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While Love Is in the Air, Be Sure to Start With Yourself :)

 

With Valentine’s Day upon us and spring around the corner (for those of us north of the equator), we find ourselves in a season where both nature and culture encourage a time for love.

So, we’d like to focus our attention on simple ways each of us can cultivate self-love, which, as you’ll see, benefits not only us, but everyone else in our sphere of influence. (And of course, we’ll explore how our oral care routine can relate to this, too. 🙂 )

“Practicing self-love means learning how to trust ourselves, to treat ourselves with respect, and to be kind and affectionate toward ourselves.” – Brené Brown

 

How do I know if an action is ‘self-love’?

Acts of self-love are commonly (but not always) loving in all directions. In other words, if you question whether an action that you want to take for yourself is self-love, just look to see if others will also benefit from you taking that action.

Let’s take a look at an example… If a parent or caregiver provides themself some quiet, personal time, that is an act of self-love. How do we know? Well, taking some time to ‘recharge their batteries’ will help them to be a kinder, more patient, and more resilient version of themself. Even though the people they’re caring for may not immediately recognize this action as loving, ultimately, when the parent or caregiver takes good care of themself, they’re in a better position to also take good care of others.

Another good example of self-love is setting boundaries and saying “no” when our plate is too full to take on another task. Saying “no” can be uncomfortable for some folks, and sometimes it can be disappointing to the person who was making the ask. But in the end, honoring our needs by saying “no” (or even just “not right now”) benefits our own well-being (and we know from the first example above that our well-being can impact our interactions with other people).

So, when determining if the action is loving in all directions, we might need to ‘zoom out’ and view the impact on everyone from a broader perspective.

 

But isn’t self-love just a way to justify ego-indulging selfishness?

Definitely not. Caring for yourself does not mean you don’t care about or consider other people’s needs. Instead, it’s about helping ourselves so we have what we need in order to also help others. We all know we can’t pour from an empty cup. If we’re not ‘filling our cup’ by caring for ourselves first, how can we care for others without risking building up resentment and relational ‘trash’?

Selfishness suggests that life is a ‘win/lose’ game: when I take care of myself, someone else loses. This is not self-love. Self-love involves determining what you need first while taking into consideration the impact your action may have on others in your life. It’s a win/win game: you take care of your needs so the people around you can benefit, too.

Now that we know what self-love is (and what it isn’t), let’s explore a few ideas for how you might put it into practice to bless yourself and those around you. (P.S. one of the ideas relates to oral health. 🙂 )

Remember that we’re all unique individuals, and effective self-love practices can look different for each person. So, feel free to try the ideas that resonate with you and/or come up with your own ideas that are specific to what’s going on in your life. After all, you’re the expert on what would work best for you!

 

Idea # 1: Smile (for yourself)

“Life is like a mirror. Smile at it and it smiles back at you.” – Peace Pilgrim

Did you know that smiling actually makes us healthier and happier?

Suffice it to say, smiling is very much a form of self-love.

“But what if I don’t feel like smiling?” 

Yep, we feel ya. 

The good news is, even if we fake a smile, we still benefit from it. 

However, we must be clear who we’re smiling for. Smiling for ourselves as a self-care action is a wonderful idea (especially if we need a boost because we’re not feeling great). But if we flash a smile to appease or fool someone else, only to drift back into gloom after the moment passes, this actually reinforces our personal drama. It’s simply putting on a mask, and it doesn’t help us feel better (or contribute to the health and happiness of others).

So, the secret here is to check in with yourself. Smile for you first. Then if your smile winds up blessing others around you too, that’s all the better. 

If you’d like to read more about how smiling helps promote both health and happiness, feel free to check out our articles, “Never Underestimate the Power of Your Smile” and “Smile Your Way to Greater Health and Happiness“.

 

Idea # 2: Hit the pause button

Most modern people function in a state of stress 70% of the time.

We’ll let you in on a big secret… We can give our nervous system the opportunity to recalibrate to a healthier set point.

Even if we’re super busy, we all can hit the pause button and take a few breaths to coax our brain and nervous system out of stress mode and back to a natural resting state. And the more we believe, “Well, I just don’t have the time for that,” the more we really need it.

