Episode 201: Organizing and Optimizing Your Oil Collection

doTERRA: Organization has been shown to provide benefits in many areas of life and today we'll share how that can extend to your oil collection.

Welcome back to Essential Oil Solutions with doTERRA, the podcast where you'll hear exciting, useful, and simple everyday uses for essential oils from experts in the field.

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Today we're excited to talk to Alison Van Zandbergen about how you can organize and optimize your essential oil collection.

Alison, thank you so much for being here today.

Alison Van Zandbergen: Thank you, for having me. I'm excited.

doTERRA: I am excited as well. This is a topic that we haven't discussed very much, so I just want to dive right in. My first question is, you know, starting an oil collection can seem really overwhelming because there are so many different incredible oils to choose from. Where do you recommend that people start?

Alison Van Zandbergen: That's such a great question. I know for myself that when my kit first arrived after my very first class 10+ years ago, I did feel overwhelmed, and my kit initially just sat there for a little while.

So, knowing what I know today, I would strongly suggest that people start with the very simple daily habits routine, which I oftentimes get people started with the Healthy Habits Kit or the Natural Solutions Kit because they have all the products in there to start this routine.

And there are so many incredible oils and supplements that people can choose from. And knowing where to start is important. And I've come to learn that it is so important to change the terrain of our bodies—what's going on?

If we want to change something that's occurring in our life, we need to start with the roots. Where are the roots and what is what? What soil are those roots sitting in so to speak? And so, when we start putting in place the necessary, essential ingredients, we start to change the terrain.

And these are all in the daily habits routine that Dr. David Hill has intelligently organized. When we're giving our body what it needs, the body then can do what it's designed to do. So, when you want to change the fruits, it all starts with changing what's going on at the roots.

doTERRA: Absolutely. I love that! And branching off of that question, what advice do you have for people looking to optimize their oil collection? You know, they're just starting with a few different things. How do they figure out what products they need most in their home to, you know, change the roots, like you said?

Alison Van Zandbergen: Well, that was fun for you to add in, “branching off of that question," how appropriate.

Find Out What You Need

The best advice I can give for people wanting to optimize their oil collection and figure out which products they need most in their homes is to get with an essential oil expert like myself. Right?

So, when you're first starting out, hopefully you've gone to an intro to oils class, or a natural solutions class some of us call them, and we help you identify what oils and products will help to support you with the goals you're looking to attain.

Once your products arrive, sitting down and having a 60-minute Wellness Consult with that person who introduced you to the oils.

Like I said, after your products arrive, and using the Live Guide as a reference book to help navigate what is best and where you're ready to start and where you want to go is the most helpful.

Some people are really serious about wanting to make massive change fast and others are slower paced. What's really important is to meet people where they're at and remember that it's progress that counts.

doTERRA: Yes, I think that's incredible. It's those little steps of making progress and making those changes, even if it is incrementally.

Alison Van Zandbergen: Yeah, right. They say big doors swing on small hinges, right?

doTERRA: Now, Alison, I think we've probably all had that moment after we've grown our oil collection a little bit where maybe we can't find the one oil that we're looking for, everything becomes maybe a little bit disorganized.

So, what are some of your tips for organizing your oil collection, making sure that it's simple and easy to access?

Organizing Your Oil Collection

Alison Van Zandbergen: Yeah, that's a great question because I find that putting things in order makes things so much easier to then find them.

I personally have chosen an alphabetical system where I have a drawer in my kitchen for all my single oils, and then I have a draw for all the blends. And then the oils that I use on the lower level in my home where my bedroom is.

I also have separate shelves in this case of all my singles and all my blends that I use down in that space in alphabetical order.

That way, I know exactly where I need to go to, to get it. If you're confused, your oils are just all jumbled together and it can add more stress and cause you to not want to reach for your new little friends which can help you through your struggle, and then they're not serving.

And I never, ever want anybody to buy something that they don't know how to use. And my goal is to help people start to implement the oils into their life so that they can live the higher quality life that they're seeking.

doTERRA: And I think that point you make that you keep the oils where you use them, you know, the ones that you're using and some other places routinely, you keep them there and make sure that they're within reach and really easy to get to. I like that.

