Choosing the Right Essential Oils for Relaxation and Stress Relief :
Amid the hustle and bustle of life, stress, burnout, and exhaustion can affect our well-being blocking growth and development. Hence regular self-care is essential to help us stay focused and maintain the work-life balance. What better way to do this than by taking the natural route? Tried and tested practices that have been used for centuries. Essential oils provide long-term relaxation and stress relief by soothing our mind, body, and soul.
In this blog, let’s explore the world of essential oils that can help relieve stress and how to choose the right ones for your needs.
Read on!
Learn about Essential Oils for Stress Relief and Relaxation: How do they Work?
Essential oils extracted from different plants can help to improve both mental and physical health. Its magical aroma can influence our olfactory system, influencing our emotions and creating an effect that helps reduce stress and promote a sense of peace. This system of aroma healing is now quiet a popular form of therapy applauded by many for its result-oriented therapeutic benefits.
They can be used in various ways for relaxation and stress relief, you can apply them externally through therapeutic massages with aromatherapy blends, create essential oil diffusers, or even use them in your bath water. These essential oil massages can boost positive energy, promote blood circulation, and help relieve many ailments and fatigue.
Getting Innovative: How to use Essential oils for relaxation and to uplift energy:
Essential oils are antiseptic, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory and can be used to control the cortisol level (stress hormones) in the body and enhance the feel-good hormones(serotonin). Here are a few innovative ways to use essential oils to alleviate stress and anxiety.
1) The Essential Oil Massage:
In this process, essential oils are used externally to increase the flow of oxygen to the tissues which can help ease various aches and relax tired muscles. The massage flow can help with body rejuvenation thus increasing the feeling of happiness.
To get the best out of your massage, here are a few examples of the best essential oils for relaxation:
- Lavender Oil: This versatile oil is widely recognized for its calming effects, and even studies suggest that it may promote relaxation, reducing issues of stress and anxiety.
- Chamomile Oil: This one has come a long way, from serving Roman soldiers to calm their nerves before war to being a top pick to ease issues of digestion, anxiety etc, the sweet and soothing chamomile is loved by many.
- Ylang Ylang Oil: The sweet and floral aroma of the ylang ylang is often used in aromatherapy to improve overall well-being. It is known to soothe mental ailments too by providing clarity.
- Bergamot Oil: The pleasant, citrusy aroma of bergamot oil is forever refreshing which can naturally help alleviate stress and anxiety. No wonder it is widely used in fragrances.
- Clary Sage Oil: It is widely known for its stress-relieving properties and sedative abilities that can provide you clarity, and promote relaxation.
2) The Aromatherapy Blends for Stress Relief
Customized aromatherapy blends can be curated by combining different essential oils based on our requirements for stress relief. The go-to calming essential oils like Lavender, Chamomile, and Bergamot are widely known for their versatile properties and have been used for ages to ease nervous tension and promote relaxation.
3) The Essential Oil Diffusers:
Who does not like to soak in a room filled with energizing and uplifting aromas? Here essential oil diffusers can do the trick. They work by breaking down the fragrance molecules of essential oils and allowing their aroma to fill the room, creating a tranquil atmosphere. You can experiment and get creative with your essential oil diffuser blends too.
NOTE: Always go for diffusers that are authentic and have been received well by consumers.
The Essential Oil Baths:
Yes, showers can get monotonous but you can add fun elements to your bath water and enjoy a delightful and rejuvenating bath session. You can dilute essential oils like lavender, rose, ylang-ylang with a carrier oil of your choice and add to your bathwater and can create a spa-like experience, easing both physical and mental tension.
Using Essential Oils for Different Types of Stress:
Stress can come in various forms, impacting our day-to-day lives, but with effective coping strategies, anyone can overcome them.
- Work Stress: If you are a working professionaland often feel burned out at work you can befriend the instant energy booster peppermint and rosemary oil for energy and focus. It can also aid in concentrationand improve listening skills.
- Physical Stress: Due to various factors muscle cramps, aches and pains have become a part and parcel of life but that does not mean they have to stay with us forever. Essential oils like eucalyptus, chamomile, and peppermint can easily come to your rescue by relieving muscle tension and headaches.
- Emotional Stress: When there is stress,we feel strong emotions of fear, grief, anger, etc, and essential oils like ylang-ylang, marjoram, and sandalwood can help balance emotions and reduce feelings of anxiety and sadness.
- Environmental Stress: From noise, overcrowding, to pollution, environmental stress is at an all-time high. Essential oils like rose, geranium, patchouli, and jasmine can help you with anxiousness and anxiety.
Here are some Essential Oil Recipes for Stress Relief:
The Rejuvenating & Relaxation Blend:
- 5 drops of Lavender
- 2 drops of Bergamot
- 2 drops of Orange
Mix with 20 ml jojoba oil and massage. Store the blend in a glass container and away from direct sunlight. You can use it in a diffuser or even take some on a tissue and smell it all day.
The Energizing Bath Blend:
- 1 drop of Lemon
- 2 drops of Geranium
- 2 drops of Ylang-ylang
Mix with a tablespoon of carrier oil and add to your bath water. You can also re-create a spa-like experience by adding bath salts and voila you are all set!
For thousands of years essential oils have been promoting holistic wellness by combating different forms of ailments, stress and promoting relaxation. Through therapeutic massages/baths, or diffusers, these magical and versatile oils have offered various health benefits. Experiment and find what works best for you.
