​Our current society is plagued with anxiety, stress and preoccupation. There is always something demanding our time and attention – it can wear a person down. We often find ourselves medicating our minds to get through the day. While some medication can be necessary, there are also some natural alternatives to keep our heads on straight.  We can improve our minds naturally to bring us back to center.
It’s a new year which means it’s the perfect time to set a goal for healthy habits to improve how your mind reacts to the stressors surrounding you. 

There are many herbs out there and many different applications of those herbs that can help us improve brain function, reduce stress levels, combat pain and just plain get us through the day. If you find yourself muddled and ready to give up, try some of the solutions below, they may help.

Focus
When we are overly stressed, we can have a hard time focusing on simple everyday tasks. Try some of the solutions below to improve your focus:

• Set a timer – I’ve found that setting a timer for 30 or 60 minutes and then trying to get as much of my task done within that time limit is a great way to force myself to focus.
• Take a break – Sometimes your mind just needs a 10-minute break. Get away from your desk, grab something to drink, take a walk and come back refreshed.
• Give yourself a pep talk – It may be that you are allowing your brain to get away with negative talk that is blocking you from doing what you need to. Create a mantra and erase the bad thoughts - create new ones.
• Rosemary – Rosemary essential oil is a wonderful option if you need to focus. MB Botanicals Rosemary Mint Soap and Rosemary Mint Sugar Scrub are the perfect way to start your day strong and focused. If you need its benef its later in the day try diffusing rosemary oil or creating a rosemary oil rub for your skin.  Just make sure you use a carrier oil for the rub.

Stress
We all experience stress. Some people have more than others, but it’s something that no one is able to escape. Whether you are constantly stressed or not, here are some helpful tips:

• Exercise– Even if you feel that you don’t have time to exercise, you should dedicate some time to do it. You can work through so much while working out your body and you may come up with excellent solutions to problems.  
• Lavender– Lavender can ease your mind before sleep and has been shown to lower stress levels. MB Botanicals has a plethora of lavender scented goodies to help calm your stress. From soaps to scrubs, to body oils and lip balms. You can also use the oil in a diffuser or make a de-stress balm for your skin. Or simply light a lavender scented candle.
• Reduce caffeine – I know this one sounds like an awful idea, especially when you are stressed about a deadline, or have to stay up late to help your kid finish their science project. But caffeine can increase your stress levels. If you start to get jittery and anxious, have a big glass of cold water or sip some chamomile tea to help you calm down.
• Don’t procrastinate – Set a timer and get your stuff done. If your tasks are piling up behind you, get them done early. If you are a perfectionist – remember that things do not have to be perfect, they just have to be done.

Anxiety
Anxiety is a close cousin to stress, but unlike stress, anxiety can crop up for no reason at all. If you suffer from anxiety occasionally or all the time, here are a few methods that can reduce it:

• Self-talk – When a person suffers from anxiety they usually have a lot of negative self-talk bouncing around in their heads. Everything seems awful with no way out. You do have a way out, it will get better so try changing your self-talk. Pick a mantra or two and keep those negative thoughts at bay. Keep telling yourself that you are okay and this is a passing feeling. There is nothing wrong.
• Focus on the now – Anxiety makes us worry about any kind of what-if situation our brain can think of. Stop it from worrying about what might happen tomorrow by focusing all of your brain power on the current moment. What do you need to do right now? Realize that you have control of your present.
• Exercise – This belongs not only under the stress category, but here under anxiety too. There are many people that exercise to combat their anxiety. You can work out problems while you are working your body. When your body and mind are tired after a workout, things don’t seem so bad.
• Essential oils – There are quite a few essential oils that can help ease anxiety – lavender, chamomile, and peppermint are some of the most popular. MB Botanicals offers these in many of our products. Use a lavender body oil when you get out of the shower in the morning and at bedtime. Or keep a lavender mint lip balm on you when you need a pick-me-up. You may also choose to use any of these essential oils in a diffuser.

You may not believe in essential oils. You may not want to create tinctures or rubs and that’s okay. Sometimes all we need is to shut off the world around us and get outside. Take a walk in the fresh air. Run in the rain. Hike a trail and get your blood pumping. Disconnect for an hour from society, technology, your job and you will be on your way to improving your mind naturally.
Whichever method you choose, I hope this article helps you improve your mind naturally this year.

January 1st brings resolutions for exercise, diet or other body-related topics. It seems like a cliché to sign up for a gym membership in January only to stop going in February and finally cancel it in November. How can we increase our chances of actually improving our bodies?
With natural skincare products – that’s how.

As mentioned in my article on how to create Healthy Habits for the New Year, taking good care of your body will help complete the big huge resolutions or goals you have set for yourself in the coming year. Let’s dive into how to improve your body with natural skincare products.

How to Boost Your Chances of Reaching Your Goals
Delectable skincare products are not going to miraculously make you more accountable and/or productive, but they can help. 

Here are a few areas you can use natural skincare products to boost your chances of succeeding in your body resolutions this year:

Muscle Aches – Since you’ve signed up for the gym again and you started working out ferociously, you are going to have some major body aches. Your muscles will be fatigued and screaming at every step. Thinking of taking the stairs? Forget about it! 

However, I have some help for you – here are a few things you can do to reduce your muscle soreness so you won’t wince and groan with every stair step.
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• Bath Salts – MB Botanicals has an array of soothing bath salts to ease your pain. Not only do these salts smell delicious, but they use Epsom, sea and Himalayan salts to remove toxins from your muscles and easing the soreness.

