Essential oils can be an invaluable way to promote greater mental wellness and balance in your life, offering both aromatic, topical, or internal use for numerous benefits.
Natural oils are extracted by pressing or steaming plants’ stems, flowers or leaves to extract fragrance-producing compounds that produce fragrance. When inhaled or swallowed, these volatile compounds travel directly into the limbic system which governs mood – having an immediate and dramatic impact.
Mood Stabilizers
If you or someone close to you is suffering from mental health conditions, exploring the therapeutic properties of essential oils could be just the thing to help boost their mood and well-being. Aromatherapy has been utilized for millennia as an effective means to relieve stress and promote wellness.
EOs are extracted from plants with unique scents that stimulate parts of our brain and nervous system, activating multiple emotions and memories that help alleviate feelings of stress, anxiety, depression and more.
Scents also influence our emotions in a physical way, by altering hormone levels and making us feel calmer and more focused. That’s why inhaling some lavender or lemon essential oil can leave us feeling relaxed and grounded.
Essential oil fragrance molecules travel through our olfactory nerves and are processed by the limbic system of our brain, which deals with emotional processing. Their scent has been scientifically proven to reduce anxiety, increase energy, and enhance our mood and focus.
Many essential oils have been identified as beneficial to mental health, including ylang ylang, chamomile, lavender and grapefruit oils. Some can even be combined into a diffuser and inhaled for fast relief of stress, depression and anxiety.
These oils are natural, safe and non-toxic – perfect for creating an aromatherapy experience directly onto the skin or cotton pad or even adding into a bath for an authentic spa-like bathing experience.
Natural therapies to help stabilize mood include the use of adaptogens (plant-based compounds that mimic neurotransmitter activity in the body and brain). When taken alongside exercise, nutrition, meditation or mindfulness practices and omega-3 fatty acids supplements, adaptogens can provide a combination of natural, therapeutic and self-care tools that may complement prescription medication treatments.
Mood stabilizers are widely prescribed to treat various mental conditions, including bipolar disorder. They can help prevent or reduce manic and depressive episodes while helping the person remain within a balanced emotional range. Full effects may take several weeks to take hold and must be taken as prescribed by a healthcare provider.
Anxiety Relievers
Anxiety and stress are normal responses to life events, but they may also indicate a mental health problem. Anxiety may feel overwhelming or cause severe distress; physically ill conditions may ensue and behavior changes may take place as a result. If anxiety is having an adverse impact on your daily life or keeping you from living the best possible existence, consult with your GP about effective management solutions.
Essential oils offer natural remedies to combat anxiety. Inhaling their aroma or massaging them onto your skin are two effective approaches.
Topically applied essential oils have the ability to relieve stress, relax the mind and body, induce sleep and even lower muscle tension and depression.
Many companies provide pre-made essential oil blends tailored specifically for various conditions, like anxiety. These may be easier and faster to purchase than individual oils and may have been designed by experts based on their findings.
An example would be offering lavender, chamomile and neroli oils which have all been scientifically proven to alleviate anxiety and stress.
Physical activity is another integral element of an anxiety-relief routine, according to Celan. Movement can boost heart rate and blood flow to your brain while increasing endorphin production – all key ingredients for relaxation. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day!
Exercise will allow you to focus on breathing deeply, helping to slow down your thoughts. Meditation or taking a relaxing bath before bed are also excellent ways to unwind and unwind.
Lavender essential oil or adding it to your bath water for an aromatic and soothing bath can help to relax and comfort the mind, making it an excellent way to manage anxiety. Try diffusing lavender essential oil or adding it for an aromatic bath experience.
Lavender essential oil can also be used as an effective massage therapy tool when combined with carrier oil and massaged into muscles for therapeutic massage sessions. This has proven especially useful during menstruation or pregnancy and has been shown to relieve anxiety and pain symptoms.
Stress Relievers
Stress is an inevitable part of life, but prolonged exposure can have detrimental effects on both mental and physical wellbeing. Stress can increase anxiety and depression while leading to cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure or obesity as physical consequences.
If you’re feeling stressed out, engaging in healthy practices such as adding essential oils into your daily routine, exercising, learning new coping strategies and engaging in activities to decompress can all help reduce anxiety and improve well-being. These may include essential oil usage and exercising as ways of de-stressing; exercising more frequently; learning coping mechanisms and engaging in activities which allow for decompression.
Steps taken to manage stress will help enhance overall health and increase mood, energy and focus. One effective method of relieving tension is cutting back on caffeine, alcohol and processed food consumption as well as eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds – these strategies should all help manage stress effectively.
Other strategies to help manage stress include yoga, meditation and mindfulness exercises. When combined with essential oils during meditation sessions, essential oils will further help calm and relax you by decreasing mental activity levels and producing greater calmness and serenity.
Essential oils offer multiple advantages for managing stress and improving memory. Studies have revealed how lavender, bergamot and ylang ylang essential oils can create a sense of calm that helps people sleep soundly through the night.
Essential oils have become an increasingly popular solution to stress relief due to their wide array of health benefits. Essential oils may be applied aromatherapeutically or topically depending on an individual’s individual needs and requirements.
As soon as you breathe in the aroma of essential oils, their molecules penetrate your nose and travel through your lungs to enter your bloodstream – acting on both your nervous system and stress levels to relieve them and promote relaxation.
Geranium, lemongrass and rose oils can all provide significant stress relief. Simply taking a few drops in warm water before bed can help relax you and promote better restorative sleep; alternatively you could try drinking tea containing chamomile or lavender for maximum effectiveness. Alternatively, diffuse these essential oils using an aromatherapy diffuser.
Sleep Support
Essential oils offer many mental and well-being advantages, particularly through supporting sleep.
Sleep is essential to our physical and emotional well-being; getting enough quality restful restful restful restful restful restful restful restful restful rest may improve mood, reduce risk for depression and prevent certain mental health conditions from emerging. But for some it may be difficult achieving quality rest. If this is a struggle for you then professional help should be sought immediately to identify the source of difficulty and treat it appropriately.
Natural remedies may also help promote restful sleep, including lavender, chamomile and valerian root. As each may work better for different situations and individuals, it’s wise to consult your physician regarding which of these sleep aids would best serve your needs and goals.
Essential oils can help support sleep in several ways: inhalation or topical application. Sniff directly from the bottle or diffuse via diffuser/vaporizer for inhalation purposes; add some drops to a spray bottle and mist on your body or room for topical application.
Some essential oils (EOs) can also be used in baths, showers, and other water-based massage therapies as a great way to ease stress, ease pain, and relax the whole body. This treatment can provide much-needed stress relief while soothing inflammation.
Aromatherapy oils (EOs) can be especially helpful at night before bedtime if you’re struggling to drift off. Their scent can help calm your mind and refocus it on what matters most to you, leading to restful restful sleep and increased mental energy.
Another popular method for using essential oils for mental health is mixing them with water and applying directly onto your skin, especially beneficial if you suffer from insomnia. You could also add some drops directly into a glass of water before bed, or mist yourself while showering using a spray bottle.
Numerous studies have demonstrated how essential oils (EOs) can improve both quality and quantity of sleep for those suffering from chronic sleeping disorders, such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea. Some EOs have even been linked with improved quality and duration in individuals suffering from such disorders.
