With everything we have to face in today's fast-paced world, life stress levels, and anxiety are becoming an all-too-familiar companion to many individuals. Everything from pressure at work, relationship challenges, and navigating our daily lives can often feel overwhelming and like a momentous task.
With so many remedies and methods that we see daily on social media and the internet to combat stress, is there something that is practical and that truly works?
Well, thankfully there is a natural stress relief tool that has been around for ages, and trusted by many for its capabilities to combat stress and provide feelings of calm serenity. People use essential oils, a naturally derived and multi-functional natural remedy, for stress and many other ailments.
With their soothing scents and therapeutic properties, essential oils can help to promote relaxation, soothe stress and bring a sense of calm to your chaotic life.
So let's explore the many functionalities of essential oils, how they work and the various ways in which you can incorporate them into your daily life for their exceptional health benefits.
Understanding Stress and Anxiety
Before we explore the benefits of essential oils, it’s important to understand what stress and anxiety are and how they affect our bodies and minds. Stress is a natural response that the body creates towards a perceived challenge or situation that it finds threatening.
This could include physical, emotional, or environmental factors that affect you as a person. Anxiety, on the other hand, refers to a much more persistent and excessive type of stress, which is usually not tied to specific events or external stressors, but rather triggered by constant worries and fears that are unrelated.
What Triggers Stress and Anxiety?
Depending on the individual and their capabilities of handling certain challenges and situations, most stress and generalized anxiety disorder triggers are usually the following:
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Work Pressure - Tight deadlines, high expectations, and workplace conflict can easily lead to stress.
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Financial and Health Issues - The burden of financial problems or health-related concerns often exacerbates anxiety.
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Major Life Changes - Moving, losing a loved one, or experiencing a significant life transition can create a sense of instability.
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Relationship Conflicts - Tensions in personal relationships often contribute to heightened stress levels.
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Perfectionism and Over Scheduling - Trying to juggle too many tasks or setting unrealistic standards can increase anxiety.
It is essential to fully understand your stress and anxiety triggers to be able to manage them appropriately.
Now the question beckons: How can essential oils help with stress and anxiety? Though they are not a solution to your problems, they can easily bring some relief to the symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety.
The Science Behind Essential Oils
An essential oil is an extract from plants that is highly concentrated and known for its therapeutic properties and health benefits. Essential oils contain bioactive compounds that can affect both the body and the mind.
When we inhale or apply essential oils, they interact with receptors in our nose that send signals to the brain’s limbic system. This part of the brain is responsible for emotions, memory, and behaviour, making it a key target for aromatherapy.
Depending on the essential oil, you can use some topically as a cream or massage oil, or ingest some as a remedy for a specific ailment.
About the calming effect of some essential oils, scientific research results in proven evidence of how essential oils can reduce your heart rate, lower blood pressure, and alleviate anxiety symptoms
Essential oils can relieve stress and anxiety by influencing the nervous system, helping regulate emotional responses, and promoting relaxation.
Top Essential Oils for Stress and Anxiety Relief
While many essential oils can help reduce stress and anxiety, some are particularly well-known for their calming properties.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender essential oil is arguably the most popular essential oil for stress and anxiety relief. Lavender's calming and relaxing properties have led to its centuries-long use in alleviating anxiety symptoms. The scent of lavender has a soothing effect on the nervous system, helping to lower blood pressure and reduce heart rate. It’s ideal for promoting relaxation and preparing the body for restful sleep.
How to use:
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Diffusion - Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a diffuser and inhale deeply for a calming effect.
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Topical - Dilute with a carrier oil (like almond or jojoba) and apply to pulse points or the back of the neck for instant relief.
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Inhalation - Inhale directly from the bottle or add a drop to tissue for quick stress relief.
Clary Sage Essential Oil
Clary Sage is an essential oil that helps to calm the nervous system, which makes it an excellent choice for managing anxiety and stress. It is well known that Clary Sage potently promotes emotional well-being and balances hormones. This makes it exceptionally helpful for individuals who experience stress or anxiety during hormonal fluctuations.
How to use:
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Diffuser - Add a few drops of clary sage to a diffuser to create a relaxing atmosphere.
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Topical - Mix with a carrier oil and massage onto the abdomen or temples to reduce stress levels.
Vetiver Essential Oil
People know vetiver essential oil as the grounding and earthing essential oil because of its unique ability to provide tranquillity. It has a strong and earthy aroma that is very effective in promoting emotional balance and relaxation. Vetiver oil is often used in meditation and spiritual practices for its calming effects. Furthermore, it is also an excellent choice for inducing more restful sleep because of its sedative properties.
How to use:
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Diffuser - Add a few drops to an aroma diffuser to create a peaceful atmosphere.
