Essential oils have been used for centuries and have an endless list of applications including eliminating stress and anxiety, depending on what type of essential oils you use. Whether you want to improve your overall health or boost your mood, it is always a great idea to start with getting stress relief.
Aromatherapy for stress relief has become more and more popular in recent years because it offers an organic, natural alternative to pharmaceuticals without the laundry list of harmful side effects. Essential oils are extracted from the flowers, leaves or roots of a plant and are all natural. Just make sure that you use pure essential oils, meaning that they haven’t been diluted with additives or chemicals.
No matter what stage of life we are in, modern life has become increasingly stressful and almost 20% of the U.S. population has to deal with anxiety, so it is detrimental to find natural ways to reduce our stress levels and embrace a healthier lifestyle. While a healthy lifestyle should always include working out and eating a healthy, well-balance diet, another great way to reduce stress is the use of essential oils.
A recent study out of Germany showed that essential oils have the ability to positively affect several biological factors such as stress levels, heart rate, blood pressure, immune function and breathing.
Here are our TOP 10 best essential oils to relief stress and anxiety.
#1 Lavender
Lavender is considered the ultimate adaptogen among essential oils, because it can adapt to any kind of mood. It can be the perfect pick-me-up or extremely calming and relaxing. Studies show that lavender essential oil is a great choice when it comes to reducing stress, alleviating insomnia and calming agitation, while at the same time improving mental concentration. The great thing about lavender is that if you rub the oil on your skin, its medicinal properties can enter the blood stream in as little as 5 minutes. Simply rub 2 to 3 drops of lavender essential oil on your wrists and take a deep breath. The scent quickly enters the amygdala, which is the area of our brain that is responsible for our emotions and with that gives us instant stress relief and relaxation.
#2 Frankincense
Frankincense essential oil has several benefits and is known to fight chronic stress and anxiety, reduce inflammation and help relieve pain. The oil is rich in sesquiterpenes, which are molecules that have the ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and with that enable the oil to carry oxygen to the brain, which stimulates its limbic area, more specifically the pituitary, hypothalamus and pineal glands. Frankincense essential oil has been used for meditation since ancient times and now research has found that the reason may be due to the compound incensole acetate, which has been found to contain properties to reduce anxiety as well as depression. Frankincense is usually inhaled and diffused by a diffuser and works as a sedative to relieve stress, anxiety and anger. Often linked to different faiths, some believe that frankincense can also increase spirituality and intuition.
#3 Chamomile
Most of us are familiar with the calming and relaxing effects of chamomile tea, which can also help us sleep. Chamomile essential oil offers much of the same effects and has been known to have relaxing and calming properties while at the same time lowering anxiety levels and eliminating lingering anger. The calming scent of chamomile is often used to encourage inner peace and harmony and is known to reduce the tendency to overthink, irritability and anxiety.
#4 Rose
Rose essential oil is so powerful that you only need a slight dab to receive its benefits. Among essential oils, rose oils is known to have the highest vibrational frequency (320 MHz), while lavender has a frequency of approximately 118 MHz and to put it all in perspective, a healthy person vibrates usually in the range between 62 to 68 MHz. Rose essential oil is known for stimulating the mind, while at the same time promoting a sense of tranquility, peace and well-being. Additionally, rose oil has been found to promote feelings of hope and joy as well as boosting self-esteem. Rub 1 to 2 drops directly on your wrists or neck to get an instant pick-me-up.
#5 Sandalwood
If you are looking to be more focused and increase mental clarity, sandalwood essential oil with its woody aroma has an incredibly powerful therapeutic effect on our brain, specifically its limbic system and with that it is an excellent choice to balance emotions. Sandalwood essential oil has been found to give you a moment of peace and harmony when you are dealing with the challenges of everyday life and promotes a sense of overall well-being while improving mental health. You can inhale sandalwood directly from the bottle or rub 1 to 2 drops on your wrists. Using sandalwood is also great to use before meditation or yoga to set the mood.
#6 Ylang Ylang
Known for it’s uplifting and calming effects, this popular essential oil is often used to treat anxiety and depression. Ylang yang is known to induce cheerfulness, optimism and courage and may be able to help calm heart agitation and nervous palpitation. At the same time this essential oil is a moderately strong sedative, which can be helpful for people with insomnia. A Korean study found that using ylang yang essential oil once a day for four weeks significantly lowered the levels of the stress hormone cortisol and even lowered blood pressure in people with hypertension. Ylang yang can be irritating to the skin, so be careful when you use it and if you have low blood pressure, avoid using it.
#7 Vetiver
Vetiver oil is often used to induce calmness and stabilization while helping with self-awareness and is known to have a grounding, tranquil and reassuring energy. As a tonic for the nervous system, vetiver essential oil decreases hypersensitivity and jitteriness and can also be extremely helpful when you experience a shock or panic attack. The earthy scent of vetiver is similar to patchouli, though with a touch of lemon and besides having calming and soothing abilities it may also help to dispel anger and irritability and reduces stress and overall tension. Sri Lanka and India have dabbed vetiver as the oil of tranquility and West Africa, Southeast Asia and South Asia have used it in their traditional medicine for thousands of years.
#8 Grapefruit
Grapefruit is part of the citrus family and its scent is generally clarifying, refreshing and uplifting. Grapefruit essential oil is also a great stress reliever and excellent to alleviate mental fatigue as well as stress-induced headaches. If you need an instant pick-me-up, get a whiff of grapefruit oil and you are ready to take on your day. Grapefruit oil is best used in a diffuser and a great choice after a long day at work. If you apply it topically, add a few drops on a cotton ball along with a few drops of light oil like grapeseed or jojoba oil to use as a carrier oil and then rub the blend onto your neck or skin.
#9 Lemon & Orange
Both lemon and orange essential oils work wonders because of the plant chemical limonene. Extensive research on limonene revealed its amazing anti-cancer benefits and while the levels of limonene vary depending on the trees, lemons generally contain 59 to 73% of limonene and orange oil is even higher with 85 to 96% limonene. Both lemon and orange essential oils have been found to have a positive effect on anxiety levels and may even possess anti-depressant like properties. Either use the essential oils via a diffuser or apply them directly to the skin.
#10 Geranium
Another powerful flower essential oil, though geranium essential oil is actually extracted from the stems and leaves rather than the flower petals like in rose oil. Geranium essential oil contains approximately 65 phytochemicals and is rich in anti-oxidants, which brings a variety of health benefits. Recent studies show that inhaling the scent of geranium essential oil can significantly reduce anxiety and stress and with that bring about higher levels of overall well-being. You can rub geranium oil directly onto the skin or use a cold diffuser and it has even been deemed safe for consumption by the FDA, so you could even add a drop or two to your drink.
Keep in mind, essential oils are adaptogens, which means they can be both calming as well as stimulating, depending on what the person who is using the oil needs. This means the same oil can have a different effect for different people and a restless person may find a particular oil extremely calming, while a person with low energy may feel invigorated and uplifted by the same oil.
USE ESSENTIAL OILS TO FIND BALANCE
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked