Posted on November 15, 2019 by dragonspitapothecary
Some of us will soon be packing bags to head off to see distant family. Perhaps to our hometown where we went to elementary school and ran the streets on bikes with our friends. Maybe we’ll be off to fun mountain villages to take in tourist spots and enjoy some outdoor hiking. The Thanksgiving holiday gives us a chance to mix a little vacation fun along with family holiday activities. Many of us will take off work the entire week and set out to travel to our planned destinations for the holiday.
In my prior post I talked about the challenges some of us encounter with holidays. We are either exuberant in excitement or deep in quiet. There is an array of emotions we can experience and things we may not even have expected to come up in our feelings over holiday times. When you combine these intense feelings and emotions with travel it can quickly escalate into some uncomfortable and confining situations.
Today I’m sharing some of my favorite support for travel and holidays. Call it a survival guide or simply tools to pull out as you need but be sure to take these along with you. Our emotional health is a big part of our overall health. Letting things go or not addressing them can impact our immunity resulting in colds, flus and other illnesses. So on top of feeling blue or out of sorts we can also become physically ill and seriously who wants to be sick on Thanksgiving?
Getting There
Many people will fly and even more will drive to their holiday destinations. The airports and highways will be packed with travelers all in a hurry. We will spend hours traveling which means several hours in situations that may not feel great.
Germs and Bacteria
Airports, rest stops, gas station bathrooms and other places we stop in are all incredible germ and bacteria sources. We are at incredible risk in these places for illnesses, viruses, bacteria and other just gross disgusting things that can result in us becoming sick.
It is critical to have some form of germ protection on you. I recommend the doTERRA OnGuard Sanitizing Mist. It is 100% all natural and doesn’t have that alcohol smell or ingredient to dry out your skin. Even after you use the soap in the bathrooms where you stop spray your hands with this spray for protection. It also makes a wonderful cleaner for airplane seat trays. The throat drops and other OnGuard products are also pretty incredible.
Crowds
There is not better test of a person’s patience than enduring holiday travel. There will be lots of crowds of people all in a hurry to get to where they will be going. Some may be kind about it but most will be interested in their own needs and how fast they can get those needs filled. There will also be a great deal of rude and mean people who are caught up in a difficult situation or unfortunately by nature are just that way.
Airports and highways will both have long lines requiring our attention and patience. If you’re traveling with children this will add to the need for patience and understanding as they too wait with us in these lines and back ups. These types of situations are draining, exhausting and can be very unpleasant even when you go into it knowing it is likely to be delays, cancellations and lines.
I highly recommend some emotional support in these situations. We can all lose our temper or just run out of patience at points so it’s nice to be able to manage these responses and reactions in a constructive way when possible. When I travel I frequently take the doTERRA Forgive and Cheer emotional aromatherapy roller ball blends with me. I am known for sitting in an airport rolling oils on me when my flights are delayed or I’ve had to change gates more than a few times due to airport chaos. Being able to not get entirely undone over these situations and lose my cool I can extend my patience and take a breath as I lug my bags to yet another gate in hopes of getting to my flight.
Our sense of smell is powerful at influencing how we feel. If nothing else these oils also help eliminate unpleasant odors you encounter while traveling and makes people take notice that you smell good. You are literally making the airport a happier place all by using a little good quality essential oil.
Car Travel
In the car I have a car diffuser I setup for road trips. It is nice to have a good smell throughout our minivan and it helps a great deal with emotions, energy and focus. With a car diffuser you do not need a lot of drops of oil to have an effect so I caution you to limit the dose.
Try using the mix of doTERRA Peppermint and Wild Orange for a energizing yet calming aroma. Or here too you can use the doTERRA Emotional Aromatherapy oils to offset moods, attitudes and emotions. It may even be fun to try a wintery aroma of cinnamon and cedarwood. Pick aromas that appeal to you and that provide the support you know you may need on that ride. When we travel by car I will take along several oils so I can switch out the diffuser when we stop.
Lodging
Whenever you sleep somewhere other than your own bed it can take some getting used to. If staying with family you may find yourself on pull out sofas with the metal bar across your back or air mattresses that you slide off of all night. Perhaps that’s only me but I tend to slide off air mattresses for some reason. If you’re staying in a hotel there too you may find some things that prevent you from getting a good night’s rest.
I have a doTERRA AromaLite diffuser that has over 300,000 airline miles to it because I literally take it in my suitcase on every trip I make. This diffuser has never let me down and I use it wherever I am staying. It is almost the first thing I unpack and setup when I arrive.
For hotels I like to diffuse Melaleuca and OnGuard to help kill germs and purify the air from allergens and bad odors. I will then switch to a Lavender, Breathe diffuser blend for sleep and rest. These are soothing and calming oils that will not only protect your health but give you an aroma of home so you can relax.
If staying with family you can still setup your diffuser in your room or you may find it helpful to put it into a common area where everyone is hanging out. Doing this helps bring a touch of home for you and again can help offset feelings and emotions we may be encountering.
If you’re unable to bring a diffuser, then I recommend diffuser jewelry such as a necklace or bracelet where you can apply oils. Also directly applying oils to your wrists, back of the neck and heart frequently will help. Keep oils on you as much as possible to help you.
Travel Well
Being comfortable when you travel is important not only for your physical needs but also emotionally. We may be tired from our travel but we can still be relaxed and calm through this process so we can enjoy our holidays and protect ourselves against illness.
If you would like to purchase the oils mentioned in this post for your upcoming travel simply click here: dragonspitapothecary.com/traveloils
To learn more and see how living natural on your terms can support you on travel and at home check out the website where you’ll find ebooks, courses and other blog posts to help you explore. dragonspitapothecary.com/live
Comments