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What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are concentrated extracts derived from the roots, leaves, seeds, or flowers of plants. They contain the true essence of the plant they are extracted from and are highly concentrated. Therapeutic grade essential oils, in particular, are the highest quality oils suitable for therapeutic purposes.
Therapeutic grade oils are carefully produced and tested to ensure they contain no synthetic chemicals or impurities. Their chemical composition is identified and consistent. These pure, potent oils provide targeted benefits and can be safely used for healing and wellness applications.
How Essential Oils Relieve Stress and Anxiety
There are several ways in which high quality essential oils can help relieve feelings of stress and anxiety:
Aromatherapy Effects
When inhaled into the lungs, essential oil molecules travel through the blood to the limbic system – the emotional center of the brain. Here they trigger a response that soothes the nervous system, lifts the mood, and counteracts feelings of stress and worry.
Popular stress-relieving aromatic oils include:
- Lavender – calming and relaxation-promoting
- Bergamot – uplifting and mood-enhancing
- Frankincense – anti-anxiety and tension-diffusing
Topical Application
Applying essential oils mixed with a carrier oil onto certain parts of the body can also have a therapeutic effect. The skin absorbs the oils into the bloodstream. From here, their active compounds spread around the body and brain.
Areas where stress-relieving oils can be applied include:
- Temples – helps relieve headaches
- Back of neck – releases muscle tension
- Hands – improves mood through inhalation
A blend containing lavender, sweet marjoram, Roman chamomile, ylang ylang, and bergamot can relieve both physical and emotional anxiety when massaged into the skin.
Lifestyle Enhancement
The right essential oil scent can help create a relaxing environment in your home or workplace. Diffusing a calming oil like lavender or jasmine into the air helps zone your mind into a peaceful state. This counters daily stress triggers.
Essential oils also promote better sleep when used before bedtime. Oils like cedarwood and vetiver promote healthy circadian rhythms while neroli and Roman chamomile quiet your thoughts. Getting good sleep ensures you wake up feeling refreshed rather than stressed.
Best Oils to Relieve Stress and Anxiety
All therapeutic grade essential oils offer benefits, but some target stress and anxiety more effectively. The most helpful oils include:
Lavender Oil
Lavender has profound relaxing and calming properties. It relieves nervous tension, panic, and emotional trauma. The soothing scent ameliorates anxiety and improves sleep quality when diffused at night time. Lavender is effective for nearly all stress-related issues.
Bergamot Oil
With its bright, citrusy aroma, bergamot oil is wonderfully uplifting. It eases feelings of sadness and helps clear melancholy moods and depression. As an antidepressant, bergamot gives you emotional strength to better handle workplace stress triggers.
Ylang Ylang Oil
The exotic, floral fragrance of ylang ylang oil has an almost euphoric effect. It acts as an effective sedative – relaxing both the mind and body to counter stress-induced fatigue, fear, and anxiety. It also has a balancing action on the nervous system.
Best Ways to Use Them
There are several effective methods for using therapeutic grade oils to gain stress and anxiety relief:
Topical Application
Create your own stress and anxiety relief essential oil blend. Combine several complementary oils with a carrier oil and apply to pulse points and tense areas whenever you feel worried.
Diffusion
Use an ultrasonic diffuser to disperse calming essential oils like Roman chamomile into the air during times of stress. Set it by your workspace, in your bedroom, or other rooms as needed.
Bath Time Therapy
Add a synergistic blend of relaxing essential oils into your warm bath water and have a therapeutic soak to wash worries away. Some bliss-promoting bath oils include ylang ylang, frankincense, and sweet marjoram.
Personal Inhaler
Carry a personal inhaler containing essential oils like neroli, clary sage, or vetiver. Take deep breaths straight from your inhaler whenever you start feeling stressed out to promote instant calm.
Safety Precautions
When using concentrated oils therapeutically, be sure to:
- Dilute oils before applying topically with a carrier oil.
- Conduct a patch test on skin before wide-scale use.
- Avoid getting essential oils in your eyes and other mucus membranes.
- Consult your physician if pregnant, nursing, or undergoing treatment.
Using only pure, high quality therapeutic grade oils also ensures safety. These oils have no synthetics or impurities that could potentially cause harm or irritation.
With proper usage, therapeutic grade essential oils offer a holistic, side effect-free solution to relieve anxiety, ease worry, and combat daily stressors for a peaceful state of mind.
