deeply than others, but usually, only empaths can understand this. Highly sensitive people don’t tell others to stop acting so insensitively, so they get tired of hearing others tell them to get thicker skin.

4. Feeling so emotionally imbalanced most of the time

Empaths have a higher tendency toward anxiety and depression because they live inside their hearts and emotions more than their minds. Their feelings run the show, and they have a hard time controlling their emotions. Especially in big crowds or around people they feel uncomfortable with, empaths can easily become imbalanced and overwhelmed, and can even suffer from panic attacks. They take on the emotions of everyone around them, which means they might feel thousands of different things at once. Highly sensitive people want to connect with others, of course, but doing so requires a great expenditure of energy, and they get drained easily.

One small occurrence can throw their emotions off-kilter, and others may not understand. Friends and family often tell empaths to stop living so much in their heads, but this advice doesn’t mean much to those who naturally feel so much and take on every ounce of pain in the world.

5. Dealing with emotions using unhealthy habits

Empaths live on raw emotion, and sometimes, they feel the only way to deal with them is by engaging in unhealthy practices or habits. Many empaths choose to use food, drugs, alcohol, or even people as a way to suppress their own emotions. Highly sensitive people feel they have no other way to cope with the turbulence that rages on inside them than by relying on outside forces to heal their pain. Even if empaths meditate, eat a fairly healthy diet, and exercise often, they can still succumb to dangerous practices.

As some helpful advice to empaths, remember always to make time for yourself, think before acting impulsively on your emotions, and limit your time in crowded places. All of this will help you remain emotionally healthy and balanced when facing daily challenges.

How to Make Lavender Lemonade To Help With Headaches and Anxiety

February 28, 2016 by Power of Positivity

It’s no secret that our lives can be incredibly stressful. We’re constantly on the run at work, dealing with family issues, and trying to squeeze some personal time in. Did we even mention sleep?

So it should come as no surprise that anxiety and headaches can become a common occurrence, not to mention a terrible nuisance. Headaches and anxiety are by-products of living in a continually-stressed state. Indeed, we often feel we have 25 hours of things to do. However, we have only 24 hours to accomplish them.

Unfortunately, many of us turn to other, less-desirable methods of trudging through the day. We’ll fuel ourselves with a cup of coffee, smoke another cigarette, or have another glass of wine. While these habits may provide a temporary emotional release, they’re not a healthy solution in the long term.

Lavender’s Science-Proven Connection to Better Sleep

A more sustainable, healthy solution becomes necessary to deal with the side effects of stress. Lavender oil is a potent essential oil known for its remarkable healing properties. In fact, it contains over 150 active compounds, making lavender oil an effective antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, and sedation agent.

A number of studies have reported that lavender essential oil may be beneficial in a variety of health conditions, including insomnia, alopecia (hair loss), anxiety, stress, and postoperative pain. Lavender is also being studied for antibacterial and antiviral properties. – University of Maryland Medical Center

In a study conducted at the University of Florida, researchers discovered that lavender oil was effective in reducing anxiety and lowering pulse rates. Surgery patients that underwent lavender-based aromatherapy reported a marked decrease in stress levels before their procedure. This study is a testament to the powerful sedative properties of lavender oil.

Further, lavender essential oil contains anti-depressive properties and promotes sound sleep. These are critical elements in lavender that can aid in keeping stress and its troublesome side effects at bay.

Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil

Besides sleep, here are some other benefits of lavender essential oil, as discovered in clinical studies:

Lavender aromatherapy increased pain tolerance in children and adults.
Alleviation of depressed mood and anxiety in female patients undergoing dialysis treatment.
Patients’ test results showed decreased anxiety and increased alertness levels after olfactory administration of lavender oil.
Improved mood states and a healthier work environment were reported by hospital staff when burning lavender incense.
Decreased stress and anxiety levels measured in brain patterns of patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit.

Despite its healthy, robust nature, lavender is well-received by the human body. Therefore, it is a perfect essential oil for consumption. This brings us to the ideal concoction to help alleviate stress-related headaches and anxiety: lavender lemonade.

