Essential Oils for College Life

Essential Oils for Healthy College Life.  I’m so happy that my children are learning about Essential Oils, while they are young so they can use them in college too.  If you’re new to Essential Oils, you’ll enjoy this article by Olivia on College Life with Oils and the one by Julia on Essential Oils for Teens.  Moms – this is a great one to pass along to your big kids.

Dear Busy Kids Happy Mom Readers,

I’m excited to introduce you to Olivia Howard. In May, she graduated from the University of Virginia where she majored in English, minored in dance, and worked as a Resident Advisor.  She discovered Essential Oils through her mom at the end of her second year.  She found them useful and a necessity in academia and tackling emotional realities of university life.

I’ve asked Olivia to share, in her own words, about her college experience with oils.  I love her honesty, knowledge, and insight.  Take it away Olivia…..

One of my greatest take-aways from the college experience is constant change–every day, every semester, every year is different. From where you live to what you eat to what classes you take, you are constantly required to adapt, all the while trying to find who you are, take care of yourself, survive finals, and have fun (hopefully!!).  Essential Oils make a monumental, positive difference in this process.

10 “Must Haves” for College Life  

I will breakdown the top 10 oils/products I consider to be “Must Haves” for College Life. These worked best for me, and, hopefully, will work for you and/or your college age superstar.

Must Have #1: The Protective Blend

Use this daily!  College is an entirely new environment, complete with new germs, new people and their germs, new classrooms and its germs, and, if you’re living in dorms, the germs of the 20-40 people you’re sharing a hall (and a bathroom with)—plus your roommate. Quite a shock to your system!

A daily intake of The Protective Blend guarded me against lots of the junk that was floating around in my new environment. I used the toothpaste and would also take the soft gels daily. I used a cough drop or applied the blend directly on the outside of my throat when needed.

Working as a Resident Advisor in my third and fourth years of college, I remained living in the dorm as I had during my first two years. I noticed a significant improvement in my overall well-being in these last two years when The Protective Blend was a part of my personal wellness regimen than in my previous dorm-living experiences!

One of my best examples of The Protective Blend’s effectiveness in my personal wellness is last summer.  I studied for a month in London. I was living in a dorm building, with roommates, sharing bathrooms, etc. We also were sharing the living space with students from others schools, as the university opened its doors to many universities from around the world. About two weeks into the semester, almost the entire group came down with something, my roommate included. My daily intake of The Protective Blend kept my immune system strong and I was able to enjoy my entire time in London!!

Must Have #2: The Metabolic Blend

Okay. The Metabolic Blend is a MUST MUST MUSTTTT. In any and all forms. Why? Because helps manage hunger by minimizing cravings and promotes a healthy metabolism!

Ask almost any incoming college student about one of their top concerns and the “Freshman 15” is going to be a big one. And it’s not without foundation.

The same changes that exposed me to new germs also changed my relationship with food. Finding healthy food was tricky in the dining hall and during my first year in college, access to a kitchen to do my own cooking was nearly impossible.

Real talk: I gained weight in college, more than I might have liked.

Real talk: I also had friends who lost weight, more than they might have liked.

Weight fluctuation is a function of many different things–including how you respond to stress which is a *huge* driving factor to every decision you make in college, food and otherwise.

Throw the Metabolic Blend into your daily routine to help manage hunger cravings and increase water intake (if you put it in your water and think it tastes super yummy like me). The Metabolic Blend also helps purify and cleanse the body.

Must Have #3: Nutritional Support Supplements and The Digestive Enzyme Complex

I did not incorporate either of these supplements into my diet in college until my final years, and let me tell you, I wish I had done so *way* sooner.

Small Story: About halfway through college, I realized that I was not digesting cheese very well. Like. At. All. This was pretty upsetting to me, as I love cheese and all dairy products.  Once I began taking The Digestive Enzyme Complex (2 tablets 2 x day) my relationship with cheese was markedly improved. My Chipotle order is now complete, I can eat cheese, and my tummy is happy digesting all things.

As for The Nutritional Support Supplements I didn’t realize what I was missing until I started taking them. My energy level increased, my ability to get through a full work out, a day of classes, work, dance rehearsal and homework skyrocketed–as did my mental outlook on most things. Not sure what state my final thesis would be in without this added energy, but I can tell you it wouldn’t have been pretty—it also kept me steady in my final performance of the year!!

Must Have #4: Seasonal Support: The Respiratory Blend, The Seasonal Blend Softgels and Melaleuca

Along with a new place comes new potential for seasonal discomforts!

As someone who had little issue with seasonal concerns, it was a huge transition (and shock) when spring came in Charlottesville and suddenly, seasonal discomforts seemed to take over and made it very difficult to focus on anything else–especially schoolwork.

Once I began taking The Seasonal Blend Softgels daily, diffusing The Respiratory Blend, and dabbing Melaleuca under my eyes, I noticed significant improvements. I no longer dreaded the onslaught of too many pollinating flowers in springtime and could study outside with ease!

