Working Woman’s Oily Guide to Surviving the Office

A few months ago I had a life-changing event…I went back to work full time. After nearly 20 years of being a stay-at-home mom, and then a work-at-home mom this was a big shock to our family!! There were so many reasons that it made sense for my family…and for me. But so many things changed at our house, including the way I use my essential oils. I needed different oils at my desk at my corporate office than I did at my home office. So today, I’m going to share my suggestions for an oily “survival kit” at the office. 

1. Thieves…uh, duh…because if you work in an office or you work anywhere where there are other people, especially if those people have kids that are at school or daycare, they are coming in with germs.  Even if they’re not super sick they can be sharing viruses and bacteria.  Thieves is fantastic for keeping you healthy!  I like to take Thieves Vitality and put just one drop in my stainless steel or glass water bottle. Shake it up real good and drink it!  It adds a little flavor to your water as well as working on supporting your immune system.

2. En-R-Gee I don’t know about the rest of you but there are days when I wake up and from the very beginning, I am not sure how I’m going to make it through my day…I’m just plain tired! En-R-Gee is a fantastic oil to give you the boost you need to keep going.  What I like to do with this one is dilute it and put it in a roller-top bottle at my desk. Whenever a bit of fatigue hits me, when I find myself yawning or really struggling to keep my attention on the job that I need to do, I will grab the rollerball and roll on a little bit. I like to put it behind my ear or on the back of my neck. This isn’t my favorite smelling oil blend so honestly, I will sometimes roll it on my ankles so I don’t have to smell it, haha! One of the best parts for me is that I can put this on in the afternoon and it doesn’t impact my sleep at night.

3. White Angelica I have great co-workers so I don’t use this often, but I have it on hand for those times when I do have to interact with a negative co-worker. White Angelica acts like a shield protecting you from the negative energy of other people.  This is especially helpful for those who tend to take on attitudes and energy of anyone around them. I like to take a drop and rub it in the palm of my hands and then run my hands from the top of my head down to my feet. Image you’re creating a bubble all around you.  You may not feel like you’re getting oil on every part of you, but the molecules are leaving your hands as you move them downward, creating a barrier from those negative vibes.

4. Clarity This one is great for your brain! I use this one when I’m working on big projects where I need to pull lots of information from different sources, or I need to understand something detailed or complicated, or I need to make a decision. This is another one that I have diluted with a roller-top on. Then it’s easy to just grab it and roll some on. If you have to make decisions, be accurate, or just get things done, Clarity is definitely one you want to have at the office.

5. Joy My next suggestion is Joy because it is such an uplifting oil.  We all know those times when news comes down the pipeline and we need to put on our face that says, “I support this decision 100%” …even if you don’t.  Or maybe you have to work on a project that you’re not excited about working on. There are lots of reasons that you might want to rub on a little Joy or put a little joy in your diffuser. The diffuser is great if you have co-workers that would benefit from a little joy, too.  This oil is just going to turn your attitude around and help you deal with whatever is going on.

6. Motivation The next one I am never without is Motivation. Honestly, for me, I need motivation when I get home. I’m pretty good at getting my to-do list done at work but when I come home the only thing I really want to do is sit and veg out. Unfortunately, dinner needs to be made, laundry needs to be done, I have projects around the house that I want to do. If you’ve got younger kids, that just adds to your list! There’s homework to help with, running kids to and from activities, baths at the end of the day.  Sometimes those are the last things you want to do after work. So, for me, Motivation is something I put on at the end of the work day to help motivate me to do the things that I need to do at home. But you may need it at work if there is a particularly difficult project to do. No matter where you use it, motivation will help you get it done!

7. Humility This suggestion might not be something that you need, but it’s definitely something I need. I sometimes have a hard time taking criticism or having someone imply that I didn’t do my job well.  Applying a little bit of Humility helps me listen to what this person is suggesting.  Having the humility to at least look at the situation, suggestion, advice, or whatever they’re trying to teach me allows me to take the good and leave the rest. This is also a great one when you are about to go into any kind of learning situation. Again Humility brings down your walls, so if you are going into a training session where you need to let go of what you believe you know and be ready to learn something new, this is the one to have on hand. 

8. DiGize I’m including another favorite that I love to have with me all the time. Actually, this is one that I just carry with me because I use it often. I know for me I don’t always eat well at the office. Some days I’m able to bring my lunch and then I have an appropriate-sized meal for myself. But there are other days when I go out to eat or it’s a planned company lunch, and I come back to my desk and just don’t feel great. I know that I don’t work as efficiently at when my tummy is upset and so a little DiGize can be super helpful to rub on the tummy. If you have DiGize Vitality throw that in some water or bring some empty veggie caps to help ease the over-indulging discomfort.

9. Deep Relief  This is just what it sounds like…deep relief. If your job involves standing on your feet, bending, stretching, lifting, or sitting and staring at a computer screen all day, you need this oil. I can really tell when I’ve been working on my computer too much because my shoulder and neck hurt but a quick swipe with Deep Relief feels so amazing. The nice thing about Deep Relief is that it comes pre-diluted in a roller-top bottle so it’s super convenient to carry with you and easy to use whenever you need it.

10. Highest Potential Young Living has lots of oils to encourage personal growth and advancement, but the one I think smells the best is Highest Potential.  In fact, many days I put this one on like a perfume in the morning before I leave the house, giving me the confidence to go out and live to my highest potential.

I’m going to give you a bonus suggestion, because this is one I think every household should have (and have multiples of)…StressAway.  Driving on the roads to work, in your boss’ office, dealing with your to-do list, managing a household…do any of these bring you stress?  If so, this is one to never leave home without.  A friend once commented that StressAway smells like a “vacation in a bottle.” So if a vacation sounds good about now, try a little StressAway!

There it is, my Working Woman’s Oily Guide to Surviving the Office! Did I miss anything? What would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments!