Anxiety affects lots of individuals around the world. It adversely affects your quality of life and takes a toll on your physical health as well. As medical science continues looking for natural ways to deal with anxiety, many sufferers of anxiety have turned back to ancient methods of using essential oils to soothe everyday stress and tension.
In this blog post, we take a detailed look at the best essential oils for anxiety and how you can experience their aromatherapy and wellness benefits.
1. Understanding Essential Oils
Essential oils are one of Nature’s many gifts to us. Extracted from flowers, leaves, roots, or bark and extracted using methods such as distillation or cold pressing, many users find essential oils have special properties that can change how they feel. Users report that essential oils provide help with stress, pain, sleep, and mood without harsh, artificial chemicals.
1.2 Extraction Methods of Essential Oils
There are a couple of ways to obtain high quality essential oils from plants. Steam distillation and cold pressing are the most widely used around the world. Each way has its own benefits and use cases. Which process is used often depends upon the plant and can impact the quality and purity of the oil.
2. How Do Essential Oils Help With Anxiety?
2.1 Aromatherapy and Your Sense of Smell
Aromatherapy refers to natural treatment using plant extracts, like essential oils, to make you healthier and happier. The aromas of essential oils go straight to the limbic system, the part of our brain that handles feelings, memories, and learning. Fragrances have a strong connection to memories and emotions, and aromatherapy uses these links in a systematic way to deliver the results you are seeking.
2.2 Connecting Essential Oils and Feelings
Many essential oils have constituents that might change how we feel. Some can calm us down, making us feel peaceful. Others can perk us up a bit, giving us more energy and focus. By choosing the right essential oils for their properties, we might be able to manage our thoughts and get relief from anxiety and stress.
2.3 Essential Oil Compounds and What They Do
Essential oils have different components and layers. Many of them have active parts that make them smell good, taste good, and help us feel better. Some parts, like linalool in lavender or limonene in citrus oils, might “talk to our nervous system” and help us achieve a certain mood or provide an ambience to a room to help us achieve our desired effects.
[ Read Also: USDA Certified Organic Essential Oils: All You Need To Know ]
3. Most Potent Essential Oils for Stress and Anxiety
Here are some of the most favored essential oils for reducing tension, fatigue, and daily stress, along with chronic issues of depression and anxiety.
3.1 Lavender
Lavender is considered widely as one of the best essential oils for anxiety and depression. A recent study by the National Library of Medicine shows that breathing in its scent can lower anxiety and help you sleep better. It’s thought that lavender affects your limbic system, which controls your emotions, making you feel more relaxed. You can try adding a few drops of lavender oil mixed with coconut oil to your bath before bedtime, creating a luxurious and calming environment. Or, you could use a diffuser in your bedroom at night to bathe the room in a relaxing, peaceful scent while you sleep.
3.2 Sweet Basil
Sweet basil essential oil is extracted from the leaves of the Ocimum basilicum plant. It has a spicy, herbal smell and is believed to help calm your mind and reduce stress. Although there’s not a lot of research on sweet basil oil, some animal studies suggest that it might relax the nervous system. More research is needed to know for sure how well it works for easing anxiety in people.
3.3 Ylang Ylang
Ylang-ylang essential oil is made from the flowers of the Cananga odorata tree. It has a sweet, floral scent that’s thought to lift your mood and maybe even make you feel romantic. Although there isn’t much scientific evidence, traditionally, ylang-ylang oil has been used to reduce stress and anxiety and improve overall mood.
3.4 Frankincense
Frankincense essential oil is extracted from the resin of the Boswellia tree, generally via steam distillation. It has a musky, sweet smell and is often used in meditation and spiritual practices to help you stay calm. Some studies suggest that rubbing frankincense oil on your skin can lower stress and improve signs of anxiety.
3.5 Clary Sage
Clary sage essential oil is made from the leaves of the Salvia sclarea plant. It’s known for its warm, relaxing scent and is thought to be great for easing stress and tension. While there isn’t a lot of research on clary sage oil and anxiety, a small study found that smelling clary sage oil reduced stress and made people feel more comfortable.
4. Ways to Use Essential Oils for Calming Anxiety
You’ve got lots of options for using essential oils for stress and anxiety. Let’s discuss some effective ways to fit essential oils into your daily routine.
4.1 Diffusing
One of the easiest ways to use essential oils for aromatherapy is in a diffuser that spreads the fragrance through the air, allowing you to experience the effects throughout the room.
There are all sorts of diffusers out there, from simple ones to fancy gadgets that make a mist of essential oils and some even provide a light show. When you’re choosing diffusers for essential oils, think about how easy it is to use, how big of an area they cover, and how much noise they make.
[ Read Also: Bug Bite Relief: Essential Oils that Soothe Itchy Skin ]
4.2 Topical Application
Another way to use essential oils for calming down is by putting them on your skin. Some oils can even be added to a warm bath for extra relaxation. It’s really important to mix essential oils with carrier oils such as fractionated coconut, sweet almond, or jojoba before you put them on your skin. This helps prevent things like itching or burning. Follow the instructions on the package or ask a professional aromatherapist about the right amounts to use.
4.3 Inhalation
A fast way to experience the effects of essential oils is to put a few drops of oil on a cotton ball and take some slow, deep breaths, being careful not to overpower yourself. This can help a lot when you’re really stressed or feeling anxious. Steam inhalation of essential oils is another efficacious way of soothing stress and negative emotions.
You can also bring the smell of essential oils into your space with scented jewelry, air fresheners, or by adding a few drops to a bowl of hot water or a humidifier. This way, you can enjoy the calming scent of oils all day long.
Discover Natural Calmness with N8 Essentials
At N8 Essentials, our constant focus is to bring you premium and USDA certified organic essential oils that transform your space with uplifting spirits. Combining our eco-friendly and sustainable cultivation methods with our state-of-the-art extraction and transportation procedures, we strive to bring you the best of Mother Nature.
Check out the N8 Essentials store now and embrace the most potent natural extracts that support both your emotional and physical well-being.
