Orange And Neroli Essential Oils Relieves Anxiety And Improve Mood
The relaxing scent of orange essential oil and neroli is a great natural remedy to uplift your mood and ease feelings of fear and apprehension.
Various trials have shown that calming essential oils for anxiety such as orange oil help to deal with anxiety in stressful situations. For example, inhaling orange essential oil helps reduce stress during childbirth.
Other studies have shown that using aromatherapy orange essential oils in a dentists room helps reduce anxiety and stress in children during dental treatment.
One study found that bitter orange essential oil can be good for panic attacks and to help manage anxiety disorders.
A 2018 study found that bitter orange extracts were just as effective as lavender extracts in relieving anxiety in postmenopausal women.
Lemon Essential Oil May Lower Anxiety Levels
Extracts from lemons are one of the many essential oils for anxiety that you can use in aromatherapy.
One study on animal subjects found that long-term exposure to lemon essential oil helped to reduce anxiety and even increased the pain threshold. Scientists also noted that the stress hormone corticosterone was lower after frequently inhaling lemon essential oil.
Calming Essential Oils For Stress And Anxiety
Reviewed by Lisa Blohm, PhD, MSN, RN
Are you familiar with feelings of anxiety and stress? Youre far from alone! Emotional concerns affect the majority of Americans, and although the symptoms cant be seen like a broken ankle, they can definitely make a difference to your overall health. And not a positive one! But a little-known trick with aromatherapy can help you out its time to try calming essential oils for stress and anxiety relief!
You cant always control your job situation, commitments, schedule, or even relationships, but you can control how you respond to each situation that shows up in your life. If inhaling or applying a mood-enhancing essential oil brings you some much-needed peace, why wouldnt you go for that?!
In this article, well be talking about the best calming essential oils for stress and anxiety and howaromatherapycan shift your life toward less tension and more balance!
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What You Need To Know Before You Use Essential Oils For Anxiety
Each essential oil has a distinct aroma and works variedly on your senses for impact. Now that you have a fair idea about what essential oils are and what they can do, you can proceed to understand how they generally work and some precautions you need to take heed of when you are working with them.
- Essential oils for relaxation work by stimulating the receptors of smell located in your nose and using them to send signals to your brain and nervous system .
- In aromatherapy, topical application of essential oils and inhalation of the diffused scent of oils to help with anxiety are the common methods of practice.
- There is not enough evidence-based research regarding the safety of swallowing most essential oils. So, contrary to any advice on the internet, refrain from ingesting essential oils.
- Essential oils are unregulated by the FDA , so take caution as you practice and only opt for therapeutic grade oils from trusted sources.
- Steer clear of essential oils with synthetic scents and only purchase oils where you can clearly read the labels.
- It is important to note that many essential oils can cause allergic reactions or irritation on sensitive skin . It is best to adhere to instructions of use for specific oils to protect yourself against harm.
With some of the important factors noted, lets dive into the best essential oils that you can use to get relief from anxiety.
Scientific Research Referenced In This Article
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Essential Oils For Anxiety And Panic Attacks
This post may contain affiliate links, you can read my disclosure policy.
A few things that I do to help control my anxiety are:
- Deep breaths
- Distract me with something. I keep myself busy, like doing chores around the house, laundry, read a book, listen to music. Whatever I can think of that will get my racing overthinking mind to relax.
- Reason with myself I think, Whats the worst that can happen? Because meeting new people, taking a test or grocery shopping is not going to kill me. At the very least I could make a new friend.
- Using Essential Oils My favorite thing to do is use essential oils to help calm me. I love the smell of lavender the best.
- Using Natural Supplements For Anxiety also helps as I tend to be deficient in some vitamins and minerals.
Below Ive put some of the best essential oils for anxiety, how to use them, facts on the oils, and research.
Essential Oils help calm my mind and body, promote calmness, and reduce symptoms of stress efficiently. These oils are safe to use and have been found to have no side-effects.
Apart from the soothing effect they have on your mind and body, essential oils are very cost-effective. Oils are found to give the same relief that costly anti-anxiety drugs bring.
The same oil may help calm and relax an individual who is suffering from a panic attack and also help relieve another individuals headache who is suffering from anxious thoughts.
Products We Recommend
Diy Winter Shower Gel
Find yourself feeling a case of the winter blahs and you just cant seem to shake the cloud of anxiety hanging over your head? Why not try an invigorating body wash that doesnt contain harsh chemicals or strong fragrances and instead whip together a blend of essential oils to boost your mood.
This DIY shower gel is made using essential oils that are proven to boost spirits, alleviate stress and brighten the skin. Bonus? A hot shower will relax you anyway so take it up a notch and use a shower gel formulated to give you results.
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What Are The Benefits Of Essential Oils
In humans, essential oils provide support for every system in the body: your skeletal system, muscular system, circulatory system, endocrine system and hormones, respiratory system and immune system. They support brain health and healthy weight. They are used extensively for emotions and for spiritual support.
