I Don’t Know!
There are many people I meet who hesitate to use essential oils saying, “I just don’t know enough about them to feel comfortable getting started.”
The road to feeling comfortable is to gain both awareness and confidence through personal use and education. There are four stages of competence, as developed in the 1970s by Noel Burch of Gordon Training International.
· We start at unconscious incompetence where we don’t know what we don’t know;
· We become aware of what we don’t know and take steps to discover more, increasing our proficiency; and
· Finally, we move into unconscious competence, performing a skill so easily we do it without thinking.
This is my own essential oil journey, too!
I had heard about essential oils but had no idea they offered health benefits. I thought they smelled nice and used them as I would a perfume.
Then I began using a pharmaceutical grade of essential oils and was “wowed” by the amazing outcomes for myself and my family. That made me curious: What else did I NOT know about essential oils?
Now, not knowing can be immobilizing. Our egos like to know, right? If I got stuck in the fear of “not knowing”, that’s where it would have ended, and I’d have missed out on years of healthier living.
Over the last 11 years as I have used them, I continue to learn more and more about them. My firsthand experiences increase my knowledge and my confidence. My curiosity fuels my desire to learn more about them, to discover more diverse uses, and to find creative solutions to life’s everyday experiences. I use them daily, and mostly without thinking, I grab different oils throughout the day as dictated by the needs of each situation. In other words, I use essential oils in an unconscious competence state!
But I didn’t start there, and in all honesty, I am humbled by what I still do not know. Rather than giving in to the fear of not knowing, my curiosity is peeked again, and the cycle of learning begins anew.
Finding Answers
I invite you to move through that fear, that “unknowing” stage and get answers to your questions.
There are so many questions asked by both the novice and seasoned user. What’s the best way to get your questions answered?
® Ask someone you trust! And then be openminded to the answer.
® Trust your own personal experiences to increase your knowledge and confidence with using oils.
® Essential oils are considered an information-based product. Purchase your oils from a company committed to providing reliable consumer use & benefit information, and one that will make research and resources available to support its claims.
® Answers come to those who ask questions. Ask better questions and you’ll get even better answers.
FAQs
The most frequent questions I hear fall into three main categories: Use, Efficacy, Safety. I’ve selected the top five questions about using oils to provide answers to help you get started!
1. What are essential oils and why should I use them?
An essential oil is distilled from plants. It is a naturally occurring, volatile aromatic compound, or nature’s chemistry!
Volatile means it changes easily from a solid/liquid state to a gas at room temperature. This is why we can immediately smell it when we open the bottle.
Essential oils are produced by the plant as part of its defensive/recovery mechanisms and as part of its communication (i.e., to attract pollinators or repel pests). These same benefits are available to us when we use them: Protection, repair damage, and support internal communications (cellular/neurotransmitter).
2. How do I use essential oils?
There are three ways we use essential oils: Aromatic, topical, and internal.
· Aromatic – What’s the first thing you notice about an essential oil? It SMELLS!! It has an aroma! Inhaling essential oils is a simple, yet powerful way to enjoy their benefits. We use essential oils aromatically to open our airways, cleanse the air, and uplift our mood. Use a diffuser, breathe in a drop from your hands, or simply open the bottle and take a whiff!
Try this: Place a single drop of Peppermint essential oil on your palm, rubs your hands together, place hands over your nose and breathe in deeply! What an invigorating aroma. That’ll clear your airways and help flood the brain with oxygen to help you think more clearly!
· Topical – This is a well-founded, well studied method of applying oils. Essential oils are easily absorbed into the skin and quickly get distributed throughout the body via the bloodstream. Using essential oils topically allows you to enjoy whole-body support while targeting specific areas of the body.
Try this: Apply a drop of Lavender essential oil to irritated skin or on a bug bite. Its cleansing and purifying properties help soothe skin, while the aroma helps calm emotions, too.
· Internal – While many may be initially hesitant to use this method, several clinical studies support the safety and effectiveness of ingesting essential oils. Many of the essential oils are sourced from plants which are regularly part of our diet, so our bodies are already familiar with metabolizing them. Research also shows that internal use offers unique effects that other methods do not. Here’s just a short list: Promote healthy cell function, provide antioxidant support, assist with healthy cardiovascular system function, maintain healthy immune function, and aid gut health*.
Try this: Add a drop of Wild Orange essential oil to your water every day for a burst of flavor and to promote overall health. This oil possesses stimulating and purifying qualities, making it ideal to support healthy immune system function when used internally.*
3. Where do I apply them?
The simple answer is to apply the oil directly to the area you want to support. Here are some other simple ways to use oils topically:
· Apply leaf oils (Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Tea Tree) to the chest to open airways and promote easy breathing.
· Apply grounding oils (Frankincense, Vetiver, Cedarwood) to the back of the neck or base of the skull to promote relaxation.
· Apply spice oils (Ginger, Fennel, Coriander) to the abdomen to help relieve digestive discomfort.
· Apply oils to the bottom of the feet to leverage additional benefits available through the reflex points on the feet.
4. How much should I use and how often?
Essential oils are highly concentrated and potent. For example, a single drop of Peppermint essential oil is equivalent to 28 cups of peppermint tea. Use only a small amount for each application. Reapply as needed for optimal results.
5. How can I get help to know what oil to use, when?
Find a knowledge person you trust and ask them to help you get started. Or simply contact me directly to schedule your free lifestyle overview and enjoy some free samples! I am excited to answer your questions and help you feel more comfortable!
Note: This article focuses on essential oil use. Questions on efficacy and safety will be addressed in future articles.
As you use oils and learn more about them, you’ll move through the four psychological states until you also reach a stage of unconscious competence. Give yourself permission to use them NOW even though you may not know all there is to know. This will not only provide you with authentic firsthand experiences but will increase your own confidence.
Success Tip: Use them, allocate time to learn more about them, and build your competence and confidence!
Own Your Health with wellness lifestyles and natural products!
What’s next?
Want to learn more? https://oils.link/TerriPace is a great resource of educational and fun opportunities to connect with our community! Join us each month for a variety of free online and in person workshops to learn more and get your questions answered!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease
.