Here’s how lavender lemonade can help with headaches and anxiety:

As an easy reference, drinking lavender lemonade can help alleviate a multitude of symptoms, including the following:

Inflammation
Headache
Depression and anxiety
High blood pressure
Insomnia or difficulty sleeping

Apart from drinking the concoction, lavender essential oil independently serves various other medicinal purposes. The multiple properties of lavender make it perfect for the following needs:

Anti-fungal: as a natural remedy for common skin and nail infections.
Antiseptic: cleaning the skin of germs and other organisms.
Antibacterial: destroying or suppressing the growth of bacteria.
Anti-inflammatory: Reducing inflammation in various parts of the body.
Antimicrobial: killing or inhibiting illness-causing microorganisms.
Antispasmodic: alleviation of spasms, including of the muscles.
Analgesic: reduction of a variety of pain-related symptoms.
Detoxifier: cleansing the blood, purifying both the liver and kidneys.

Now that we understand the various medicinal and holistic health benefits of the essential oil lavender, we’ll detail how to make a simple, tasty mix of lavender lemonade.

Lavender lemonade is a perfect refresher. The sweet, tart taste of lemonade combines with raw honey to create a cold drink that satisfies the palette. In fact, it’s a perfect drink to complement any meal, day or night. Enjoy the beverage daily or when experiencing symptoms taxing to the mind and body.

Recipe to Make Lavender Lemonade

1 cup of raw honey
12 cups of pure water
One drop of lavender essential oil
Six lemons
Lavender sprigs for garnish (if desired)

Directions:

Peel and juice the six fresh lemons. Thoroughly mix all ingredients and chill. Of course, you may adjust to desired taste by adding more water or honey.

7 Ways to Respond to Verbally Aggressive People

February 28, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Facing a verbally aggressive person can make you feel immediately defensive, which is perfectly normal, but there are 7 more healthy, harmonious and mindful ways to respond.

7 Ways to Respond to Verbally Aggressive People

Like a wild, rabid animal, verbally aggressive people come toward you on the attack, often with little or no reason. Basically, these people are adult bullies and you don’t have to take that kind of behavior from anyone.

Verbal aggression often moves into physical aggression and that becomes a scary situation. Researchers studying patterns of domestic violence among married couples found that verbal aggression is more likely to be a precursor to physical violence.

If you are concerned about someone who has been verbally aggressive toward you, take action now. These situations can lead to domestic or workplace violence. Consult with human resources in the workplace, the National Domestic Violence Hotline or the police to get help in handling a potentially violent situation.

1. Choose not to respond in kind.

Responding to anger, which is what verbally aggressive people are expressing, with anger in your own voice is pointless. It gets you nowhere. They are already angry and now you are too.

2. Choose not to take it personally.

Verbally aggressive people usually speak with hurtful words. Rather than being saddened by the painful words, realize that words cannot hurt you. You have a choice about how you respond. Taking their angry words personally only makes you feel bad and doesn’t help them feel better either.

3. Respond with caring.

In a study of psychiatric nurses who worked with non-physical methods to de-escalate a verbally aggressive patient, nurses who could identify an escalating situation then followed these steps to help the patients to come back to a calm state.

Check the aggressive person’s level of aggressiveness on a scale of 1 to 10
Attempt to understand the meaning of the aggressive behavior
Connected with the aggressive person
Matched a solution intervention to the person’s needs

You can use these same strategies to attempt to deescalate an aggressive situation.

Check their level of aggressiveness. Ask yourself if based on their actions they are just a little upset or if there is potential for injuries caused to either the angry person or others.
Don’t wait to call for help if you think someone could get hurt.
Listen to everything the angry person is saying and rephrase it back to them to make sure you understood them correctly.
Use language like ‘I understand why you would be upset’ or ‘I can see how that would be frustrating for you.’
Ask the aggressive person for a suggestion to fix the problem or offer your own solution.

4. Allow them a safe place to express their emotions.

You may recall that manipulation is a trait of passive-aggressive people. Avoid being manipulated by recognizing the aggression for what it is, anger. If you’ve done nothing wrong, don’t let the angry person force you into an apology.

What a verbally aggressive person needs is a place to vent their angry frustrations where someone will listen, empathize and try to find a win-win solution for both parties. Let the angry person know that you are willing to listen but only if they calm down so you can talk at a normal volume.

5. Allow them space to be alone.

Aggressive people often feel overwhelmed quickly. Besides that, they become frustrated by a lot of sensory input. Traffic and crowded places for example have lots of sights, sounds, and decisions that have to be made. Too much is going on and it becomes difficult to process making a person frustrated by sensory overload.

