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. doterra.com / 31