Must Have #5: The Tension Blend

Academics are, obviously, a huge part of the college experience.

Accompanying the written realities of papers, tests, projects, and lectures is the reality of stress–lots of stress and a need to be able to focus. Even the most efficient of planners will still have their fair share of late nights spent studying, cramming and writing.

The Tension Blend has always served me well on the longest of study sessions and the latest of nights. It simultaneously wakes me up, keeps me up, and helps me decompress so I am a more effective studier.

Must Have #6: Vetiver and Lavender

Sleep patterns in college are always fluctuating. I was constantly adapting to new situations–I could get 12 hours one Monday and 3 the next due to a myriad of reasons. This pattern was not healthy or ideal, but was often my reality. And, for me, the inability to sleep is directly caused by stress. When I’m stressed out, falling asleep is particularly difficult. I don’t test well exhausted, so finals time (which is basically 2 weeks of no class and constant testing/studying) was always a difficult time for me. It was a significantly vicious cycle for me.

Vetiver and Lavender essential oils were invaluable in aiding my ability to sleep when I needed to–especially if you are dealing with anxiety around and exam or an assignment. I could always count on this combo to knock me out and let me be prepared for the next day. Thank goodness!

Must Have #7: Citrus Oils

Honestly, it took me awhile to get on the “Citrus Oil” train. What can I say? I didn’t love it when my hands smelled like orange juice.

However, in a year spent tucked away in libraries, doing research, studying and writing? That yummy citrus smell that reminded me of summer and really lifted my mood and made a cold December day feel perfect and warm.

My preferred are The Invigorating Blend and Wild Orange–but I think that any choice is a great one!!!

Must Have #8: Lemon and Peppermint

Okay–here we go–Drinking. In college. It happens.

To be clear: I do not condone underage drinking as it is against the law. However, like any other Resident Advisor or person who has been to college will tell you, it can happen.

Part of the college experience, should you want it to be, is learning how to healthily interact with alcohol. It’s learning to find your personal limits, and hopefully to do so in a safe environment.

Sometimes we learn our limits the hard way–and that’s where Peppermint and Lemon essential oil come in.

On my 21st birthday I had a fantabulous time. Such a fantabulous time, that I knew the next day would be less than fantabulous. So, I put lemon in a glass of water and drank it, and applied peppermint liberally to my forehead, the bottoms of my feet, and in my diffuser as well. I woke up this morning free from nausea or any head tension, and was able get a lot of work done (as it was a Sunday).

Also to be clear: These oils can be used for many many things other than as a hangover helper 🙂

Must Have #9: Mood Support through Individualized Blends

The book “Living Healthy and Happily Ever After” by Rebecca Linder Hintze and Dr. Susan Lawton is filled with recipes for blends that cater to specific emotional hurdles one is looking to jump.

I strongly encourage looking into the individual blends throughout this book, to engage the support of essential oils if/when you are in need of supporting all sorts of emotional states. It’s an incredible comfort that really makes a difference

One of my favorites can be found on page 55:  “For Help With Transition and Change”

Mix 3 drops each in 10ml roller ball: The Grounding Blend, Roman Chamomile, Thyme, Vetiver, and White Fir, add 1 drop Lavender

Application: Roll on top of the foot between the big toe and the index toe, next roll on the neck

Affirmation: “I am capable of allowing change and I feel happy and peaceful about the changes in my life.”

Must Have #10: Diffuser!!

In my opinion, diffusers are one of the best things in the entire universe because you can have multiple different oils in the air and it makes everything smell yummy and perfect.

(you can’t see the diffuser in this picture but I promise it’s there!)

True Story: In my third year of college, and my first year as a Resident Advisor, I was placed in a dorm that was, well, less than optimally clean. The building was about 40 years old and surrounded by trees. Upon entering my Mom and I were overcome with the smell of mold. And dampness. And grossness. I closed my eyes and thought “What would a Disney Princess Do” and soon we were playing music, cleaning out mold and finding the positive in this (literally) dark scenario. But before we had done any of that, we plugged in two diffusers, filled them with The Cleansing Blend, Wild Orange, Peppermint and before we knew it everything seemed a lot brighter.

While I hope that you or your college age kid can avoid living in places with moldy vents, a diffuser is a key in making a strange place feel, and smell, like home.

Thank you all so much to Kristen and Busy Kids Happy Mom for inviting me to be here! I hope that you enjoyed and please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have! If you want to get in contact with me, please reach out to Kristen and she’ll get us connected (leave a comment below).

Best of luck to all those college kids—and college parents—out there. You can do it, I promise! Just tit one class, one test, and one oil at a time.  As for me I’m prepping for my next journey at Hogwarts (uh, I mean Grad School)!!!

Lots of Hugs and Oil Love!

Olivia