The oil itself acts in our body much the way it does in a plant, it provides nutrients and aides in healing. The way and process by which the essential oils are made is important, some essential oils obtained through the chemical processes are not considered true essential oils. Which is why I use Young Living because the oils are extracted in their truest form, not added to or altered.
Where To Buy Quality Essential Oils
There are many essential oils available, but the most important factor is quality and cost. If you’re going to be using them to heal medical conditions and other symptoms you want them to be 100 percent pure and of the highest grade.
This is why I switched to Simply Earth Essential Oils. One of my Ayurvedic teachers gave me a bottle of their lavender essential oil and I was beyond pleased!
The price cannot be beaten for the level of purity and quality. Simply Earth oils are ethically sourced from small farms and guaranteed to be 100% pure and free of synthetic preservatives, colors, and artificial fragrances.
Simply Earth has over 3000 Five-Star Reviews for their oils and their monthly subscription box.
Every purchase goes to supporting human sex trafficking. Simply Earth donates 13% of its profits to organizations on the front line of fighting this tragic injustice.
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Anxious Feelings And Essential Oils
Feelings of unease or worry can be helpful when they motivate you to take positive actions to solve problems. But they can be detrimental if they prevent you from experiencing joy and happiness in your daily life. If you have a difficult time soothing anxious feelings, there are essential oils that can help.
Chamomile Essential Oil For Anxiety And Stress
One of the most valuable qualities of chamomile essential oil is its ability to relieve stress. Traditionally used as a natural sleep aid, recent scientific research has noted that the inhalation of chamomile essential oil may help decrease particular hormones, which are a by-product of stress. Chamomile essential oil may also promote feelings of sedation.
This data helps support some of the beneficial properties of chamomile essential oil for anxiety and stress relief.
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Best Essential Oils For Relieving Anxiety Stress And Insomnia
Which essential oil is best for you is a personal choice and will depend in large part on how much you enjoy the scent.
Some essential oils are more expensive than others to produce because they are rare, difficult to extract, or it takes a lot of the plant to create high-quality oils. For example, it takes 22 pounds of rose petals to create 5-ml of rose essential oil and 220 pounds of orange blossoms to produce 2.5 ounces of neroli oil.
A little goes a long way with essential oils. You use just a few drops at a time. Still, you may want to try less expensive options first.
I divided my best list into an A tier that are relatively inexpensive and a B tier that are effective for relieving anxiety but much more expensive to produce than those in the first list.
The relatively inexpensive essential oils that research tells us have calming effects include:
How To Choose A High Quality Essential Oil
When buying essential oils, getting a high quality product is very important. Its often recommended to avoid multilevel marketing giants, as their oils are often mass-produced and the manufacturers may not be open about their sourcing or sustainability efforts. These oils may also be overpriced.
If youre interested in trying essential oils to improve well-being, it may be worth signing up for a class by an experienced aromatherapy expert before you dive in. Youll not only learn about which oils may be useful for different purposes, but the class may also help you train your nose to spot the difference between high quality oils and fakes.
Here are some additional tips to help you pick a high quality essential oil:
- What does the bottle look like? A high quality essential oil will be stored in a dark glass bottle thats tightly sealed since light, heat, and plastic may damage the oil.
- What does the label say? A high quality essential oil will state that its 100% pure essential oil. It will list both the common and Latin name of the plant from which the oil is derived. Ideally, it should also state what parts of the plant were used to make the oil and how it was grown .
- Can you determine the source? For a good product, it should be relatively easy to find out where the plant was grown. Some manufacturers may list the country of origin on the label or provide a lot number you can look up. If youre buying online, the product description page should clearly state the origin.
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How To Use Essential Oils To Retrain Your Sense Of Smell After Covid
Lost your sense of smell? A loss of smell, also known as anosmia, is a common symptom of Covid 19 and for around 10% of sufferers, the distressing problem persists for many months. Aromatherapy, however, could offer an answer. Some doctors now recommend retraining the olfactory senses by sniffing specific essential oils. The theory is that strong scent stimulates the damaged nerves in the nose and encourages healing. The charities AbScent and Fifth Sense offer support for anyone with anosmia, along with smell-retraining kits, and information about how to blend your own oils.
What To Look For When Purchasing Essential Oils For Aromatherapy
If you are new to essential oilsdont be scared away by the tiny bottles they typically come in. With essential oils, a little goes a long way. They are used a few drops at a time.
Look for assurance of purity and quality, third-party testing , and presence of the botanical name .
Avoid supper cheap and synthetic brands.
100% pure is NOT always indicative of high quality. Labels can say 100% pure but only have 5% pure essential oil.
Read reviews of oils to see comments about the quality of the smell they emit.
I noticed that Edens Garden oils have the high-quality indicators and also high reviews on Amazon. And I have purchased this brand myself with positive results.
I included links for Edens Garden brand oils in the “9 Best Essential Oils for Relieving Anxiety, Stress, and Insomnia” section earlier.
