What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are made from flower, herb, and tree parts, like bark, roots, peels, and petals. The cells that give a plant its fragrant smell are its “essence”. When essence is extracted from a plant, it becomes an essential oil! Lemon, chamomile, lavender, cedarwood, and bergamot are a few of the regularly used essential oils in aromatherapy.
How Does Aromatherapy Work?
It activates areas in your nose called smell receptors which send messages through your nervous system to your brain. The oils can activate certain areas of your brain, like your limbic system which plays a role in your emotions. Experts say that when you put essential oils on your skin, they cause a response in your skin and other parts of your body, like your joints.
Research has shown that aromatherapy can have many health benefits including easing stress along with decreasing depression and improving sleep.
The Best Essential Oils for Stress and Anxiety Include:
Lavender
o Restores the nervous system by lowering blood pressure and heart rate
o Can help calm nerves
o Use a rollerball to apply to your temples and wrists
Rose
o Soothes emotions, headaches, and balancing hormones
o Strengthens the heart in periods of high stress, grief, and depression
o Use in a warm bath or apply directly on the skin
Ylang Ylang
o Reduces heart rate, improves mood, and promotes relaxation
o Inhaling Ylang Ylang can help release negative emotion, reducing stress and acting as a natural anxiety and depression remedy
Bergamot
o An effective antidepressant that promotes feelings of joy, freshness, and energy
o Improves blood circulation and brings balance to the body
o Add 2-5 drops to body wash or shampoo
Chamomile
o Promotes inner calm, reduces anxiety, and calms the nervous system
o Regulates mood and stress levels
o Apply diluted chamomile oil to the solar plexus (upper abdomen) and belly button
Melissa
o Calms the mind, boosts immunity, and strengthens nervous system
o Can act as an antidepressant and release feelings of sadness and worry
o Add to a warm bath or massage directly on the skin
Jasmine
o Used as a natural remedy for anxiety, stress, insomnia, and depression
o Used to detox and clear the respiratory system
o Stimulates brain to improve mood and energy levels
o Apply directly to your wrists or neck or even add a few drops to a hot bath
Clary Sage
o Effective in calming stress and anxiety
o Acts as an antidepressant by promoting feelings of wellbeing and inner peace
o Can also reduce symptoms of PMS in women
o Apply directly to feet or pulse points or combine with a few drops of chamomile in a hot bath
Neroli
o Used for anxiety relief and heal bodies and minds
o Regulates the metabolic system and releases anger, irritability, and worry
o Add a few drops to a hot bath or message directly on the skin to relive stress and anxiety
Check out this video to learn more about the essential oils to use for stress relief as well as some recipes to try out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_lYyrSm__M
Points for Reflection…
When I was feeling stressed out with my school workload last week, I decided to visit one of the places I mentioned in my last blog post. I visited Van Wagner’s Beach and walked along the trail. I found that leaving the house to spend some time in nature really helped relieve some of the stress I was feeling. It was great to get some fresh air and take a break. This weekend my goal is to try one of the essential oil methods to see if it can help reduce any stress I am feeling. I hope you enjoyed learning about aromatherapy and essential oils this week!
Until Next Time!
