Emotional concerns affect many people whether it’s just a bad slump, anxiety over a special circumstance, or straight-up depression. It’s easy to feel anxious, depressed or overwhelmed with busy schedules and hectic lives, and it just gets worse during the second half of the winter. We’ve all been there! And it’s just possible that essential oils can help if you choose the right mood-boosting oils.
For more advice on blending, read about all about blending essential oils in this blog post.
Can mood-boosting essential oils actually help with emotional issues like anxiety?
The short answer is: They might help, but they won’t cure.
Essential oils won’t cure your emotional issues (such as depression, anxiety or stress) but they can absolutely help boost your self-care routine. But before we get into that, check out our blog post on inhalation.
Which essential oils should I choose to help with anxiety, depression or stress symptoms?
These are the oils that are known for their mood-boosting properties, great for helping with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.
Just remember: Scent is incredibly individual. Not everyone will respond the same way to the same oils. It’s always best to try out different oils and pay close attention to your own body’s responses, and choose oils that you personally respond to. Each oil has it’s own unique properties, so experiment with blends using the oils that speak to you.
1. Lavender
Lavender is the quintessential relaxing scent. Use Lavender together with deep, resinous scents like Frankincense to create calm and peace or with lighter citrus notes to provide a lift in mood.
2. Bergamot
This bright, fresh-smelling oil is excellent for brightening mood and lifting spirits. When used with Neroli and Vanilla, it is one of our favorites for moments of feeling overwhelmed or stressed!
3. Frankincense
Frankincense is one of the most frequently used oils and when blended with Cedarwood or Sandalwood. It can be useful to help calm and focus your mind, creating a relaxing and meditative feeling.
4. Geranium
An uplifting and balancing essential oil, Geranium is best blended with deep scents like Vetiver or Patchouli. This oil has a very strong, floral scent and when combined with either of those grounding, calming scents can create a very relaxing environment.
5. Vetiver
Vetiver is a root oil that is jam-packed with therapeutic properties. This oil is known for its ability to promote relaxation and balance. Vetiver is very popular to use before bedtime to help calm the mind. It has a very strong aroma that has an earthy, woodsy, smoky scent, but is pleasant to the senses. Many people swear by Vetiver when it comes to emotional support and mood-boosting properties.
6. Roman Chamomile
A light, fresh scent that blends beautifully with small amounts of Geranium and Lavender, Roman Chamomile is calming and relaxing, and so nice when used in a bath prior to bed!
Some quick and easy ways to use essential oils for mood-boosting:
For quick, easy mood-boosting properties, try creating a personal inhaler. This is wonderful for yourself, your kids and several friends. Take it with you for an on-the-go pick me up.
- Take a nice bath, pamper yourself. Then get a good night’s rest. Here’s a wonderful article, Creating an Aromatherapy Bath.
- Create your own personal diffuser blend to ward off anxiousness. Use a blend of oils you personally find uplifting, on days you feel overwhelmed or particularly stressed.
It’s important to remember that aromatherapy is just one tool in the toolbox to assist with emotional concerns like depression, stress, and anxiety. A proper diet is another key factor, using herbal preparations is another and finally, plenty of rest can be useful in the reduction of stressful or anxious feelings.