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What Are Essential Oils
Essential oils are extracted from plants and distilled to a highly concentrated liquid. These aromatic plant essences have been used by humans for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Egypt, India, and Persia. In fact, ancient Greeks and Romans traded early iterations of essential oils with countries of the Near East.
The most potent and fragrant essential oils, such as chamomile, sage, and lemongrass, are often derived from plants that grow in tropical climates.
Essential oils are usually made from the bark, flowers, fruit, or leaves of a plant, which are steamed or pressed. For context, it can take 1020 pounds of lavender flowers to produce 1 ounce of essential oil and 2,000 rose petals to yield one drop of rose essential oil.
Essential oils are known for their medicinal properties, and many people use them for aromatherapy to reduce symptoms of anxiety and alleviate stress. Essential oils can also help boost your mood, relieve headache and migraine pain, promote sleep, and reduce nausea.
Some essential oils, such as tea tree essential oil, contain antimicrobial properties and can be used as an antiseptic.
Stress Reducing Essential Oil Blends
You can see that there are numerous essential oils for stress and anxiety. These oils work great individually, but combining oils creates a synergistic effect. Here are a few blends you might enjoy making yourself.
You can use these stress reducing essential oil blends in a variety of ways:
- Roller Bottles: I keep a few roller bottles mixed up with my favorite oils or blends. They slip into a purse for use while you are out, and make anytime-application a breeze. You can learn more about roller bottles and how to mix and use them here. ]
- Diffusers: There are a variety of diffusers to choose from. Keeping your favorite blends handy in your workspace, kitchen, bedroom wherever you are working in the house or office. You will enjoy the subtle scent and your body will respond to the therapeutic effect.
- Diffuser Necklace: These necklaces come in a variety of styles. You place a few drops of your favorite essential oil inside the mini diffuser or on a pad that fits inside the diffuser. No one else will notice the scent, but it will release its healing properties throughout the day for you alone.
NOTE: Both of these blends may be mixed in larger amounts and stored in a reducer bottle for future use. Make sure to clearly label your blend essential oils including amounts, and date.
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Chamomile Essential Oil Has Anti
Chamomile is a floral herb that is well-known for its soothing effects. It comes as no surprise that essential oil extracted from chamomile flowers also helps to relax your mind and help you sleep better.
A study on the relaxing effects of chamomiles uplifting scent on humans found that chamomile essential oil promotes good sleep and lowers anxiety levels. An anti-anxiety essential oil blend was made from lavender, chamomile, and neroli oils. The aromatherapy treatment helped to reduce anxiety before a surgical operation.
One study on rats found that using chamomile as an essential oil for stress is an effective natural treatment and can also boost the effectiveness of antidepressant drugs.
Pharmaca Essential Oil Blend Sweet Dreams
For bedtime aromatherapy, try Pharmacas Sweet Dreams blend. This mixture of lavender, orange, and other organic essential oils works to bring you peace at bedtime and help lull you into a stress-free sleep.
Essential oils should be safe when used properly, but if you encounter any side effects, make sure to seek medical advice from a professional.
Pharmaca offers a wide variety of essential oils and blends! You can explore the options on our essential oils page.
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How To Sleep Better If You Have Anxiety
Getting enough shut-eye every night is vital for both our physical and mental health. When we sleep, our bodies perform a variety of functions, from repairing damaged cells to strengthening our immune systems.17
Sleep is also crucial for our brain as its when it processes all the information weve soaked up during the day and consolidates it into long term memories.18
If you dont get enough sleep every night, youll likely feel lethargic the following day, much more irritable and probably have poorer concentration levels. These can all have a big impact on your everyday life and may make any anxiety youre experiencing seem much worse.
Relax With This Stress Relief Essential Oil Starter Kit
My favorite essential oils are made by Young Living, a company that, in my opinion, creates the finest essential oils in the world. I have tried a lot of brands and have been very disappointed by the quality. When it comes to essential oils you definitely get what you pay for.
Each oil from Young Living is 100% pure and therapeutic grade, with no fillers, carrier oils, synthetic fragrances, or trace extraction chemicals.
In addition, Young Living is committed to sustainable harvest for all their oils. Thats why I can only recommend them.
If youre feeling stressed or anxious, this Stress Relief Essential Oil Starter Kit is a perfect place to start with essential oils. It contains all the oils you read about in this article, as well as several others that are great for immunity, gut health, and more.
The starter kit also comes with a diffuser and roll-on glider, so you can get both aromatherapy and topical benefits from all your new essential oils, right out of the box.
And as a special offer, this starter bundle also includes several bonuses, such as:
- Recipe cards for your own essential oil blends
- A complete beginners guide to essential oils and their benefits
- Access to the Wellkeep private Facebook group with Dr. Dee, a naturopathic doctor and one of worlds leading essential oil experts
Dont let stress and anxiety keep you from being the best version of yourself. Buy this Stress Relief Essential Oil Starter Kit today to promote calm clarity in your daily life.
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