Alison Van Zandbergen: And how to stack them, right? The best way to establish a habit is to tie it to an existing habit that's already being done at that time of the day that you're wanting that habit to be established.

doTERRA: And that leads perfectly into my next question, which is that there are some products that we want to be using every day which can be hard to remember. So, what other recommendations do you have for organizing these types of products?

Where to Keep Your Oils

Alison Van Zandbergen: Well, those products that we want to be using every day, I'm going to start with the foundational ones, as I mentioned earlier, as tied to the daily habits routine.

So, for example, starting and ending your day with Balance essential oil blend. This is a blend that offers a tranquil aroma.

And then Frankincense, which preclinical studies, by the way, are suggesting support a healthy cellular function. Plus, it also sets up a comforting and uplifting environment.

You'll want these right on your nightstand, so you see them and use them first thing and last thing of every day.

And then the Deep Blue Rub. I keep that in my bathroom where I start my day by waiting myself. I apply my Deep Blue afterwards, before I throw on my exercise clothes. I love how the Deep Blue helps to support me in my movement, whether it's a HIIT workout or yoga.

And then with my toothbrush and floss, I have my On Guard. By putting my On Guard essential oil blend there, it reminds me to take a couple of drops under my tongue daily and to use it on my floss. On Guard is great at serving as a powerful immune system support.

And then my Lifelong Vitality Pack which I use for maximum nutrition, for energy, focus, relief and well-being, plus my TerraZyme, which helps to support healthy enzyme production for normal digestive processes, and then my citrus oils.

So, oftentimes, people when they're first getting started, they have Lemon or Tangerine, whatever your citrus oil is of choice. I like to have all of these things right in my kitchen where I prep my meals for the day.

I like to take, as far as my routine goes for my supplements, I like to take half of my dose for my Lifelong Vitality Pack with my morning meal and then the other half with my evening meal and always taking 1-2 TerraZyme with my meal.

My PB Assist, on the other hand, I also have with my toothbrush because one of the last things I do at the end of the day before climbing into bed is brush my teeth.

And that's when I like to take my probiotic so it can work in my digestive system throughout the night, a time when meals aren't going to be competing.

And then finally, Lavender. Well, and if you're like me, Lavender is an oil that I want everywhere. Wherever you go, it's a fantastic oil.

Lavender at the bedside is part of my daily healthy habit routine, where placing a couple drops in the palms of your hands and rubbing them and cupping them over your nose and affirming that you're in a deep and restorative nice sleep, and then taking your hands and swiping them across your pillow is a great option if you have yet to get a diffuser.

But diffusers are the bomb. I love my diffuser because I have it running throughout the night, so I'm getting consistent application night.

doTERRA: All of that sounds so incredible and I love that those products, you've placed them throughout the house, they kind of follow you throughout your daily routine. You don't have to kind of go and search for them. They're just already there for you. I think that's incredible.

Alison Van Zandbergen: Yeah, it's an absolutely necessary step, I think personally.

doTERRA: Now, Alison, before we end, I just want to know, can you leave us with maybe the top three things to remember when optimizing your oil collection?

Top Three Things to Remember

Alison Van Zandbergen: Absolutely. So, the top three things to remember when optimizing your oil collection are beginning with the end of mind or simply create order. Label your product and make a plan.

Number two habit stack. Right? So, place your oils and other products where you know you need them.

And number three, track your actions. So, get clear on your goals and then track daily what you're taking and along the way celebrate each successful step. I can pretty much promise you that if you do these things, you will see your life change for the better.

doTERRA: Absolutely. I wholeheartedly second that. Alison, it has been so wonderful to talk to you today to learn a little bit more about how we can optimize and organize our oil collection to make sure that it's giving us the most benefit.

Alison Van Zandbergen: Thank you, it's been a delight. It is a passion of mine. And I'm looking forward to more people being blessed with this information. I hope that you have a wonderful day.