Leaning on our study of the Chinese longevity arts as well as Dr Stephen Porges’ polyvagal theory, if we make our exhale longer than our inhale, we naturally gravitate toward a calmer, more restful state.

Imagine you’re in the middle of a stressful conversation (ever had one? 🙂 ). Rather than having a hair-trigger reaction to a sharp comment from the other party, what would happen if you hit the pause button and took just one breath? 

Maybe try it right now.

As I sit here writing this, I’d give myself a 4 on my imaginary 1-10 stress scale. What about you? Where would you score yourself?

First, let’s adjust our posture to accommodate a naturally fuller breath as we wait for the end of our next exhale. 

Now, let’s inhale together for the count of one, two, three, four. And gently hold at the top of your inhale for one, two, three, four. And slowly, smoothly exhale for one, two, three, four, five, six. And hold your breath at the bottom of your exhale for one, two, three, four.

And naturally breathe in again at this point.

What do you feel? Warmer? Calmer? Does your number on the stress scale seem a little smaller and/or less intense?

This exercise helps calm our body’s physiological responses. As things slow back down to normal, less-stressed levels, we feel calmer.

If you’re in a time crunch, just one breathing round like this will at least help somewhat. But to boost your results, try repeating this exercise for at least a few breaths, and if you feel comfortable with it, you can also put your hand over your heart while you do it.

If you have the space in your life, you could even experiment by giving yourself 1 to 10 minutes of this practice each day. Then see how your life changes. It can be done in one session at any time during the day or even spread out over several different sessions throughout the day. And if you have difficulty falling asleep, then it can be especially helpful to do this at bedtime to help your body and mind relax and prepare to drift off.

 

Idea #3: Care for your mouth…

You knew we had to bring this up! 😁

Seriously though, by caring for your oral health, not only are you giving to yourself, but you’re also supporting the health of everyone around you. 

Your kids get to see you, the parent, modeling good oral hygiene habits. 

And all of your loved ones benefit because you’re lowering your risk of thug bugs running the show in your oral microbiome (as well as the risk of unintentionally passing the imbalanced biome to them through kissing and/or sharing foods and drinks).

Everyone wins.

Depending on where you find yourself on this journey, here are some resources that may help you on your path:

  • [Start here] Step One of Upgrading Your Oral Health: (Re)Defining Roles
  • [Brushing] How to brush your teeth to reduce gum disease (Bass brushing 2.0)
  • [Flossing] How to floss and NOT damage your gums
  • [Tongue Cleaning] How to clean your tongue, balance your oral flora, & stop bad breath forever
  • Brush or Floss First? What’s the Best Order to Brush, Floss, Swish?

 

Pulling this all together…

Self-love isn’t one action, it’s a state of mind. It’s choosing to care for your needs, knowing that by doing so, you’ll be a ‘better’ version of yourself in your life.

Since self-love really is a state of mind, you can give yourself some love at any time. Want a crazy boost? Try all three of the above ideas together! While it may feel a little like ‘patting your head while rubbing your belly’, we surely can intentionally breathe while smiling and caring for our teeth and gums. Just be forewarned: if you start laughing, please don’t inhale your HealThy Mouth Blend or Shine! 🙂

Wherever you find yourself in life, please know that you are loved and appreciated just as you are. 

What about you? What are some self-love strategies you like to use? Please share your tips and ideas in the comments below!

 

Helpful, related resources:

  • Never Underestimate the Power of Your Smile [article]
  • Smile Your Way to Greater Health and Happiness [article]
  • How to Help Your Child Avoid Gum Disease [article]
  • Step One of Upgrading Your Oral Health: (Re)Defining Roles [article]
  • How to brush your teeth to reduce gum disease (Bass brushing 2.0) [video tutorial]
  • How to floss and NOT damage your gums [video tutorial]
  • How to clean your tongue, balance your oral flora, & stop bad breath forever [video tutorial]
  • Brush or Floss First? What’s the Best Order to Brush, Floss, Swish? [article]
  • HealThy Mouth Blend [product solution]
  • Shine Remineralization Tooth Whitening Powder [product solution]

 

Other resources:

Dr Stephen Porges: https://www.stephenporges.com/

 

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Will And Susan

Will and Susan are the founders of OraWellness and are passionate about health, wellness and positive living.