When the person goes beyond frustration to aggressiveness, it can become a dangerous situation for the focus of their anger. This type of aggressive pattern is a fairly common one in our lives of daily stress. Removing some of the stimuli that are making sound is one of the best ways to deescalate an aggressive person.

Allow them to have a quieter environment for a moment so they can calm down their level of anxiety. Aggression to you may just be a panic attack for them that has put them in fight or flight mode.

6. Respond with humor

No one likes to be the object of derision. But if you can be quick with a sincere joke, even one at your own expense, and laugh, that ability to add humor is the best way to respond to a verbally aggressive person. A comment like “Hey, I understand. I get a little more likely to get angry right before lunch too” or something non-hurtful that can possibly get a smile from the other person.

7. Suggest resources for help.

Ask the verbally aggressive person how best to help them if they ever feel this angry about something again in the future. Offer whatever resources you have that may help them. Counseling resources are more widely available now than ever before.

There are counseling apps, text lines, websites, phone and video chats available now. There is no reason to live with emotional pain if therapy can help. For more information on emotional problems and how they affect relationships read our article about warning signs you’re in a relationship with a sociopath.

800-799-7233 (SAFE) is the phone number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline and you can also chat through their website if you have questions or need another resource.

These 5 Things Happen To Your Body When You Use Frankincense Oil

February 28, 2016 by Chris Butler

Frankincense oil probably makes you think of wise men traveling from afar. But this article will make you think about how your body can benefit from it instead. Ancient cultures have used essential oils for healing, and science is beginning to understand what happens in our bodies when we use therapeutic oils.

Oils are transdermal, meaning that the skin absorbs them into the body’s cells. You can apply frankincense oil directly to your skin, but most people mix it with a carrier oil, for example, coconut oil. You can also add one or two drops of frankincense oil to water and drink it.

Frankincense is an aromatic resin extracted from Boswellia trees, and it has several health-supporting properties. The oil is extracted by steam distillation from frankincense gum resin. There can be varying components found in frankincense oil due to the different regions where the trees grow and how producers prepare the oil.

This article will examine five things that happen to your body when you use frankincense oil as a holistic therapy. Please consult with your health professional to ensure that using frankincense essential oil will not interfere with any medications or cause harmful side effects.

5 Things That Happen To Your Body When You Use Frankincense Oil

The health benefits of frankincense oil are indisputable. The International Journal of Nutrition, Pharmacology and Neurological Diseases says of frankincense oil the following:

‘It helps in clearing the lungs and other mucus-related problems, lightens heavy periods in females, and eases postnatal depressions. It helps in healing wounds, sores, ulcers, carbuncles, hemorrhoids, and inflammations. In Ayurvedic medicine Indian frankincense (B. serrata), commonly referred to as ‘dhoop,’ has been used for hundreds of years, for treating arthritis, healing wounds, strengthening the female hormone system, and purifying the atmosphere from undesirable germs.’

1. Frankincense oil can relieve arthritis pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks the lining of the joints and causes tremendous pain for those who have it. Frankincense oil has been used in the holistic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and is an anti-inflammatory herbal remedy.

In traditional Chinese medicine, both myrrh and frankincense can treat blood stagnation and inflammation diseases, as well as to relieve swelling and pain. To use frankincense oil for arthritic pain, mix a few drops in a carrier oil, such as almond massage oil and rub it daily on the affected joints.

2. Frankincense oil kills cancer cells.

In a study of the technique of using Traditional Chinese Medicine by prescribing a combination of myrrh and frankincense oils, researchers found that cancer cells died when treated with frankincense and myrrh oils. In this study, myrrh had a better anticancer effect on the cancerous cells than the frankincense oil did, but the combination of the two may provide other health benefits.

Research has shown that frankincense oil can help against pancreatic, breast, liver, lung, and cervical cancers. Unfortunately, this type of research often indicates the effect of essential oils applied directly to the cancerous cells in a petri dish in a laboratory, not in a human study on a cancer patient.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with cancer, speak to an oncologist about using holistic healing options that include essential oils as part of a well-rounded therapy.

3. Frankincense oil can cure migraines.

You may have already read our article on curing migraine headaches with one natural ingredient. If not, read more information on how to relieve migraines fast in our guide here. Using essential oils for healing is inexpensive compared with the copays and medical costs of a doctor’s visit.

