Stress is something that affects all of us at different stages of our lives. While small amounts of stress are normal, ongoing feelings of stress can have a negative impact on our overall health and wellbeing.
It’s important to have some strategies in place to help us manage our stress levels - whether that’s through meditation, journaling, exercise or talking with a friend. Personally, we also love using essential oils to relieve stress, calm our mind and boost our mood and energy levels.
Keep reading as we share the best ways to use essential oils for stress relief below!
How essential oils work for stress relief
Did you know essential oils have the ability to influence our physical and emotional health?
The scent molecules found in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain - most notably to the amygdala, the “emotional centre” of the brain. As we breathe in the aromatic molecules found in essential oils, their unique properties can have a stimulating effect on different parts of our body.
Which essential oils work best for stress relief?
With so many different essential oils available, it’s important to choose the right oils for the job!
Luckily, there are several essential oils that are renowned for their ability to calm our nervous system and reduce feelings of stress.
The best essential oils for stress relief include:
- Lavender
- Clary Sage
- Geranium
- Patchouli
- Ylang Ylang
- Cedarwood
- Sandalwood
- Orange
- Frankincense
- Bergamot
These oils are known for their ability to balance our emotions, support the production of dopamine, and promote feelings of calm, peace and serenity. Some oils like Orange oil are also known for their uplifting and motivating properties - a great way to combat feelings of stress and anxiety.
How to use essential oils for stress relief
There are several ways to use essential oils during times of stress, including:
- Topically: Simply add a drop or two of your chosen essential oil to a carrier oil (like coconut oil or jojoba oil) and massage gently into your wrists.
- Diffusing: Diffusing oils is a great way to reap their benefits. One of our favourite calming blends for stress relief is Lavender, Frankincense and Orange. Simply add a few drops of each oil to your diffuser and place it somewhere close by. You can also inhale the oils directly from their bottles.
- Bathing: Soaking in a warm bath at the end of a long day is already a great way to calm your body, so why not enhance the experience with some essential oils? Try mixing a couple of drops of Lavender, Ylang Ylang and Bergamot oil to your bath water for a relaxing and fragrant soak.
You can shop our range of essential oils and diffusers online here at Inspire Me Naturally!
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