Stress may be the most important condition to treat, as it’s a cause behind so many other ailments and imbalances in the body. Fortunately, this is a therapeutic area where essential oils shine and offer so many options. Essential oils work on stress by balancing both the central and autonomic nervous systems’ reactions to stress and by interacting with messenger molecules (or their related receptor sites), such as dopamine, serotonin, and GABA, which affect how we feel.
Alone or combined, some suggested essential oils for stress are:
• Bergamot
• Cedarwood
• Clary sage
• Neroli
• Ylang-ylang
Safety First
Essential oils are effective for so many stress-related conditions, but they can’t stop stress-inducing thinking. They can only support you in your efforts to balance your responses. If you feel that stress is interfering with your health and your life, consult with your healthcare professional.
There are so many options for the use of essential oils to control stress. Here are three techniques recommended for stress reduction:
• Relaxing massage. Massage and essential oils combine to release many of the body’s own stress-reducing compounds.
• Soothing soak. It’s a familiar and powerful way to calm both body and mind.
• In the air. By inhaling essential oils, you create an interaction and response in areas of the brain (limbic system) that send messages, physically producing calm and ease throughout the body.
Natural Partners for Aromatherapy
For maximum results, combine your essential oils with these other natural remedies:
• Prioritize sleep. It’s been shown that sleep assists the body in regulating stressors in the body.
• Move your body. Yoga, tai chi, and qigong are often recommended to reduce stress. Walking and non-aggressive exercise are also stress-regulating movements.
• Meditate. This is the method of the yogis that has entered the mainstream as a thought-calming way of reducing stress.
The most common use of essential oils has a good foundation of proof you’ll discover for yourself when trying out these stress-reducing remedies.
Carve out time to sink into a warm bath while inhaling the calming effects of clary sage and ylang-ylang. Epsom salts help melt away your tension.
10 drops clary-sage oil
12 drops ylang-ylang oil
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup Epsom salts
½ cup coarse sea salt
½ cup baking soda
1 dark-glass pint jar
In a large glass bowl, combine the oils. Add in the Epsom salts, sea salt, and baking soda and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into your jar. Add ¼ to ½ cup of the blend to a hot bath.
Stress doesn’t usually sit at home, waiting for us. Keep this rollerball blend handy for those stressful moments that arise throughout the day.
4 drops bergamot oil
4 drops neroli oil
4 drops cedarwood oil
1 10-milliliter rollerball bottle
Carrier oil to fill
Add all of the essential oils to the rollerball bottle, then fill it the rest of the way with carrier oil. Shake to blend. Apply to your wrists or neck, or breathe in from the bottle.