It happens every time I speak .. what can I do about this cough?
I was on Clubhouse earlier today, listening to a fabulous conversation about being our authentic selves and the way our beliefs determine the masks we tend to wear. However, no matter how hard we try, the truth eventually filters through!
As you can see, it was a great topic to listen in on, yet one speaker brought up the fact that she feels plagued by a cough whenever she leads a room.
if you’re unfamiliar with Clubhouse, it’s an audio app where users gather in virtual rooms to discuss business and life. although, we’re not face to face, it’s real people, not hiding behind a keyboard
While making a point about the value to showing up as we are, it got me to thinking because this wasn’t the first time someone mentioned fighting a cough as they spoke. In the meantime, her message was quite clear. Even though the throat issues bothered her, they didn’t rob her of her ability to do business.
It’s who we are that matters. When we we’re comfortable in our skin, the peculiar facets to being human are easily overlooked. (a point I want to say more about in the near future.)
It was if I was listening to multiple conversations. I could hear her as my clinician’s mind spoke up which is why we’re here ….
Whether we’re fighting that annoying little tickle in the back of the throat or forcibly trying to hold back a full on spasm from erupting, coughing when we talk is more common than many of us realize. And while our minds sometimes travel into realms of possible health issues or chalk it up to one of those normal human things that I do, there is a common facet to this experience that offers an important message from the body. The stress system is on high alert.
For years, I’ve heard it said that public speaking is the biggest fear we have. Come to find out, this belief is untrue. According to an article in Psychology Today, 25% of the population fear public speaking.
In any care, I feel it’s fair to say people are nervous, yet being nervous is not the same thing as being stressed out. Feeling nervous is incidental and passes. We’re concerned about what people are going to think. Maybe we’re facing ‘imposter syndrome’ where we doubt our authority? What makes us nervous is expansive.
On the other hand, being stressed out has become a 24/7 experience of nearly every human body on the planet. Why? It’s 2021 and between cultural events, the over use of manmade chemicals, the way we relate to our thoughts and interact with others, the judgments we face, the should’s and shouldn’ts passed on from generation to generation … the list is endless. Essentially, we’re living in a chronically amped up state all day, every day.
Wow! I just had an interesting ‘flashback’ to being a kid and remembering the way my sister’s upper chest would become covered with hives whenever she was nervous about talking.
Hmmm.
So, whether we’re talking about hives or coughing, it’s fair to say these bodies are on the high side of high alert and probably have been for some time. In fact, I want to underscore this by saying, they are deeply ensnared in a vicious stress cycle.
We all are …
Regardless, the focus of this post is coughing…
While we’re basically talking about mild forms of anxiety, it’s important to note that anxiety is an umbrella description of a condition that involves every neurochemical. When you have a moment, hop over to read through an archived post I wrote in March, 2019 called The Chemistry of Anxiety
Because every body is different, I can only approximate suggestions that could work for everyone. In fact, the oils mentioned in The Chemistry of Anxiety are not close to what I’m recommending today. Why? Because since March of 2019, I found myself face to face with cancer and arthritis in every joint and which fundamentally redirected my focus with research because my biggest commitment was identifying the root cause of all illness. This, of course, led to a shift in the way we partner with the body rather than trying to control it. Click here to read about some of my earlier discoveries.
With this, here is a short list of oils you can begin using right away which relieve both:
the consistent need to clear your throat
and the spasms
As for the oil:
cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)
clary sage (Salvia sclarea)
galbanum (Ferula gummosa)
copaiba (Copaifera langsdorfii)
This combination synergistically soothes the stress response by easing the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing the release of histamine, improving the breakdown of macronutrients (which is impaired when the body is distressed) as well as helps the body to stabilize the gut flora.
To use it, rub a small amount of carrier oil i.e. coconut or aloe on the base / front of your throat. Follow that by placing 2 drops of each oil onto the carrier. This is a different approach than typically suggested and this is due to the fact that the point is to introduce more essential oil at one time.
aloe increases the absorption rate while still protecting your skin from irritation
If you have questions about this method, DM me on IG or shoot me an email.
If you’re more comfortable having a comprehensive assessment complete with customized suggestions, I’ve opened a spot just for you.
In the meantime, thank you for sharing a moment with me! I love providing you with information you can use. Please share this post with someone you know and never hesitate to ask me a question a health concern!