6 Candles to Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month

In the busy world we live in, it is important to take the time to create space for self-care. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we wanted to highlight the Wellness Collection and the ways you can use this collection to supplement your routine.

For this year's theme, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is amplifying the message of "Together for Mental Illness" focusing on connecting in safe ways and acknowledging that it's okay to not be okay. Remember you are not alone.

Breathe: 

Finding the breath and focusing on the inhale and exhale of your energy is a powerful way to recenter yourself. We can use breathing as a tool to train our mind and attention. Try out the anchor breathing technique in combination with a mantra while burning your Breathe Candle to help focus your mind in one spot. 

1. Light your Breathe Candle and find a relaxing spot to get cozy in - you can make this practice however long or short you like. We recommend starting slow with 3-5 minutes and working up to extended times.
2. Place your hands on a comfortable spot on your body. Some great spots are your belly, in front of your nose, on your chest, or on your knees.
3. Once you are ready, close your eyes and focus your attention to the breath and the connection of that breath to your hands as your anchor spot. 
4. Continuing breathing - If you find your mind wandering, simply breathe deeply and return your attention there. There is no need to criticize yourself for an adventurous mind. Our brains are busy and it's easy to slip away from your moment of solitude. 
5. When you are ready to close out your practice, create and speak a powerful mantra with "I am..." You can use this statement in stressful moments and remind yourself to breathe. When you breathe in, state "I am" and on your exhale follow it with a positive attribute such as happy, content, strong, and enough.

Calm:

Everyone has their own favorite ways to calm down in moments where stress gets to be too much. It's a great idea to keep a list of activities that calm yourself handy. Then you can easily pick something off the list and get started on relaxing and recharging. Some are our favorite activities include: 

• Read a book
• Go for a walk and observe nature
• Write down your feelings in a journal
• Listen to your favorite album

The Calm Candle is a great companion for running a bath or taking a warm shower to wash off all the troubles of the day. Watching the flickering flame with the purple milky matte glass of this candle is a tranquil way to return yourself to a central state of calm.

Peace:

Finding peace is a journey that we all have individual paths to and personalized activities that bring us that feeling of harmony. Adding a particular scent in the background of your peaceful pastime is a great way to create a link to the physical sensations and your presence in that moment. The Peace Candle will surround your practice with notes of cedar, sage, cypress, and sandalwood.  

Find the harmony between yourself and your favorite peaceful activity some time this week to honor the steps you have already taken in your pathway to peace. Doing a hobby you love is a great place to start if you don't already have a peaceful practice. Here are some of our ways to find peace in the busyness of life: 

• Cook a delicious meal
• Draw or paint a favorite place or thing
• Repot a growing houseplant

Mindful:

Being mindful is about being present and aware in the little moments that make up the bigger picture of our lives. You have the ability to practice this skill anytime and anywhere! The goal of mindfulness is to awaken and bring that awareness to your inner workings. 

One way to be mindful of your day-to-day experiences can be practiced through journaling. Whether it be in the morning or the night, setting aside some time to reflect and process the emotions that occurred during your day is a great place to start. Go ahead and spark the Mindful Candle for a mood-setting scent while you connect with your authentic self.

For more ideas on mindfulness practices, check out this guide to Getting Started with Mindfulness

Relief: 

Relief can take many forms in your life - whether it is after physically letting go of objects in your life, stretching and releasing stagnant energy in your body, or completing a task that you have been putting off, relief can be found in small and large forms. 

One great way to find relief can be through practicing yoga and getting your breath and body engaged together. We recommend this Yoga for Stress Relief alongside the Relief Candle to join your senses and give your mind, body, and spirit some relief from the stressful moments of life. 

Vibes: 

With the Vibes Candle, your space will be full of uplifting energy with its fresh scent profile. Lighting a candle is one way to get the good vibes flowing but pairing it with all your favorite songs is the recipe for a great mood booster! 

Create a playlist of your favorite feel good songs and jam out while you burn your Vibes Candle. Whether you use this time to dance out the bad energy or do a couple of chores and revive your space, it's sure to be good vibes only from here on out. 

Help NAMI spread the word through awareness, support and advocacy activities. Be sure to use #MHAM and tag @paddywaxcandles when you share your story and come together with us for Mental Health Awareness Month.

Welcome to the Paddywax Weekender Blog! This is where you'll find our favorite content when it comes to smiles, motivation, and inspiration. Our hope is that it inspires you to be the finest candle connoisseur and teach you something new. If you have any questions or requests, please reach out to hello@paddywax.com.