No time for baths? Stay tuned for a delicious shower alternative to bath salts!  

• Massage – Why not talk your loved one into using MB Botanicals body oil to massage your sore muscles? It won’t only feel great for your muscles but your skin will be soft and hydrated as well. Not to mention, the body oils won’t leave either of you greasy. That’s a win-win!

 
Meditation– Meditation or yoga can do wonders for your body and your mind. Teaching yourself to relax and listen to everything your body has to say will help you ease into bedtime after a stressful day, hard workout or if you struggle with sleep in general.

Not only will it help you destress from your day, but it will do wonders for you the next day as well. By calming the mind and body after a hard day, you are giving yourself a boost for days to come. By stretching, relaxing and becoming more in-tune with your body, you will improve your workouts as well. Stretching eases muscles and reduces injuries and burnout.

Try using one of MB Botanicals body oils on your skin before meditation or yoga – this will give your senses a boost and help you get into the focused mindset you need to fully relax and take care of yourself.

Sleep – Sleep can be elusive sometimes and there is nothing more frustrating than having to cope with life when you are groggy and crabby.

Lavender works wonders to calm the mind and body and prepare it for sleep. Many MB Botanicals products are made with lavender. Here are a few suggestions to help you sleep at night:

• Relax or Sooth Bath Salts – both of these contain lavender. Take a hot bath with either of these to make you relaxed and sleepy before bed.
• Lavender Body Oil – Moisturize your skin before bed with MB Botanicals Lavender Body Oil while sipping chamomile tea. You will be snoozing before you know it and your skin will feel amazing.
• Soothing Foot Balm – You may also choose to give your feet a treat with Soothing Foot Balm. This will make your feet soft and beautiful, while the Lavender oils comfort you.

Energize– Even if you have a bad night’s sleep, you can help boost your energy (or at least your attitude) in the morning with MB Botanicals Sugar Scrub in the shower. It will wake you up and make you feel ready to take on the day. 

If you are feeling overly fatigued, the Citrus Mix, Lavender Eucalyptus, or Rosemary Mint will be your best options. (MB's favorite is the Rosemary Mint:)

Putting it all Together
If you use one of the methods above or all of them to improve your body this year – make sure you outline a routine and track your progress. Tracking your progress will let you know what is working and what isn’t.

Set aside time in the morning to take care of your skin and use the right skincare products to ensure you have a great day. 

Also set aside time in the evening to take care of any muscle aches and to make sure you are preparing yourself for a good night’s rest.

With a healthier more well-rested body, you will have all the energy and ambition you need to tackle whatever is on your list this year.
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Are you using MB Botanicals to improve how your body works and feels? I would love to hear how you are improving your routines and the way you feel. Leave a comment to reach out me.

​A new year is upon us once again. Many of us are thinking about setting goals and resolutions to improve ourselves over the next year.
So many of those resolutions are diets and exercise routines. Perhaps your goal is to find a new job or go back to school. Maybe your goal is to relocate or finally buy your own home. These are big plans and they take a lot of work and dedication.

Once February rolls around, many of us will have forgotten our resolutions, or just given them up as too lofty.

One thing you can try is setting little goals that help you get to your bigger resolutions. It’s been proven that keeping resolutions is easier to do when you take small steps to reach a big plan. By creating small goals that lead into your bigger goals, you are able to see the progress you’ve made and it may help you get there.

The best way to reach those goals is to take care of yourself. You’ve heard it said that you can’t take care of anyone else if you are worn down and exhausted yourself. The same reasoning applies to accomplishing your goals. 
If you take care of yourself first, you will have the energy and the drive to go after those resolutions. You will have all the willpower it takes to check things off your list and you will feel amazing.

Forming habits is tough – unless they are bad habits. Bad habits are easy. But good habits take loads of willpower. There are heaps and heaps of articles and books on forming good habits, but they all come down to this: start slow and easy and take steps each day to get there. 
So how do you go about taking care of yourself first? It’s not as hard as it seems. There are four areas that you can focus on that will make a huge impact on how you feel. Accomplishing these will give you a boost of self-esteem and a feeling of achievement. 
So start small with self-improvement habits and get after those New Year’s Resolutions!

Healthy Habit Ideas: 

If you want to be successful at something like a new exercise plan to lose weight and be strong and fit; you will need to ensure you are getting proper rest, eating good foods and taking care of your skin and muscles. Taking care of your body will give you energy and willpower to tackle all of your other goals.
If your goal is to get a new job or to stress less this year; you should focus on self-improvement. Learning a new skill, or leveling up current skills. You will want to ease into the day and focus on keeping the stress and anxiety at reasonable levels. Improving the mind will help you get where you want to go.

No matter what big resolutions you set, you would benefit from creating a skin care routine in the morning and night. It won’t just make your skin look and feel better, but it will prove that little steps make a big difference. Taking care of your skin will make you radiate confidence during the day and sleep better at night.

We also should break bad habits that hold us back from getting what we want or feeling the best we can. You may want to drink less alcohol, stop smoking, quit biting your nails. Whatever that is, if you start with taking care of yourself first, you may find that it is easier to quit doing those bad habits.
 
By focusing on four different areas this year, we can all have a better chance ofaccomplishing those big resolutions. Or maybe these four things are good enough for you, and that’s more than enough. 
Goals and resolutions shouldn’t make us stressed or anxious. We should approach them with excitement. Let’s set ourselves up for success this year and get things done!

Do you set resolutions? Have you included self-improvement on your list? Why or why not?