It would take me a long time to realize my face was just reflecting what I was feeling emotionally and physically. I thought I just had bad skin that was constantly broken out because it was very oily. Constantly I’d feel the latest new deep seated pimple building and I’d bury it under make-up to try to detract from it being what people saw first at work or when going out. Maybe it did work but I’d be sitting in meetings feeling my face itch and this pimple seem as large as my cheek so I knew I couldn’t be fooling anyone. How could they not see it? After years and lots of money I finally realized my face was just reflecting back what I was feeling because it had nowhere else to go.
Our faces are just that. Reflections of how we feel. We think it is just our feelings that are showing through our smiles, sighs and even tears but it is so much more. Our physical health also shows on our face. Through our face we can tell often if we are tired, stressed, run-down, not feeling well or even having problems we don’t even realize yet. I never appreciated the messages my body was sending to my face but I feel like I at least understand a little bit better what it is trying to tell me these days. Sometimes it takes a loud message to really get my attention you know, and nothing says hear me than large pimples right?
What finally worked for me was addressing my digestive system and stress in my life. You would think I’d catch on quicker to the culprit given that I did usually have had a regular runin with both heartburn and constipation in my life. It was just stress you know? Everyone has it in their life and what else do you do about it besides push through? I didn’t have time to whine about it either. I would just pop an antacid and crack on. Yes I know it wasn’t good for me, neither was the constant pre-packaged foods that made food quick to get either. Yet we do what we do to get through the day.
The problem is and I think this is true for a lot of us is we don’t know how to balance it all. We are buried in constant things demanding our attention and time leaving very little for ourselves. At the end of the day, we lack the energy and interest to care what our own body and mind need. I was and sometimes still am guilty of that. It took me realizing none of the expensive creams, dermatologist treatments, sun lamps, medicines and anything else I was doing or not doing working for me to say enough! What is really going on here and how do we solve it?
I started by stopping all the crazy things I was doing to my face that weren’t working anyway. I just left it alone for a while. For my digestive system I also quit the antacids. That was also uncomfortable. Like my face it felt like my digestive system was on fire all the time but I was determined to find a fix that worked longer than a few hours. During the next few months I would be quite miserable but I knew I had to detox from what I was doing and start from level zero to find a fresh path forward.
It was also at this time I knew I had to make other changes in my life about stress management. Just accepting it and not letting it bother you, whatever it is for you, is not always the best answer. Stress doesn’t just magically go away sometimes, particularly when it involves your family, job or both. It wears on you like a sweater that you cannot take off when you get too warm. Eventually, it builds into a bigger situation until you break. I was not willing to break so I decided to change.
We can say we know we should eat better, drink water, rest and exercise regularly but until we have a problem most of us don’t take that advice seriously. It is something else we will get to when we have time. Sadly, it sometimes takes those big health issues to come up for us to slow down. I didn’t want to wait for that to happen. It wasn’t easy and sometimes things still come up to challenge the careful boundaries I’ve setup but it is an improvement that gives me an opportunity to deal with things differently.
I made a list, because that’s a comforting thing for me to do but also so I could really see what was going on in black and white. I listed all the things that were bothering me, really bothering me day in and out. My face, how I was feeling, my jerk of a boss at the time, the bills, the fact laundry needed to be done and more was put in this list. There seemed like a lot. Maybe it was just a list of bitchy things I was feeling at the time and maybe it was something more severe, I didn’t care anymore. If it bothered me it went on the list.
The list turned into a plan to make things better. I didn’t want to feel like I was anymore. Unhappy, tired all the time, low on energy, not engaging with people I loved, broken out face, upset stomach and sore back from sitting all day to name a few. I was tired of being overwhelmed and not being able to enjoy what I considered a normal life. The scenario where I could enjoy time with the family in the evening instead of worrying about work all the time. A job that wasn’t taking me from home all the time on travel and then berating me non stop about how things weren’t working well or going fast enough. I wanted my life and my real face to come forward.
For the next few months I started by job searching new positions, working out with some gentle yoga classes when I was in town at home and using Melaleuca (Tea Tree) oil on my face. It didn’t seem like much but it was a start. I eventually found a new position and have gradually worked in a few more positions since then trying to find that ideal balance of work and life, with a decent boss. Maybe that’s a pipe dream but I’ve not given up on it yet. I also started other natural protocols like taking the doTERRA Life Long Vitality supplements, TerraZyme, PB Assist and Zendocrine to help with my digestive system.
Here’s what today looks like, it is still not perfect and sometimes it reminds me of this overwhelming beginning but it is better. I work at home full time with no travel. It took me a long time to find a position that paid well and had that option of no travel but I didn’t give up on it. I also in the past 3 years have started this blog and a small business called Dragonspit Apothecary. My evenings include having dinner with my family every day and working out consistently. My face has an occasional pimple come up but is generally blemish and irritation free. My heartburn and constipation issues also occasional these days.
The other notable change is that l now listen to what I need in the process of my day. Some days it is still a whirlwind of chaos but that’s not the norm anymore. My face shows it too because I feel happier, smile more and even have a healthy glow now on my skin. When the problems bubble up like a new pimple I respond with good nutrition, supplements and self-care. It isn’t something I ignore any longer because I know the place it will show is my face.
To learn how you can live life more naturally well visit my website at dragonspitapothecary.com