Stress affects every aspect of peoples’ lives, including personal interactions with others, ability to be productive workers, and overall health. Many times, the body adjusts to stress, but it’s important to remember that its effects can be cumulative. Unless relieved, stress may build to the point where the body and mind can essentially just shut down.
There are many things we can do to help reduce stress in your life. Exercise and herbal therapy are commonly used as stress-reducing techniques. Meditation, positive affirmations, and yoga are all known to help with stress and anxiety. Aromatherapy is also a great stress-reducing technique that can be used at almost any time or place, yet it is often the most ignored of the stress therapies.
What Is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils to soothe the mind, body, and spirit. Inhaling essential plant oils has been shown to reduce stress and produce actual physical and mental changes within the body. Essential oils can also be used during massage treatments. The best oils to help manage stress and its related conditions include:
- Stress: Rose, jasmine, neroli, lavender, chamomile, ylang-ylang, and juniper berry.
- Lack of energy: Mandarin, bergamot, lemon, rosemary, grapefruit, eucalyptus, pine, onion, peppermint, clove, and camphor.
- Emotional balance: Geranium and sage.
- Tension: Basil, bergamot, cedarwood, chamomile, cinnamon, frankincense, geranium, jasmine, lavender, marjoram, melissa, neroli, palmarosa, rosemary, vetiver, and ylang-ylang.
- Anxiety and depression: Basil, clary sage, grapefruit, jasmine, lavender, orange, melissa, neroli, rose, sandalwood, vetiver, and ylang-ylang.
- Insomnia: Basil, chamomile, lavender, mandarin, marjoram, melissa, neroli, petitgrain, rose, sandalwood, thyme, and ylang-ylang.
One Easy Way to Use Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy can be practiced at home, in the car, at work, or just about anywhere. Simply moisten a cotton ball with the appropriate oil and place it near the bed if you need to relax at night, in the car as a way to de-stress after work or in rush hour traffic, or at your desk at work to keep you focused. Aromatherapy is a simple, yet effective, way to keep your mind, body, and spirit healthy and productive.