How exactly does aromatherapy help with stress or anxiety? I get a lot of people asking me which products are best for anxiety, all of which I will share in this blog but how does aromatherapy help with stress or anxiety? When I was still working my corporate job I was physically ill, very stressed and anxious. Back then I hadn't trained in aromatherapy but I had an aromatherapy roll on and I would use it often. It felt so comforting as I inhaled the beautiful scent it seemed to have a calming effect but I never really knew why. Years later when I trained as an aromatherapist I understood. In this blog I'll explain how aromatherapy works and share with you the 3 top essential oils for stress and anxiety.
Aromatherapy has been used for centuries, it is a form of holistic therapy that stimulates the part of the brain connected to smell (the olfactory system) A signal is then sent to the limbic system which controls emotions and retrieves learned memories. This causes chemicals to be released which make you feel relaxed or calm. Each essential oil has its own benefits, so if you are feeling stressed a set of oils can be chosen to alleviate that condition. This is where I come in! All of our products use essential oils chosen for a specific purpose so the calm aromatherapy candle has essential oils to help you feel calmer. Here are my top 3 essential oils that I recommend if you are feeling stressed or anxious. I've chosen three affordable oils that are easy to find, essential oils like rose, jasmine and neroli are also great for stress or anxiety but they cost a lot, let's keep it affordable!
Lavender – It's a must have
In a previous blog I listed lavender as one of the top 3 oils to have in your home, mainly because it's so versatile. You can use it directly on your skin so a few drops on your wrists or behind the ears will help you to keep you calm throughout the day, a few drops on your pillow at night time is also great to help you get to sleep. It helps to calm and clear the mind, alleviate fears and calm the nervous system. It's the best oil in my view to help you to feel calmer and help you to relax.
Ylang ylang – Calm the breath
Ylang ylang is best known for its ability to slow down over rapid breathing and reduce stress and anxiety. If you're stressed and anxious your breath is more than likely to be short and shallow. How you breathe has a huge effect on how you feel, if you spent a few moments now to slow down your breathing and take longer inhales and exhales I'm pretty sure you'd feel calmer instantly. Ylang Ylang helps to slow down the breath, it helps with nervous depression, anger, rage & frustration and is a must have oil to help with stress and anxiety. It's also great for PMS.
Bergamot – Fruity & lively!
The slightly fruity and floral scent of bergamot gives it a calming yet uplifting quality. It's great for you if you are tense, anxious or depressed. It is described as being a relaxing, restoring and calming essential oil so it's perfect if you are feeling stressed or anxious. It blends well with lavender & ylang ylang so here's a how you can make a relaxing body oil to help you switch off and get a good night's sleep.
Calming body oil blend
To 20ml of carrier oil - sweet almond, olive oil, avocado oil etc
3 drops of lavender
3 drops of ylang ylang
2 drops of bergamot
Give it a mix so that the oils are dispersed. If you have sensitive skin you may want to do a patch test first (behind the ear or the crook of the arm) Massage into the body before bedtime. This will help you to switch off and get a good nights sleep.
There you have it, how aromatherapy works and my top 3 essential oils for stress and anxiety. Feeling stressed or anxious isn't much fun. There are so many tools you can use to help you to feel calmer and less anxious and aromatherapy is definitely one of them. I've used aromatherapy myself for years as well as with clients and the benefits are wonderful. We use lavender and ylang ylang in our good night sleep tight pillow spray so why not give that a try! Click here to check it
Stay calm and connected!
Much love, Lou xx
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