At times, we all struggle to find balance between work, family, and leisure. Our modern lifestyle is becoming more and more demanding. Worrying or getting anxious about different events happens more often.
Aromatherapy can help ease your symptoms! It is the art and science of using plant extracts to stimulate our brain’s positive emotional responses. Use these top 10 essential oils for stress and anxiety to help your body and mind relax.
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Contents
How Can Essential Oils Help?
Essential oils have a direct effect on the parts of the brain that control anxiety, stress, depression, and fear. They have the power to impact our emotions and feelings of well-being.
In fact, exposure to specific essential oils can decrease the heart rate and blood pressure. This provides relaxation, relieves unwanted stress, and helps you to feel back in control.
Oils interact with the body through absorption on the skin, and/or through one’s olfactory system. Once the essential oil is in the body, it gives signals to the limbic system of the brain.
Top 5 Essential Oils for Stress and Anxiety
Here’s the shortlist of the best essential oils for anxiety and stress relief.
1. Lavender
Lavender is one of the most popular and well-known oils for relaxation. It helps relieve mild anxiety, improve sleep, and calm the nerves. The relaxing feeling often leads to a deliberate, therapeutic effect.
While there are some people who don’t like the smell of Lavender, it’s pleasing aroma is generally well liked and well tolerated.
Lavender is a gentle oil and a must have when treating stress and anxiety.
2. Vetiver
Vetiver is a versatile, dense, and aromatic medicinal plant.
It is most potent when used as an essential oil. Extracts are taken from its leaves, seeds, roots, and flowers and are obtained through distillation. The result is a unique composition that gives a rich and earthy fragrance.
Vetiver relaxes and calms the mind. In fact, in India and Sri Lanka, it’s called the oil of tranquility.
It can alleviate stress, anxiety, insomnia, depression, trauma, hysteria, and panic attacks. The Chinese also used to cool the mind and stabilize the emotion.
3. Frankincense
Frankincense was once considered more valuable that gold. It is the oil ancient Egyptians used to anoint their newborns and kings.
Frankincense essential oil aids in calming the mind, reducing nightmares, and easing anxiety. Thus, it’s considered a powerful anti-depressant. It’s used in spas and meditation retreats for physical and emotional healing.
Use a diffuser and add about 8 drops to disperse a healing scent. Or, dilute it and rub it on the back of your neck. You can also place 1 to 2 drops on your palm and inhale it anytime.
4. Ylang Ylang
Ylang ylang is an essential oil extracted from the flower petals of the tropical ylang ylang tree native to the Philippines, Indonesia, and other Polynesian islands. It is known for its sweet floral scent. In fact, its name literally means flower of flowers.
This flower is sought for its healing properties. Because it has the ability to act directly through the olfactory system of one’s brain, you can immediately feel positive improvement on your mood once you inhale it. It’s said to expand one’s heart and release anger, jealousy, and other negative emotions. Thus, it’s an effective anti-depressant and is often used to treat natural depression and mild anxiety. Its mild sedative effects can lower stress response like high blood pressure and fast heartbeat.
Ylang ylang can also be used in fighting insomnia. So, if you’re having troubles with your sleep, then you might be interested in trying this essential oil. Apply it to the back of your neck or diffuse it at home.
5. Bergamot
Bergamot oil can reduce tension in the mind and the body, enhance mood, and build confidence.
Bergamot or Citrus Bergamia is a citrus plant which produces a fruit that’s a hybrid between lemon and orange. It originates in Southeast Asia, but it’s also cultivated in some parts of Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Turkey, and Morocco. The essential oil is extracted via cold compression of the fruit peels.
Bergamot is mainly a relaxant. It reduces feelings of anxiety and nervous tension. It stimulates hormones like serotonin and dopamine and creates a feeling of relaxation and sedation. Not only that; it can also fight symptoms of depression like sadness, fatigue, lack of appetite, disinterest, and feelings of helplessness. The oil is said to create a feeling of freshness, energy, and joy by improving one’s circulation of blood.
Essential Oil Blend for Anxiety
To create a simple blend for anxiety, follow this recipe:
- 5 drops Bergamot
- 3 drops Frankincense
- 2 drops Orange
- 2 drops Lavender
How To Use
There are many ways you can use essential oils, single oils, or your own blends. If you want to melt your stress and anxiety away, apply their use to your daily routine.
For stress and anxiety, we recommend inhalation as it’s the most direct pathway to the brain. The brain controls all the feelings of stress and anxiety.
- Blend a diffuser blend for anxiety in a diffuser. This will disperse the oil scent throughout the air in a room.
- Put the oils or oil blend in a bowl of steaming water so you can inhale them.
- Mix them with a carrier oil, and then apply the mixture to your neck. Some people prefer adding oils to a regular body lotion instead of a carrier oil. Apply 2-3 times daily.
- Create a calming bath by adding a few drops of oil into your bathtub.
What do you think?
Are you using any of these oils for your personal stress relief routine? Maybe you diffuse them during Yoga practice? Let us know in the comments below!
RoseAnn
I have a child who is ADHD I would like to know more about chestnut oils which I was told helps with stress and anxiety. Can you send me information about chestnut oils. Please
Mary
Puritan’s Pride oils how good are these oils?