Month: April 2020
Mindfulness – Dealing with mental health issues during this time
The whole world is going to a difficult moment right now with COVID-19. I am not here to talk about the coronavirus and tell you “remember to wash your hands”. I am here to talk about your mental health in this situation. We are all going through difficult moments right now and it is very important to keep ourselves grounded and calm. For years I have dealt with severe anxiety and panic disorder. I have tried many different methods to deal with it and it’s been a great help. Lately I have been practicing journaling, yoga, meditation and mindfulness, just to name a few. What is mindfulness? It is the practice of being completely aware of what’s happening internally and externally in the present moment. It’s deeper and more complicated than it sounds, and believe me, I am no expert on this. I am on the same learning journey as you.
We all have so many things in our mind right now, dealing with work, family, college, and now COVID- 19. “Will I get sick?”, “Will my family get sick?” “What if I lose my job?” or “I lost my job and don’t know what to do”. It is very difficult for people to slow it down and be present in the moment. Have you ever wondered why sometimes on your way home, you forgot how you got there? That’s because you are not in the present moment! You are thinking about 20 different things. When practicing mindfulness, you must be aware of all your senses. For example, I love to practice mindfulness when I am in the shower. I get to feel the warm water on my skin, then I think about how it feels, how it sounds, the things I can see; I grab the soap, I get to observe the bubbles, how it feels on my hand, how the lather feels on my skin, how the soap smells. Showering can be more than just getting clean; it can be a relaxing self-care experience.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not here just to paint a pretty picture, I am not here to tell you “oh relax, it’s all in your head, get over it.” No, I am here to tell you, ‘be present”, do you feel sad, angry, scared? Feel it, embrace it, cry, scream, let it go and then look inside yourself. Like everything in life, these feelings are temporary, it’ll pass, it’s going to hurt, but it’ll pass, you’ll be ok, I’ll be ok, we’ll all be ok.
Now that we are safe at home, take this time to look inside yourself, think, feel, be grateful for everything and everyone in your life, take care of yourself, do yoga, read a book, write down your thoughts, cook, meditate, pray, whatever feels good for your mental health.
Stay safe! Stay sane!
Why use handmade soap?
“Why spend so much money on a handmade soap when I can buy a cheap commercial one at the store?” I get it, we have all been there, I love a good bargain too. However, my skin doesn’t have to suffer in order for me to save a little money.
Handmade soap cleanses and lather just like a commercial soap, so why shouldn’t I use a commercial soap? The harsh chemicals! Every store bought soap has a lot of harsh chemicals! Even when the ones that say they moisturize, they have chemicals that can be harsh on your skin.
So why use a handmade soap? Every soap maker uses oils to create soap, chosen specifically for what they want to achieve: a soap for dry skin, or oily skin etc..plus we use essential oils, herbs and butters that clean and nourish your skin. You know what else you are doing if you use a handmade soap? You support a local artist that works with passion and love, and not a multimillion-dollar company whose only goal is money!
A lot of commercial soaps are made with synthetic agents and ingredients that are not safe for our skin like parabens, phthalates and so many more which I will be discussing in future posts.
Handmade soap contains glycerin. What is glycerin? It’s a humectant naturally produced during the soap making process, in which attracts moisture from the air to the skin. Some commercial soaps remove this from the soap (and it causes the skin to dry) then use that removed glycerin in lotions and other products to make you buy the lotion when a handmade soap has it all.
“Is handmade soap made with lye, is that dangerous?” Well yes, lye is extremely dangerous when ingested, breathed or if it gets in direct contact with the skin. However, when making soap and the right amount is used, all is good. Once the oils and the lye mix we have soap and no lye leftover to harm us! Think about making a cake, you wouldn’t eat flour, butter or raw egg, but when you mixed the right amount of each you got delicious cake!
Another reason to love and use handmade soap is they are cruelty free!! (Well, most of them, always ask what ingredients are used!). Most soap makers (me included) use vegan oils and ingredients in which no animal or person had to suffer from.
So please be very mindful when using any product for your body, make sure it is safe, research and ask what ingredients are being used! Your body is your temple, please take care of it! Yes handmade products are more expensive when compared to commercial and unsafe products(there is more work and time put into making an awesome handmade product in which most of the time it’s only 1 person doing all the work instead of machines!), but in the long run it’s WAY better, if you take care of your body now, you don’t have to suffer the consequences in the future.