Balance Stress with Aromatherapy

Life can get hectic! And we all feel stressed out from time to time. But I’ve found, if you’re feeling stressed out or tired, scents can help to lift your mood, and help you to feel calmer and more energised.

It’s well known that essential oils stimulate smell receptors in the nose and activate parts of the brain that play a role in regulating emotions. Aromatherapy is commonly used to treat a wide variety of mental and physical problems from stress and anxiety, to headaches and digestive issues. The essential oils trigger messages to be sent to your brain’s limbic system, which controls your emotions, memory and how we learn.

When we’re stressed or anxious, our body reacts to this by releasing a stress hormone called cortisol. Under normal circumstances, this chemical helps us with reducing inflammation, regulating blood sugar, and many other natural functions. However, when we’re under too much stress, it can lead to anxiety, depression, and other health problems.

A study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing showed that aromatherapy helped intensive care patients to feel less anxious and more positive immediately, says behavioural health specialist Jane Ehrman, MEd.

Aromatherapy is an affordable relaxation technique you can use at home in a number of ways:

Place essential oils in an diffuser or infuser (only a couple of drops), which fills a room with scent (see below for handy tips).
Another way is to put a few drops of essential oil in 2 cups of water. Stir the water then dip in a washcloth. Wring out the cloth and use it to wipe your face, hands and neck. Two or three drops of the essential oil is plenty. Cotton washcloths work best.
An aromatherapy inhaler is also a great way to help relief stress on the go! Carry a few in your purse or pocket to use as needed. See recipe at the end of this blog.
An aromatherapy roll on is also a great way to relieve stress just before a stressful situation.

Diffusing essential oils can help to improve our mood, support our respiratory health, help to reduce airborne germs and reduce unpleasant odours. And in the evenings, they can help our minds release repetitive thoughts that might prevent us from relaxing. However, it’s important to diffuse essential oils sensibly and not overdo it. Start learning how to diffuse safely by exploring the following tips:

Before diffusing any essential oil, be sure to familiarize yourself with general essential oil safety principles and research/review the safety precautions associated with each essential oil that you use.
Essential oils are highly concentrated. They should not be continuously diffused. Be sure you are diffusing in a well ventilated space.
Refer to the instructions that came with your particular type of diffuser. Do not exceed to amount of essential oil recommended for your particular diffuser.
Do not diffuse more essential oil than is necessary. Essential oils should not be diffused in significant concentration. Less is more with essential oils.
Olfactory fatigue is a phenomenon where you are no longer able to easily perceive an aroma, even if the aromatic molecules are still present. Even if you no longer can smell an essential oil or blend as it is being diffused, the essential oil still likely being inhaled into your lungs.
If diffusing around cats and other pets, be sure they aren’t confined strictly to the room in which you are diffusing. Allow them to leave the area if they need to.
Add some essential oils to your bath with a bath bomb or in the shower with a shower fizzer. I’ll be adding some recipes very soon to the website for you to try.

As a safety tip: Robert Tisserand, author of Essential Oil Safety and the Tisserand Institute advise the following:

“It is not advisable to directly and intensively inhale essential oils for longer than 15-20 minutes, such as with steam inhalation. However, this does not apply to ambient inhalation from essential oils vaporized into the air. If you are diffusing essential oils, it makes more sense to do this intermittently than constantly, all day long. Ideally, diffuse essential oils for 30-60 minutes on, then 30-60 minutes off. This is not only safer, but it’s also more effective as both our bodies and our nervous system habituate to essential oils after this period of time. Whenever you are using or diffusing essential oils, some air exchange (fresh air) is advisable.

Source: “How to Use Essential Oils Safely“. Tisserand Institute. Accessed: April 27, 2019.

In conclusion, Our sense of smell is incredibly powerful. It causes physical and mental changes in our body that can have rippling effects on every part of our life. Using aromatherapy, we can quickly and easily change how we feel no matter the circumstance. As a result of reducing stress and anxiety! How do you relief stress and anxiety?