"We are experienced dental health crusaders and holistic oral health product innovators who know first hand the power of nature to heal in miraculous ways."

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Comments

  1. Ron says

    February 16, 2022

    Hello
    Does Healthy Mouth Blend kill Streptococcus bacteria ? I understand this bacteria is the cause of cavities..
    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Chad at OraWellnesss says

      February 22, 2022

      Aloha Ron,

      Great question! 🙂

      Yes, the cinnamon leaf essential oil in the HealThy Mouth Blend helps to kill streptococcus mutans bacteria, the main thug bug implicated with tooth decay (source 1, source 2).

      Also, the manuka essential oil in the blend significantly inhibits the adhesion of streptococcus mutans and P. gingivalis (source).

      I hope that helps! Aloha 🙂

      Reply

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“This I the third time I’ve ordered the starter kit. It has everything in it you need for your oral care routine. It whitens my teeth, freshens my breath, and leaves me with an overall feeling of health and wellness. It’s my go to product for teeth and gums. I highly recommend it!”  ~ Jessika F, California

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I was depressed and frustrated regarding my dentist visits and how my oral health was not getting better even with all the scaffolding and deep cleaning.  Searching the internet I came across OraWellness and decided to give it a try.

I ordered the starter kit and I am beyond happy experiencing the wonder of how my gums have healed a lot and my teeth have tightened.  Thank you OraWellness!

Alma S from Idaho

I’ve been meaning to write you after the holidays to let you know that all of my adult children received a bottle of HealThy Mouth Blend in their Christmas stockings!
I have shared your products with all of them-even sent the basic starter kit to my youngest son living in Sweden! They have now all started on a path to oral health and wellness.
Thank you for your continued great products and wonderful customer service. It’s a family affair indeed.

Cathy R from Denver, CO

I have been amazed with your products and have been religious with my oral health regime after being diagnosed with severe bone loss and gingivitis a couple of months ago. Having gone to an oral surgeon and hearing of gum surgery, bone grafting and the like ( I even had scheduled an appt to do begin the process!), I decided to take matters into my own hands and research my options. I found your website, thoroughly read about the products, watched the videos and decided to order two starter kits-one for myself and one for my oldest son for Father’s Day.

I had just gotten started with a daily rhythm using your products and guidelines (less than a week) when I went in for my six month cleaning. On one side of my lower jaw I had a gap of 8.8 mm measured last fall. When the hygienist began her poking and prodding, she stopped, looked at my chart and poked again exclaiming “Wow. This gap was 8.8 the last time you were here and now it’s at 6.0 mm. Humm-that’s interesting.” Hummm…yep, interesting indeed!!

My next cleaning visit is in December. I trust at that time I can reverse and stop the downward spiral my teeth were headed. Thank you for all the work you do and for providing such amazing products and guidance for the planet. I’ve shared with many my experience thus far.

Cathy R from Denver, CO

Thanks so much for your products! I absolutely love the toothbrush, tongue scraper, & of course the healthy mouth blend. My teeth and gums are improving every day.

My gums used to bleed every time I flossed, and now I can floss with no problem. I finally feel my teeth and gums are healthy!

Heather Y from New York

Since I started using the Orawellness system, I don’t have any stains, even though I’m an everyday coffee drinker, and I won’t ever give up a good fresh cup of coffee. My gums are healthy, plaque is very little to none. The dentist asked me last time why I even came in, there’s hardly anything to clean, even though my last cleaning was…. Well, I’m not going to tell you all my dirty secrets but let’s just say it’s been longer than it should have. The tongue cleaner is the absolute best I’ve ever had as well!

Amanda L from Florida

Just a note to say thank you for your informative website. I have learned so much from watching your videos.

I was told by a dentist a few years ago that I would need a gum transplant in the future. I did not like the sound of that and it is not anything that I would ever consider. But he didn’t recommend any preventative measures or ways to heal my gums.

I have been using the Orawellness oil when brushing, flossing and to massage my gums. I will continue to make this a part of my daily regimen.

Pamela G from Nevada

I ordered the HealThy mouth, tongue scraper, and 2 brushes. My mouth feels better, breath cleaner, and I am a loyal customer now:)

Carolyn K from Florida

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