Living Magazine doTERRA Summer 2018 Living Magazine | Page 30

The
Caregiver Community
“ dōTERRA is more than selling and using essential oils,
but rather it is more about community and spreading
the love and knowledge with others so that life’s
struggles can be eased on some level.”
Finding time for self-care amidst concern for the welfare of others
Heather Oglesby’s life was turned upside down when her
mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and her father
passed away in the same year. After months on end of
stress, she found herself in the emergency room with a
possible heart attack. From that moment forward, she
decided she needed to make her health a priority. Heather’s
search for health and wellness lead her to dōTERRA.
Heather’s Story
I have been a dōTERRA Wellness Advocate for about two years now
and have truly enjoyed adding essential oils into my wellness routine.
I am a 45-year-old working professional, who is also a fulltime
caregiver to my mother with Alzheimer’s disease. Three years ago,
I picked up my mother from a homeless shelter due to complications
associated with dementia, which we did not know she had at the
time. She was only 64 years old. She had lived in poverty most of her
life and could not afford healthcare. There was no other option but to
move my mom in with my husband and myself and begin navigating
the caregiver role. Ten months later, I received a call from a private
investigator looking for the family of my father because he had
passed away. I had not seen my father in 20 years. I was named
the designated survivor to handle all his affairs. After the most
stressful year of my life, I landed in the emergency room at age
42 with a possible heart attack.
Learn the Importance of Self-Care
From that day on, I decided to prioritize my health. When I described
my traumatic experience to a colleague, she asked me if I had ever
used essential oils. I looked at her and said, ‘I have no idea what they
are, but if they can support my health naturally, I’m all in!’ She took
me to the back of her car, pulled out dōTERRA literature, oil samples,
and took time to describe the benefits she has received by incorpo-
rating essential oils into her daily routine. From that day, I have
used oils to support myself with the stress that comes with
being a caregiver.
Find a Support System
One thing I have realized through this caregiver role, is that one
cannot survive life’s stresses without community. We have to connect
with one another and support each other, especially during difficult
situations. The supports that have anchored me during this time have
come through nonprofits, community wellness centers and dōTERRA
30 / SUMMER 2018 LIVING MAGAZINE
Wellness Advocates. I truly believe it is genuine people who are the
foundation of any organization. Two Wellness Advocates who have
been instrumental in supporting me, Elizabeth Haller and Beth Hoss
Hagler, have also taken “community” to another level. Two years ago,
I collaborated with a nonprofit, Amy’s Place, to hold a “Woman’s
Caregiver Retreat.” This retreat included sessions on wellness from
health coaches, massages, meditation, functional movement, and
dōTERRA essential oil education and consultation. To be able to
share with other caregivers the benefits I have received from dōTERRA
is extraordinary. We have now held two Caregiver Retreats and the
number one request is for the “oils.” dōTERRA is more than selling
and using essential oils, but rather it is more about community and
spreading the love and knowledge with others so that life’s struggles
can be eased on some level. There is no monetary amount that could
reimburse the service provided at our Caregiver Retreats. Caregivers
who have never tried essential oils were now being introduced to a
natural way to deal with the stressors in their lives, which can be
carried with them for a lifetime.
“ We have to connect with
one another and support
each other, especially during
difficult situations. The sup-
ports that have anchored me
during this time have come
through nonprofits, community
_
wellness centers and do TERRA
Wellness Advocates. I truly
believe it is genuine people
who are the foundation of
any organization.”
— Heather Oglesby
Heather is continuing to organize several more retreats,
and hopes to continue in these efforts to bring support to
caregivers who are struggling. With the caregiver commu-
nity and other dōTERRA Wellness Advocates by her side,
Heather knows that she can tackle her own stresses as a
caregiver, and work to improve the lives of those who put
their own wellbeing on the back burner in order to care for
their loved ones.
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