Stress and anxiety are part and parcel of life and something that every one of us experiences at some point. Stress is how we react when we feel under pressure or threatened. Usually, this occurs when we are in a situation that we don’t feel we can manage or control. A small amount of stress can be beneficial in helping us to complete tasks and feel more energised, but it can become a problem when it lasts for a long period of time or becomes very intense. In some cases, stress can affect our physical and mental health. For many years, I have battled psoriasis, and my main trigger for a flare-up is usually stress-related. Having tools to help manage stress and anxiety levels can be very useful for our physical and emotional well-being. One of my regularly used tools is aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy is one of the many ways we can manage stress and anxiety, and when used correctly it can be a powerful and useful tool to aid us.
Have you ever noticed how certain smells can help us feel more relaxed? The smell of fresh roses, lavender or orange can bring soothing and calming feelings. Essential oils have many natural healing and therapeutic properties that can be very useful. Certain essential oils are soothing and can help us to relax and destress. Inhaling the scent of essential oil is a natural way to help improve levels of stress and anxiety. The scent inhaled gives a signal to our smell receptors to relax and calm.
Inhaling of essential oils can be done in several methods:
- Inhale the scent directly from the bottle
- Aromatherapy diffuser machine
- Aromatherapy diffuser jewellery
- Aromatherapy inhalers
- A single drop onto a cotton ball or tissue for inhaling the scent
- Blend the oils into a carrier oil which can be used in the bath or as a body moisturiser
If you are new to essential oils it is important to always make sure you are using 100% natural and pure essential oils. Oils containing synthetic particles can harm your health, so always check that the brand you are purchasing is 100% natural, preferably organic and soil certified.
New to using essential oils and want to learn the basics? Click here to read our blog on Discovering Essential Oils
Here is a list of essential oils that are helpful for managing stress and anxiety.
- Lavender
- Bergamot
- Frankincense
- Geranium
- Roman Chamomile
- Rose
- Ylang Ylang
- Clary Sage
- Patchouli
- Sandalwood
Here’s a diffuser recipe for you to try, this blend is specially created to help calm and soothe
