Natural Ways To Survive The Stresses Of Summer

Many Baldwin’s customers come to us with issues that are caused by the very things people highlight as being positives of the warmer months. Because of this, we decided to create our own Relaxation Month, where we will be offering plenty of advice, competitions and surprises during August to help you deal with stress.

The first of our blog posts dedicated to Relaxation Month centres around coping with the unseen challenges of an English summer.

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Higher temperatures and plenty of sun can bring about seasonal allergies that can make spending time outside stressful and uncomfortable. Pollen, air pollution and exposure to allergen grasses like ragweed can cause symptoms like runny noses, itchy and watery eyes, sneezing and coughing.

The longer days can feel even longer when the kids are off school, especially if you’re trying to pack them full of activities. Studies have found that people actually sleep significantly less during these months – mainly due to rushing around making the most of the sunlight, and having difficulty sleeping when the temperatures are higher. If you’re trying to balance childcare while still working, the pressure of organising this plus financial stress can add to the list of things worrying you and stopping you from enjoying yourself.

Many people may see a holiday abroad as an answer to this – family time together, a break from work and lovely weather. However, if you let the organisation of your holiday overwhelm you, it can be yet another thing that contributes to feeling agitated and frazzled when you should be relaxing on your sun-lounger.

With all these things in mind, we’ve compiled a few natural remedies and helpful aromatherapy guides that you can put together to aid you in remembering what summer is really about – and allowing the stresses and strains to take a back seat while you enjoy the sunshine and chance to spend more time with loved ones. Read our selection below of aids for physical troubles like sunburn and hay fever, or emotional supports for you or the kids which are all from natural sources. Just keep in mind that you should avoid using essential oils on children under 2 due to their sensitive skin and the extremely concentrated nature of the oil.

Hay fever

Place 3 drops of essential oil onto a tissue and inhale. Any of the following would be ideal for calming allergy symptoms:

Chamomile, helichrysum, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, pine

(See our Hayfever Post For More Great Tips)

Sunburn

Using a carrier lotion as a base, mix in any of the following oils and apply gently to the skin to soothe:
Frankincense, sandalwood, helichrysum, geranium, lavender, yarrow
For dilution, use 0.25% for children aged two to six (1 drop per four teaspoons of carrier lotion), 1% for children over six (1 drop per teaspoon of carrier lotion) and 2% is ideal for most adults (10-12 drops per ounce of carrier lotion).

Insect bites

1 drop neat of any of (or if using on children, dilute in a carrier oil using the dilution guidelines above):
Chamomile, bergamot, ravensara, lavender, tea tree, niaouli

Travel sickness

Place 3 drops of essential oil onto a tissue and inhale. Use any of the following oils to help calm nausea:
Peppermint, cardamom, coriander, lavender, Melissa, ginger

Stress

The following essential oils are brilliant for bringing a sense of calm to your surroundings:

Marjoram sweet, cedarwood virginia, juniper berry, sandalwood, clary sage, geranium, vetiver, basil

Irritability

If summer anxieties get too much, consider aromatherapy using oils such as:
Roman chamomile, orange, ylang ylang, peppermint, clary sage, spikenard, geranium, neroli