Frankincense essential oil instantly relieves migraine pain for some sufferers when rubbed on the temples, the back of the neck and when a drop is applied to the pad of the thumb and then pressed into the roof of the mouth.

4. Frankincense oil can help with anxiety and depression.

The National Institute of Mental Health says that ‘major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the United States for people ages 15–44, affecting approximately 14.8 million American adults. A less severe form of depression, dysthymic disorder, affects approximately 3.3 million American adults. Anxiety disorders affect 40 million American adults and frequently co-occur with depressive disorders.’

Frankincense oil’s pleasing and therapeutic aroma can be enjoyed in an aromatherapy massage, as incense, in a diffuser, in a bath, or as a perfume oil. In a study of a blended oil containing bergamot, lavender, and frankincense that was massaged onto the hands of cancer patients who had anxiety and depression, those who received the aromatherapy massage had less stress, pain, and depression than those who did not get the benefit of aromatherapy.

The International Journal of Nutrition, Pharmacology and Neurological Diseases says that burning frankincense creates smoke which produces a psychoactive substance called tetrahydrocannabinol, which helps to expand consciousness. Burning frankincense on an incense burner may not only help anxiety and depression but might be a way to reach higher meditative states.

5. Frankincense oil can boost immunity.

Researchers studying the immune-boosting powers of frankincense oil in the body found that it exhibited a vigorous immunostimulant activity. This information could help activate the body’s immune response to fight diseases.

5 Other Uses For Frankincense Oil

1. It May help with asthma

There is an ingredient in Boswellia frankincense oil that could help treat asthma. Some suggest they didn’t need to use their inhaler as much when they took frankincense oil regularly. Of course, you should never stop taking your medication without your doctor’s consent. Researchers are still studying how frankincense oil could benefit people living with asthma.

2. Aids digestion

Frankincense oil may improve your gut health by aiding and easing such digestive disorders as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Studies on rodents suggest that frankincense oil could help prevent diarrhea. Frankincense is known to reduce inflammation, and inflammation causes many gut conditions. Although researchers are still studying how it affects human digestive tracts, proponents are sure frankincense oil can aid human digestion.

3. Improves mouth hygiene

Frankincense oil may aid improve your oral hygiene and preventing gum disease. It has strong antibacterial properties which can treat oral infections. It’s helped treat gum disease and oral conditions. Some people suggest chewing gum with frankincense oil will kill bacteria microbes. Researchers are still studying frankincense oil’s effectiveness in killing bacteria that cause mouth infections.

4. Anti-aging benefits

Frankincense oil is a known antioxidant with anti-aging abilities. Antioxidants get rid of free radicals, which can damage your skin and cause aging. Frankincense oil reduces your skin’s age spots and evens your skin tone. You can use frankincense oil topically on your skin by mixing two to four drops of this essential oil with a carrier oil like jojoba or sweet almond oil. Rub it into your skin.

5. Moisturizer

Frankincense oil is a popular ingredient in many moisturizers and lotions. Its moisturizing ability keeps your skin soft and pliable. You can use it diluted in a carrier oil to apply to your arms, legs, neck, face, and hands. It helps even out any discoloration and redness on your skin. It also balances out your skin tone.

How to Choose the Best Carrier Oils

Essential oils, like frankincense, are highly concentrated. So you should dilute them before you apply them to your skin. Carrier oils are the best way to dilute frankincense oil. A good carrier oil will carry the concentration to your skin without changing the quality of the essential oil.

Choose natural carrier oils for the best health benefits. The best carrier oils have vitamins and antioxidants derived from plants. They should have no scent.

