IS WELLBEING WITHOUT THE OVERWHELM POSSIBLE? It’s so tempting, isn’t it? Emerging from the season of Rest, there’s an urge to launch into the season of Vitality with goals, get-togethers, gardening and everything in between. Hence a gentle reminder from us to you: “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything” Mental Decluttering It all begins with the mind – we don’t go for a moment without thinking. This fact is an easy one to overlook, but beginning here impacts everything! What’s cluttering your mind right now? Moving thoughts from head to paper, in whatever way works best for you (it doesn’t need to be organised) takes away the rumination and gives you something tangible to work with. The unfortunate fact is that we will always have a ‘To Do List’, but this gives you a chance to realistically assess your limitations, figure out what is necessary and what you can leave out. As you write think about: what are the things you can control? Is there a portion of ‘white space’ or margin for the things you can’t? Being able to visualise the tasks completed also goes a long way in fulfilling them. This in itself lifts a weight from your mind; even just a weekly habit of a brain de-clutter will make all the difference. Positive Movement With that in mind and moving forward, what energises you? Movement is a great place to start, and this can look different for all of us. Even a small routine of stretching in the morning can help to give us the motivation we need to get started. Just focusing on our breath to begin with puts us in touch with where we are at emotionally, encouraging us to slow down and take notice. It sends more oxygenated blood to the brain and shakes loose the energy that might be stagnating. Focusing on something as simple as a flame on one of our Spring Vitality candles can help to get into the zone, with the uplifting aromas gently stimulating the senses. Starting the day with intentional movement helps to bring in positivity, boosting the feel-good endorphins and by extension, a possibilities mindset to set you up for the day. Spring Cleaning Freeing our minds and bodies, it’s easier for us to turn to our surroundings and assess them. Does home feel restful and restorative or is there too much stuff? This in itself can cause a sense of overwhelm. So, the season of renewal can be the prompt to for us to shift the cobwebs and clutter of winter meet it with renewal of our space. Benefitting both the body and the mind, there’s something cathartic about having a good clean. At Four Scents, we understand that the thought of spraying the home with noxious-smelling products is a little more than off-putting. Thankfully, there are more natural solutions – more and more products are coming to market that are kinder to our lungs, using natural essential oils and simple store cupboard ingredients. It’s simple to create your own for that extra peace of mind. For example, for a 500ml glass cleaner, you could add 375ml filtered water, 60ml white vinegar and 60ml vodka (optional), then pop in 20 drops of our Spring Vitality Essential Oil Blend, packed with grime-busting citrus oils of lemongrass, bergamot and lime. Connection for Wellbeing As nature works its way out of hibernation, so we too, generally feel more inclined to get out and about. As we start to go to gatherings, celebrate or meet up with friends, you realise the importance of relationships and how much they matter. Connection is part of nature, right down to atoms and molecules connecting in order to create, so it’s no surprise we feel better for having met together, to share, unite, listen and encourage. “Connection is why we’re here…it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives”, the author Brené Brown says. Listening is the key to connection – but it’s easy to get distracted. Keeping your phone in your bag or muted in your pocket helps a conversation to become more fulfilling. Sharing stories and ideas can also lend a sense of perspective when we feel stuck in our own circumstances. Gathering around the table helps ease us into “rest and digest mode” as we’re more inclined to take time over our food, positively impacting the gut-brain connection. Little thank you gifts go a long way when friends have us round, and a token such as our Room Mists or Himalayan Bath Salts go down a treat – and last a lot longer than flowers! Giving stimulates the brain’s mesolimbic pathway, or reward centre, releasing feel good chemicals such as serotonin (the mood regulator), dopamine (the sense of pleasure) and oxytocin (which creates connection). Therefore, this boosts self-esteem and can even lower blood pressure. Wellbeing in Nature Connection with nature has its benefits too. With signs of new life, getting outdoors and noticing small changes that are happening week by week is another method of mindfulness. Just ten minutes of walking in nature, engaging your senses refreshes you. Simply looking at trees relieves stress states and the effect increases the greater the tree density. Time spent in the forest helps to boost natural killer cells which fight infections. Research found that listening to sounds in nature recovers your positive mood – better than hearing the same sounds with voices and traffic in the background. Studies also show that spending time in nature has the benefits of improved mental health, blood pressure, cognitive function and sleep. With all that’s going on, it can be difficult to fit in a green escape, so how about intentionally planning and use a celebration such as Earth Day (happening on April 22nd) to mark your appreciation for nature and demonstrate support for environmental protection? Nature means a lot to us at Four Scents and sustainability is at the heart of what we do. We ensure that our packaging is reusable and recyclable, the soya wax for our candles is biodegradable and from renewable sources and our essential oils are extracted naturally. We’ve also partnered with One Tree Planted dedicated to global reforestation. These projects are highly engaging community-led initiatives to create educational opportunities and volunteer planting events to restore biodiversity. Benefits of Creativity With newness of life emerging, this can inspire creativity in our lives. Some us feel a little unnerved by the concept of creativity, especially when we’ve received a throwaway comment that we’re not the creative type. The good news is that we’re all creative in ways unique to us! It’s not so much about the end result as the process of creating that brings us into the moment. It could be the repetitive shaping, pushing and pulling of kneading dough; rhythmic brushstrokes bringing life and colour to a canvas; the capturing of a moment in time with a photograph or the simple, meditative scooping of soil in planting. The wellness benefits of creative activities are well documented, as new experiences activate the brain’s reward system, boosting feel-good hormones of dopamine and norepinephrine. Creativity can help us in problem-solving too; often the deliberate, repetitive motions invite us to slow down, freeing us to think more clearly. Crafting helps us to focus the mind; personally, I love creating skincare treats. Even something as simple as adding drops of our essential oils to our base oils isn’t time consuming, yet very satisfying. Benefiting the mind and the skin, this is a win-win! Studies have found that painting and drawing can help people process trauma when things are too hard to put into words. Music not only destresses, soothes anxiety and improves sleep; it can also spark memories, rejuvenating emotional connection. Classical music in particular has tempos that resemble a restful human heartbeat. Going a step further and playing an instrument connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain, improving cognitive function. And going back full circle to the start of this post, writing helps to manage negative emotions; habitual writing even helps boost immunity. There are so many possibilities, yet there is comfort in knowing our limits. We are the best experts on our lives, and deep down we know what works for us and what makes us tick. What sparks joy for you?Small steps towards our wellbeing don’t need to be overwhelming – self-care restores our vitality, which is after all, is what the season of spring is all about.
