Stress & Anxiety
Do you struggle with low mood, depression or anxiety? Do you sometimes feel out of sorts or a harbour a general feeling of being out of control? What about other signs of stress and anxiety? Sometimes the signs are small and niggling but often they can have a devastating effect on our lives.
A study by the Mental Health Foundation in 2018 found that 74% of people have felt so stressed that they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope.
Whether you are struggling with stress and anxiety, or are finding it difficult to energise and motivate yourself, we have a range of essential oils for you to try.
Have you read Rina’s story about her battle with overcoming stress?
Relieve Stress and Reduce Anxiety
The simple truth is that many of us are looking for ways to relieve stress and reduce anxiety. Being diagnosed with anxiety and depression is not a pre-requisite for wanting to make a real change to your lifestyle!
It may be that concerns about your health such as high blood pressure or a racing heart rate have prompted you to take action. Or it may be that you just know deep down that you need to find ways to calm the mind and allow the parasympathetic nervous system – our rest and digest system – an opportunity to work its magic.
What do you do to reduce stress? Do you head out for a long walk in the countryside? Relax in a warm bath after a long day? Read a good book? Sometimes the mind and body are so wired and active that even sitting down to watch the TV can leave you feeling frazzled!
At Dotty’s Oils, we know from personal experience that using essential oils can foster a real sense of calm and tranquillity. Add a few drops Lavender essential oil or Ylang Ylang essential oil to your diffuser – it is such a quick and easy way to relieve anxiety and reduce stress without any unpleasant side effects!
It is said that it takes 22 seconds for essential oil molecules to reach the brain, 2 minutes to get into the bloodstream and 20 minutes to impact every cell in the body! And because there’s little or no thought required in the process of using essential oils – you just add a few drops of essential oil to one of our diffusers and sit back and take in the aroma – it is a super simple but effective form of self-care.
If you are struggling to grapple with stress and anxiety, there are plenty of essential oils you can try.
Essential Oils for Stress and Anxiety
There are are many options that you can try if you would like to support your stress and anxiety levels by using essential oils. Here are some of our suggestions.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender essential oil contains Linalool, which makes it a calming oil. You can add a few drops to a warm bath with Epsom Salts to promote relaxation, or apply 1-2 drops to your temples to relieve stress and reduce anxiety.
Lavender isn’t to everyone’s taste, though! The complaint we hear most frequently at Dotty’s is that people think that Lavender is an “old lady smell”! This couldn’t be further from the truth with dōTERRA’s pure and natural Lavender.
Did you know thought that Lavender is the world’s most adulterated aroma? Perhaps you have only smelt a poor quality, impure Lavender on a previous occasion? But as we always say, if you don’t like the aroma of a particular essential oil your body is telling you that it doesn’t want or need it. Simply try another essential oil instead!
Lavender essential oil blends well with Clary Sage essential oil, Frankincense essential oil, Wild Orange essential oil and Peppermint essential oil.
Bergamot Essential Oil
Bergamot essential oil is the oil of self-acceptance and can reduce feelings of despair, self-judgement and low self-esteem.
If you need a confidence boost – Bergamot essential oil is the one for you!
Bergamot is a powerful essential oil that will assist to calm the mind during times of anxiety or sadness. Diffuse it in diffuser or inhale it from your cupped hands.
Bergamot essential oil blends well with Lavender essential oil, Lime essential oil, Patchouli essential oil, Ylang Ylang essential oil and Peppermint essential oil.
Frankincense Essential Oil
Known as the King of Oils Frankincense essential oil is a real powerhouse. If in doubt about which oil to use in any given situation, there is no better place to start than with this oil.
People suffering from anxiety and depression often use Frankincense essential oil.
You can use it in many ways – you can put a drop directly under your tongue, add a few drops to your diffuser (at Dotty’s we usually combine it with other oils as it is a bit on the pricey side!) or applied to the skin on the pulse points. Frankincense Touch is also available.
Frankincense essential oil blends well with Clove essential oil, Lavender essential oil, Myrrh essential oil, Peppermint essential oil, Sandalwood essential oil, Wild Orange essential oil, Douglas Fir essential oil and Citrus Bliss essential oil.
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Ylang Ylang essential oil is often used to relieve anxiety and depression, and to combat exhaustion and chronic fatigue.
At Dotty’s we like to inhale a drop of Ylang Ylang essential oil in the palm of our hands to reduce stress and tension.
We also use it in the diffuser, often blended with other oils such as Bergamot essential oil, Clary Sage essential oil, Geranium essential oil, Grapefruit essential oil, Frankincense essential oil, Patchouli essential oil, Sandalwood essential oil and Vetiver essential oil.
Vetiver Essential Oil
When she has a big day in court and knows that a stressful time awaits her, Rina’s go-to oil is Vetiver essential oil.
Rina says: “Vetiver is an oil that we don’t often hear about but it is a base note in lots of perfumes and aftershaves. It is an incredibly sedative oil and when I inhale it and place just a drop on the back of my hand, I immediately feel less anxious and ready to tackle what lies ahead. Aromas can ignite so many different feelings in us and an aroma that feels like a hug is one I will take any day of the week!”
Vetiver blends well with Lime essential oil, Cedarwood essential oil, Lavender essential oil, Sandalwood essential oil and Ylang Ylang essential oil.
Reduce Sad Feelings with Essential Oils
Many essential oils high in linalool and beta-pinene are well known for their ability to reduce sad and anxious feelings.
Lavender and Clary Sage have high amounts of linalool, while Lemon, Lime, and White Fir have high amounts of beta-pinene.
Scientists in Mexico City published their findings in June 2015 that both linalool and beta-pinene affect the monoaminergic system of the brain, which includes such well-known neurotransmitters as serotonin and dopamine, and the adrenaline/noradrenaline adrenergic system.*
Both linalool and beta-pinene act on multiple receptors of the monoaminergic system.
Because multiple receptors are targeted, the effects of linalool and beta-pinene are more potent and long lasting than molecules that target only one receptor. Linalool and beta-pinene support brain chemistry balance in these receptors, which has the effect of reducing sad feelings.*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.