Anxiety disorders are the world’s most common mental health disorders. According to the World Health Organization, more women than men are affected by anxiety.
This is no surprise for Aniliya Balraj. He has lived with anxiety for most of his life. She was not yet a teenager when she began experiencing anxiety attacks and accompanying symptoms such as palpitations, impending doom and difficulty concentrating.
Then she discovered aromatherapy that helped her relieve stress and anxiety, today her home business “Waxcraft by Anelia Balraj” makes aromatherapy candles and dessert candles that look as great as they smell.
One could say that Anelia stumbled upon aromatherapy and candle making by accident. Her mother was enrolled in a soap and candle making course offered by the Ministry of Community Development, and Anelia would join her after school.
The afternoon she spent with her mother and other women was uneventful. She found it difficult to cope with anxiety at the time, but making candles gave Anelia the comfort and peace that her life had been missing. Soon, she started participating and submitting her creations. At her teacher’s request, Anelia enrolled in the program, and at age 12 she became the youngest woman to receive certification in candle making.
“I really love candles. The medications I took for my anxiety didn’t help, in fact they made my symptoms worse, but I got relief with aromatherapy and had no side effects.
Anelia often made candles for herself and gave some as gifts to family and friends who suggested turning them on one side. Her mother already had a bath and body business and there was enough room to house Anelia’s candles, so she thought, “Why not?”
Inspired by the delicious desserts she saw on Pinterest, she challenged herself by making dessert candles using 100% soy wax.
“At first it was trial and error. There was a lot of waste, I had to get the wax to a certain temperature to make the candle look as real as possible, and there was a lot of burnt candle wax,” she recalled.
When she finally finished the process, Anelia began producing dessert candles with real-life scents. Some of her best sellers are her espresso and pumpkin spice tea latte candles.
When she’s not busy with her full-time job or studies (Anelia is pursuing her degree in IT), she fills orders for her pop-up shop. Waxcraft isn’t just about engaging in a hobby and making extra cash, it’s her way of managing anxiety and helping others do the same. Many of her customers have commented that Anelia candles are part of their stress-relieving ritual.
Although Anelia lost thousands of dollars worth of supplies in 2018 and 2022 when floods destroyed her packaging and raw materials, and her business suffered during the pandemic, she persevered and pursued her passion. lost
Anelia hopes to export her candles in the future; For now, though, she’s focused on her studies with the intention of pursuing a career in IT. As for her anxiety, she takes it day by day.
Anelia, who wants to remove the stigma from anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders, said: “Anxiety is incurable, but I have learned to manage it, I know my triggers, what to do. What to do and what not to do.”
“As a society we need to accept that mental disorders are real and serious.
“Medication may not have helped me but it has helped others and so I urge people to take care of their mental health and get help if you have a coping problem. And I hope that too. I encourage parents to meet with their children and talk openly with them about anxiety and depression.
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