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Topical - Dilute with a carrier oil and massage onto the back of the neck or feet to calm the mind.
Bergamot Essential Oil
We derive Bergamot essential oil from the rind of the bergamot orange and offers both calming and uplifting qualities. It has a fresh, citrus and floral aroma that provides a boost to your mood, reduces anxiety and enhances energy levels. Bergamot's essential oil is particularly beneficial for individuals who have milder anxiety disorders and nervous tension.
How to use:
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Diffuser - Diffuse a few drops to create an uplifting atmosphere.
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Topical - Apply diluted oil to the wrists or temples to ease stress and improve mood.
Keep in mind when using any essential oil topically, you must dilute it with a natural carrier oil first, as the oil on its own could irritate the skin.
A few of the best carrier oils to use are:
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Almond Oil.
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Jojoba Oil.
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Olive Oil.
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Coconut Oil.
How to Use Essential Oils for Stress and Anxiety Relief
You can use essential oils in several ways to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and stress.
Here are some of the most popular methods:
Topical Application
Essential oils can be applied to the skin, however, always first dilute it with a carrier oil. The best areas to apply essential oils for their calming effects are the temples, wrists, or the back of the neck.
Topical application allows the skin to absorb the essential oils into the muscles to relieve tension. Similarly, the aroma of the essential oils stays on your skin, which is then inhaled to provide even more calming effects.
Aromatherapy Diffusion
One of the most popular ways to use essential oils is through diffusion. There are various diffusers available, such as hot or cold diffusers, nebulisers, diffuser reeds, and ultrasonic diffusers. Their purpose is to release a diluted steam or aroma of the essential oil into the air, which you then breathe in.
Breathing in a soothing aroma usually has an immediate effect on your mood and a calming effect on the nervous system. An essential oil diffuser is a versatile item that you can use at home, at work, or even in your car.
Inhalation
Inhalation is similar to diffusion, as you are still breathing in the diluted aroma of the essential oil. However, this is a quicker method that does not require a diffuser or any other gadgets to work. As a quick solution to an anxiety attack or immediate stress, place a few drops of essential oil on a tissue or cotton wool and breathe it in deeply. This method is ideal when you need quick stress relief, or a boost during a busy day.
Add to a Warm Bath
A warm bath with a few drops of essential oils of your choice is a perfect method to unwind after a stressful day. Along with the warm water, the aroma diffuses into the air which you inhale, and the oils in the warm water absorb into your skin to soothe tense muscles.
Aromatherapy Jewelry
Another method becoming quite popular is aromatherapy jewellery, which is a portable piece of jewellery with diffuser properties. The pieces of jewellery typically have a small compartment where you place a few drops of pure essential oils or oil that makes it easier to inhale the scent on the go.
Best Essential Oil Blends for Stress, Anxiety, and Breathing
To make your aromatherapy routine more effective, here are a few examples of other essential oils and oil blends that are natural and soothing:
Zea Vetiver Essential Oil Blend
Vetiver oil has a smokey and earthy aroma with soothing properties. Because of its grounding scent, it is ideal for spiritual and emotional well-being and used in meditation, relaxation therapy, massages and to assist with sleep difficulties.
Vetiver also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. It is often used to promote sleep and relaxation, as well as an aphrodisiac.
The Calming Lifestyle blend is a blend of lavender, cedarwood, frankincense and Ylang Ylang essential oils. This blend is ideal for improving sleep, reducing stress and anxiety, and enhancing your overall mood. You can use it in a diffuser or applied topically with a carrier oil.
Zea Stress Relief Lifestyle Blend
The Stress Relief blend consists of Ylang Ylang, and Patchouli oil, Sweet Orange, Lavender and Bergamot essential oils. It has a more floral and refreshing scent that uplifts your mood and relieves stress. The essential oil is best used diffused or applied topically with carrier oil for immediate relief.
Zea Breathe Easy Lifestyle Blend
Not essentially a blend of stress, however, it does enhance breathing and provides uplifting properties that aid in stress relief. The Easy Lifestyle blends contain Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Scotch Pine, and Kunzea oils. They are all excellent decongestants and purifiers that help you breathe easily and uplift your spirit. You can use them in a diffuser or apply topically at night to your chest or back. This eases your breathing, which in turn promotes more restful sleep.
Final Thoughts
Incorporating essential oils into your daily routine can be a powerful tool in managing stress and anxiety. Essential oils are a natural way to help you unwind from a busy day, or just to provide quick relief when you are feeling anxious.
When you use essential oils alongside other therapeutic practices and professional advice, they provide exceptional relief for stress and anxiety. Thus, by understanding the various essential oils, their properties, and how to use them, you can easily create a peaceful and calming atmosphere wherever you go. This will lead to a more balanced life and emotional well-being.