Best Carrier Oils:

Some of the best carrier oils include these:

Fractionated coconut oil: This oil is the liquid form of coconut oil. Like regular coconut oil, it won’t clump or go solid at room temperature. It has a light texture. Many people prefer to use this carrier oil in a roller bottle for easy application on the skin. If you’re looking for fractionated coconut oil, look for it by its abbreviated name: FCO. Many experienced essential oil users say this is the first pick for carrier oils.
Grapeseed: Even though this is a culinary oil, it’s also one of the best to blend with frankincense oil. This carrier oil is good for the skin. It’s light and non-greasy. Therapists like to use grapeseed oil for massage because it quickly absorbs into the skin. This oil is high in vitamin C, which aids the frankincense oil.
Jojoba Oil: Jojoba oil is high in vitamins, fatty acids, and antioxidants. It’s an excellent moisturizer for your skin. People who use it regularly have a glowing complexion. It’s a suitable carrier oil because it’s fragrant-free and has a long shelf life. Blend it with frankincense oil to apply to your face or body as a moisturizer.
Sweet almond oil: Many people have never heard of sweet almond oil. It’s a rich anti-inflammatory, antiseptic oil. It’s a great carrier oil for any essential oil, including frankincense. Sweet almond oil is light, with a nutty scent that doesn’t interfere with an essential oil aroma. It re-conditions your skin and has a soft consistency. If you are allergic to nuts, you shouldn’t use this carrier oil.

What oils should you avoid as carrier oils?

Several oils don’t make good carrier oils. Whenever possible, avoid using these to blend with your essential oils.

Olive Oil: Olive oil has a lot of health benefits, but using it as carrier oil isn’t one of them. Some people use it, but it doesn’t blend as well as other carrier oils. Plus, olive oil has a strong aroma that can change the scent of your essential oils. It also clogs up essential oil rollers. Olive oil can also leave a film behind on your skin. If you have no other carrier oils around, use them sparingly.
Avocado oil: Another super healthy cooking oil, avocado oil is full of vitamins and fatty acids. Although it’s good for dry skin, it doesn’t blend well with essential oils.
- It doesn’t have a long shelf life- no more than six months at most
- It’s too thick and clogs a roller
- It has a strong aroma that isn’t pleasant for the skin.
Coconut oil: This oil is famous for cooking, but it solidifies at 75 degrees. So, unless you can keep it warm all the time, your coconut oil carrier will clog up your essential oil roller. Some people still use it, but it gets lumpy, and it’s unpleasant to rub into your skin. If you want coconut carrier oil, use fractionated coconut(FCO) fat, always a liquid.

Final Thoughts On The Many Benefits of Frankincense Oil

Frankincense oil benefits are limitless. If you’re looking for an all-purpose essential oil, this could be the one. Its healing benefits and antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties make it a popular favorite among essential oil users. Be sure to blend frankincense oil with a good quality carrier oil for the best results. Try this fragrance today to experience some of the fantastic benefits of this popular essential oil.

5 Things People With Social Anxiety Need You To Know

February 28, 2016 by Power of Positivity

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, social anxiety disorder affects 6.8% of the U.S. population or 15 million people. Social anxiety can afflict both introverts and extroverts, and isn’t necessarily synonymous with being shy. Those who suffer from it can become triggered in various social situations, from grocery stores to large parties to shopping malls. Despite efforts to calm the anxiety, it can easily debilitate the sufferer and become a fixation. People with social anxiety have an extreme fear of interacting with others in certain settings, and everyday life can become a constant uphill battle

Many people who suffer from social anxiety feel trapped inside their own minds and thoughts, and they tend to isolate themselves for periods if the anxiety becomes too much to bear. Many people unfortunately don’t understand what those who have social anxiety go through on a daily basis, so we made this small list correcting common misconceptions and clearing the air about what it means to have social anxiety.

Here are 5 things those with social anxiety need you to know:

1. Just because we have social anxiety, it doesn’t mean we hate people.

In fact, this is pretty much the opposite of how most of us feel. You don’t know how badly those with social anxiety wish they could talk to people normally, without feeling constricting in their chest, their heart beating in their throats, sweat beading on their foreheads, and every other physical symptom that goes along with social anxiety. Most of us actually love people, and long to approach them and have conversations without feeling scared or overwhelmed. We might seem a little standoffish or abrupt when you speak to us, but we don’t mean to be rude. We just feel anxious, but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy talking to you.

2. We need a lot of time to prepare for social gatherings mentally.

A big gathering can take us days to prepare for. Those with social anxiety know the feeling – going over what you’ll say to people, wondering who all you’ll meet and if the conversations will go smoothly, talking things over in your mind and trying to forget about how nervous you feel for the event, etc. Others might throw on some clothes, show up, and converse with everyone in the room, but we like to know days in advance about plans so that we have time to calm ourselves beforehand.

