Being stressed can lead to various health issues such as pain, inflammation, migraines, digestive problems, mental fatigue, depression, and even skin problems.
Dealing with it might feel very challenging, but finding ways to control and reduce stress in your life can be extremely rewarding.
Why Essential Oils Are Good For Relaxation
Relaxation is a deeply personal thing, and what works for some may not work for others. Whatever you choose, to be effective, it needs to affect your mental and emotional condition at a deeper level.
By reaching parts of the brain that controls emotions and memories, essential oils can help you feel more relaxed and comfortable in your own skin.
This makes them particularly beneficial to use in stressful environments or when facing difficult life situations. Essential oils effectively support us in:
- Improving moods and lightening negative emotions
- Promoting restful sleep
- Alleviating mental fatigue
- Improving the air quality in your indoor environments
- Assisting with pain management
Some child friendly oils help soothe their tantrums and promotes relaxation and sleep. Every Mom’s dream!
Best Essential Oils For Relaxation
Choosing essential oils for relaxation can be based on personal criteria, but there are several studies that have shown that certain essential oils are better than others at promoting relaxation, improving our mood, mental state, emotions as well as helping us think and feel more positive and grounded.
1. Mandarin Oil (Citrus reticulata)
With its sweet fruity aroma and its calming and uplifting energy, Mandarin oil, for me, represents the joy of life.
Mandarin will take the focus out of your negative emotions and remind you how wonderfully cheerful and refreshing the power of nature can be.
This oil has been traditionally used as a sedative to calm the nervous system, relieve anxiety and help with migraines.
Its warming energy is great for freeing up breathing and helping you relax. Its gentle nature makes it great for children that are stressed and experience physical symptoms of stress such as stomach aches and headaches.
Here is how to use this lovely oil:
- After a long day at work or a difficult day at school, diffuse it in your house to uplift emotions and calm everybody nerves.
- At the end of a cold and stressful day, add some drops to your foot cream and give a long relaxing foot massage to yourself. Of course, it is even better if somebody volunteers to do it for you so you can lie back and relax.
2. Rose Oil (Rosa damascena)
As the king of the flowers, Rose has no other choice but to speak to your heart. Its deeply alluring aroma and healing energy can instantly comfort the heart while the smoothness of its petals remind us how delicate a soul can be especially during those traumatic experiences people may face during their lifetime.
Rose is traditionally used to soothe the soul during periods of grief and trauma as well as relieve stress and anxiety.
Add this oil to your life using it in the following two ways:
- It is very nourishing to the skin and is especially recommended for dry and mature types of skin. Mix some drops of rose oil to your hand cream and indulge into a wonderfully calming and relaxing hand massage.
- If you want rose oil’s seductive aroma to follow you wherever you go, create your own natural fragrance body spray or add a few drops to your normal shampoo.
- Note: Because of its uterine properties, do not use in pregnancy except in confirmed established labor.
3. Chamomile Roman Oil (Anthemis nobilis)
Humble yet powerful, chamomile Roman oil is great for soothing and calming the nervous system. Various studies have shown that the flavonoids it contains can modulate our ‘happy’ hormones, reducing depression; while the high content in Ester makes it ideal for relieving emotional irritation and stress.
Ancient Romans used it to boost mental clarity in the war, and recent studies have shown that it has a positive effect in memory quality and attention accuracy. It is also used to relieve emotional uneasiness during PMS. Roman Chamomile is suitable for children, especially to soothe toddler tantrums.
Here is how to promote relaxation using chamomile Roman:
- Diffuse it in all the rooms to create a calming home atmosphere and help everyone in the house, kids, adults, and pets sleep fast and dream sweet!
- During those cold winter days when your skin is suffering and your emotional need for sun warmth is compromised, mix a few drops with some sweet almond oil and rub onto your feet, hands or abdomen.
4. Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
Refreshing, sweet and floral, lavender’s aroma makes it difficult for anyone to resist its charm. Lavender oil has been historically used to calm and balance the mind and body, relieve headaches and migraines as well as help with depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
Several studies in humans and animals have also reported the positive effects of lavender oil on the nervous system. People use it for stress relief, relaxation and as an important aid to sleep.
Looking forward to introducing this oil to your life? Here is how:
- Create a DIY lavender spray and spritz your pillowcases and sheets just before going to bed. You can also spray the air whenever you want to feel the calming properties of lavender elegantly affecting your emotional being.
5. Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia)
Of all citrus essential oils, I love Bergamot oil the most because it has an aromatic complexity that lingers in your mind, soothes your feelings and wonderfully uplifts your spirits.
At times when you need comfort and hope to deal with life’s challenges, Bergamot, like a fresh and warm beam of light, can infuse you with feelings of lightheartedness, balance, and relaxation.
Bergamot lends effective support in stress reduction, anger management, anxiety, mental fatigue, and depression.
Here is how to show yourself some love using this oil:
- Add some drops to a lava stone diffuser necklace, bracelet or even a pair of earrings and have the warming and uplifting energy of Bergamot brighten your day.
- Diffuse it while meditating or having a relaxing bath at the end of the day.
- Note: Bergamot that is free of furocoumarin (FCF) is not phototoxic.
6. Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata)
With its sweet floral delicate and alluring aroma, ylang-ylang has a unique way of speaking to the heart and calming our inner being. Its warm energy can infuse feelings of warm-heartedness and love for ourselves and others.
It is well known for its ability to slow the heartbeat and calm palpitations as well as over-rapid breathing. Therefore, it is particularly beneficial for symptoms of fright and anxiety.
Allow yourself to be charmed and surrender to the emotionally calming and comforting energy of this oil in the following ways:
- Mix it with Epsom salt and enjoy a deeply relaxing bath at the end of the day.
- Create your own natural aroma spray and keep it in your bag to use at work or whenever you need something to uplift and calm you throughout the day.
- Note: Avoid using it on very young children.
- Not recommended for use during the first 37 weeks of pregnancy because it is a uterine tonic.
7. Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum)
We unconsciously allow ourselves to open up emotionally and be comforted by scents that are familiar to us. As classic as it can be, lemon oil’s aroma is cooling and refreshing with an energy that can uplift the mood and awaken emotions.
Strong, decisive and with clear goals, lemon can promote mental focus and help a person overcome mental confusion, fatigue, and doubt.
Are you a forever ‘fan’ of lemon? Here is how to keep your enthusiasm alive:
- Diffuse it in the office to uplift emotions and refresh the air. Believe me, nobody will complain.
- Add a few drops to your hand cream and take a short aromatherapy break every once in a while. Additional benefit: Lemon oil is a great natural treatment for brittle nails.
8. Helichrysum Oil (Helichrysum angustifolium or italicum)
Sometimes, our daily stresses and anxieties may have deeper roots linked to past traumas, wounds and unresolved, buried or denied emotions.
Helichrysum oil has been traditionally used for removing physical pain. Its emotional benefits are equally effective as an aid to go deeper into the roots of unresolved emotional stresses and find the inner strength to address and release them.
Helichrysum has a mildly sweet and long lasting aroma that can calm you and be supportive and invigorating to the body and mind. It is often used as a natural treatment for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
Here are two easy ways to enjoy a feeling of deep relaxation using this oil:
- During periods that trigger a lot of stress and turmoil, mix helichrysum essential oil with a jojoba carrier oil and rub it to the back of your neck.
- If you are feeling that your emotions and thoughts are getting intensively negative and you are losing control over them, inhale helichrysum by adding 2 drops to a tissue and inhale gently from there.
How To Use Essential Oils For Relaxation (Recipes & Blends)
Here are 3 easy methods and blends of essential oils to support your relaxation efforts:
1. Warm Compress For Relaxation And Tension Relief
One of the most common areas of the body that accumulate stress and anxiety and cause a lot of tension and pain is in our neck. Neck tension can appear at any time of the day and be persistent. It can also lead to tension headaches.
Here is a good way to release stress and neck tension. You will need:
- 1 bowl of warm water
- 2 drops Helichrysum
- 2 drops Chamomile Roman
- 1 small cotton towel
Soak the towel or a washcloth in the warm water.
Squeeze the towel to remove any excess water and add the essential oils to it.
Place it on the back of your neck and relax for 10-15 minutes.
2. Essential Oil Stress Relief At Work
Work can daily load our body and mind with stress and anxiety. Have you done the test?
Inhaling essential oils during work can keep you more calm, positive, mentally focused and creative. This way, you can become more productive and at the same time feel more refreshed and empowered to control negative feelings and focus on your strengths and work goals.
An additional benefit: You may save yourself from some extra calories. Stress at work often triggers emotional eating and over-consumption of sweet beverages and coffees.
Here is what you will need:
- 4 drops Chamomile Roman
- 4 drops Lavender
- 3 drops Mandarin Oil
- 2 drops Bergamot
- A personal inhaler
Add the essential oils to the inhaler according to the instructions.
Inhale before starting to work and whenever you feel tension or stress building up.
3. Foot Massage For Relaxation
Can you think of anything better for relaxation than a warm bath at the end of the day and a stress relief foot massage? Even the thought of it already makes me feel more relaxed.
Here is what you will need:
- 2 tbsp. of jojoba oil
- 4 drops Rose oil
- 4 drops Lavender
- 3 drops Lemon Oil
In a glass bowl, mix the essential oils with the carrier oil.
Apply on each foot and massage, paying attention to specific points, which, according to the Chinese reflexology, are linked to parts of our body that build up stress and tension.
For stress in the head, press and rub your big toe, moving up and down from the top of the toe to the toe pad and also moving from one side of the toe pad to the other.
At the end of the massage, put on a clean pair of cotton socks to keep your feet warm.
To Summarize
- Achieving relaxation does not only have to do with resting and calming our body and mind at the end of a tiring day but also finding relief from stress, anxiety, depression and other negative feelings that can cause us serious health problems.
- Being relaxed and grounded means that you can better control your emotions and be ready to deal with life’s daily stressors.
- Essential oils can help both physically and emotionally a person achieve relaxation.
- They have been traditionally used to deal with insomnia, and some essential oils are suitable for kids’ use as well.
- There are many ways to achieve relaxation using essential oils. Apply a warm compress on the back of your neck, inhale when you feel stressed at work or enjoy a deeply relaxing essential oil foot massage.
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