Treating Burnout With: (You Guessed It) Tea.

I've reached a point of unfathomable burnout. In fact, it's gotten so bad that I quite literally don't sleep well anymore because I can only think of how truly burnt out I am.

I'm approaching vacation in exactly 2 days. Here I am, sleepless in my office because I did all sorts of work throughout the house to get ready for the aforementioned vacation. I realized some time last week, as I was literally salivating over the idea of a little time off and R&R, that the last time I went on vacation (and I use the term loosely) was in September 2008.

This 2008 "vacation" was 4,000 kilometre road-trip to attend a weekend retreat that was all very deep and psychological. Needless to say, my soul is in some serious need of refreshment; I'm looking very much forward to a couple days out in the wilderness.

I wanted to take a few moments to let the world know that Tea, as part of a bit of a ritual for me, has truly been helping calm my nerves in the last month. In times when every little bit helps, a hot cup of tea can go a long way to soothing one's weary soul.

It all started aroung 8 months ago. My wife and I, when visiting my parents, decided we needed to get out of their house and opted for shopping as a nice escape. The day turned out to be utterly hellish. Crowds, traffic, screaming children and adults, and ultimately unsucessful shelf stocking had left us totally drained and a touch irritable.

In this moment, the prospect of returning home to my parents house was actually rather horrific. We decided instead, in a last ditch effort at a nice day, to pop into a neighbouring town which is well known for its boutique shops and antique atmosphere. After parking the car, we promptly entered an aromatherapy shop on the main strip -- after all, aromatherapy sounded truly relaxing at a time like this.

The store was quiet with soft music playing in the background (I really do love that new-agey sort of music like that of Enya or Enigma). Immediately greeting you is a strong, calming blast of essential oils and anything else thats both high-end and meticulously scented; a true pleasure for one's sense of smell.

Walking deeper into the store, we were then greeted by an older woman who was one of those ladies who could be anyone's beloved grandmother. She welcomed us, and followed up her "Welcome!" with the greatest words I had heard all day: "Would you like a cup of tea?"

My wife and I looked at one another in pure confusion. In our greyish state of mind, neither of us could comprehend what was unfolding before us. After a few seconds of stunned silence, we turned to the woman and accepted her kind offer.

She promptly served us each a cup of their in-house blend of Lavender-Mint organic tea. Now, Lavender-Mint isn't exactly a common flavour 'round these parts. In fact, I've not seen any other such fragrant tea in my travels since that day... But I'm here to tell you that it's one combo that immediately won its place in my heart as a most soothing, calming blend of tea.

We ended up buying a bag of the stuff; as well as their Lavender essential oil for burning, and haven't looked back. It was a truly memorable finish to an otherwise forgettable day.

Lavender-Mint: A remarkable tea with all of the notes of a really robust mint tea (think Tazo Refresh with a hint of Chamomile), packing an über underbelly of soul-tranquilizing fragrant lavendar that tickles the tastebuds like you wouldn't believe.

Back to the 'ritual' I alluded to earlier? Try burning a little essential oil with your relaxing arsenal of teas. I find that a touch of lavender in the room can elevate even the most drab of herbal teas. Adding to that, is the warm yet soft glow of the candle that ever-so-gently heats the oil tray. Combined, these elements provide a comfortable sanctuary from the worries of the world in which we live.

And now you know how I've made it through the last month.

For more information on this Aromatherapy store and if you're interested in ordering some of this magnificent tea, the store is called TAP and their teas can be found at the following URL:

http://www.tapstore.ca/tea.html

I know I'll be going back there again.