It takes a lot of energy for those who struggle to actually go to a special event, because we must battle our fears each time. Even showing up at all is a huge accomplishment in the minds of those with social anxiety.

3. We don’t want to have social anxiety.

We didn’t choose to have it. And we wish we didn’t have it. We try very hard to overcome it. But it might not ever dissipate completely despite our best efforts. People have anxieties of all kinds, but ours just gets triggered by social interactions. Even if we seem fine talking to others, that doesn’t mean we don’t have social anxiety. In fact, most people probably can’t tell the difference between those with social anxiety and those without it. We know that it starts in our minds. But controlling the mind doesn’t happen overnight.

We don’t respond well to people telling us to “stop being dramatic” and “get out of our heads.” We realize that the fear is irrational; however, this doesn’t stop social anxiety just because you don’t understand it or don’t believe in it.

4. We can’t just get over it and move on with our lives.

We hear far too often that we should get over ourselves and life our lives. Believe us, if we could, we would. If only it were that easy, no one would suffer from social anxiety. However, because millions of people around the world have it, it obviously means that people have probably tried that approach already. Like we said before, we can learn to manage our social anxiety through coping techniques, but that doesn’t mean it will ever go away entirely.

5. Just because we seem fine on the outside, doesn’t mean we aren’t freaking out on the inside.

You might say that you can’t tell we have it, but this doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Those with this condition tend to live inside their minds a lot, and often have a high intelligence level due to the constant stream of thoughts we have. Research on this topic is ongoing; some scientists believe it’s due to a chemical imbalance, others believe it’s genetic, and others think it happens because of one’s upbringing. Whatever the reason, calmness on the outside doesn’t reflect our inner selves. We just have learned how to hide our anxious thoughts for the most part, because daily life requires us to.

If you know someone with social anxiety, the best thing you can offer is love and support. You don’t need to fully understand social anxiety to show compassion and understanding to those who need it.

The Community

Our Free Community of Positively Powerful SuperFans

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!

6 Ways to Move On From A Major Breakup

1. Pay attention to your inner guidance.

2. Follow a routine as you recover from the breakup.

3. Do not reach for the bottle or the pills.

4. Allow the breakup grieving process to take its course.

5. Change your hair and/or your bedroom.

6. Take a trip or attend a retreat.

Final Thoughts on Healing Your Heart After a Major Breakup

The 5 challenges of an empath:

1. Being overwhelmed in crowded, noisy places

2. Getting hurt too easily

3. Everyone telling you to stop being so sensitive

4. Feeling so emotionally imbalanced most of the time

5. Dealing with emotions using unhealthy habits

Lavender’s Science-Proven Connection to Better Sleep

Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil

Here’s how lavender lemonade can help with headaches and anxiety:

Recipe to Make Lavender Lemonade

Directions:

7 Ways to Respond to Verbally Aggressive People

1. Choose not to respond in kind.

2. Choose not to take it personally.

3. Respond with caring.

4. Allow them a safe place to express their emotions.

5. Allow them space to be alone.

6. Respond with humor

7. Suggest resources for help.

5 Things That Happen To Your Body When You Use Frankincense Oil

1. Frankincense oil can relieve arthritis pain.

2. Frankincense oil kills cancer cells.

3. Frankincense oil can cure migraines.

4. Frankincense oil can help with anxiety and depression.

5. Frankincense oil can boost immunity.

5 Other Uses For Frankincense Oil

1. It May help with asthma

2. Aids digestion

3. Improves mouth hygiene

4. Anti-aging benefits

5. Moisturizer

How to Choose the Best Carrier Oils

Best Carrier Oils:

What oils should you avoid as carrier oils?

Final Thoughts On The Many Benefits of Frankincense Oil

Here are 5 things those with social anxiety need you to know:

1. Just because we have social anxiety, it doesn’t mean we hate people.

2. We need a lot of time to prepare for social gatherings mentally.

3. We don’t want to have social anxiety.

4. We can’t just get over it and move on with our lives.

5. Just because we seem fine on the outside, doesn’t mean we aren’t freaking out on the inside.

The Community

Our Free Community of Positively Powerful SuperFans

Rise and Shine On! Master Your Day with the Ultimate Positive Morning Guide + Checklist

Stay Connected With

Us

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!

Rise and Shine On!
Master Your Day with the Ultimate Positive Morning Guide + Checklist