After the year we’ve had, we’re all looking for ways to care for our mental health. Even as things return to normal, we might find ourselves struggling with anxiety, stress, or just feeling down. Practicing mental self-care is a good place to start and essential oils are here to help along the way.
It’s important to note that essential oils can’t “cure” stress or anxiety, but they can help uplift our emotions and offer therapeutic benefits. And as much as essential oils can help you cope with mental health concerns, they’re no replacement for professional mental health care. With that being said, let’s look at a few of our favorite essential oils and blends that can help support you through our mental health journey.
To Help Relieve Stress
Whether it’s meeting deadlines at work or studying for exams, many of us are familiar with the feelings of stress. It’s important to recognize these feelings and give yourself proper time to care for yourself. If you’re searching for a natural way to relieve stress, there are a few essential oils that can help. We’ll start with everyone’s classic pick: Lavender. It possesses a high quantity of Linalool, a constituent known for its calming, relaxing qualities. It’s a wonderful choice to help you wind down after a stressful day so you can enjoy your evenings.
When diffused, Ylang Ylang can help reduce stress and worry, while calming the mind from impeding thoughts. In addition, you can also use this as a relaxing massage oil. It encourages full-body relaxation, which can help you unwind after a stressful day. At times, stress can string along feelings of nervous tension. Patchouli and Basil Linalool are other essential oils that can help promote balance and alleviate feelings of anguish or doubt. Use them in blends or diffuse by themselves during meditation for a wonderful grounding experience.
Coping with Anxiety
Anxiety can come in all forms, and leaving feelings of unease and nervousness. Once we’re hit with it, it can strongly interfere with our ability to complete daily tasks. There are many ways to effectively help you cope with anxiety, one of them is essential oils.
Essential oils like Chamomile or Tangerine can help soothe nervous thoughts. If anxious emotions arise during your day, Tangerine can help clear the mind and reduce nervous tension. In addition, its bright, citrus aroma can help energize you through that midday slump. Whether you diffuse Chamomile before bedtime or dilute into a warm nighttime bath, it can help promote feelings of relaxation and allow you to rest easier through the night. At times, feelings of anxiety can also cause us physical strain like muscle tension. That tension can get built up in our necks and shoulders. Chamomile can help relieve that tension if used in a carrier oil.
Additionally, our Worry Free Blend combines essential oils like Roman Chamomile, Lavender, Sweet Marjoram, Ylang Ylang Complete, and more to help promote a tranquil environment for you to help let go of feelings of anxiety and stress. It can also help quiet thoughts caused by overthinking and allow you to fully relax.
Try out this relaxing diffuser blend to help calm unsettling emotions:
Namaste Diffuser Blend
What you’ll need:
- 4 drops Atlas Cedarwood
- 3 drops Elemi
- 2 drops Tangerine
- 1 drop Australian Sandalwood
What you’ll do:
Place all essential oils into your diffuser, sit back and relax.
Comforting Emotions
Sometimes, life can throw unexpected curveballs. When we least expect it, we find ourselves dealing with feelings of grief or loss. And during these gloomy days, there are a few essential oils that can help bring comfort to the mind and body, while helping calm unruly emotions.
When you need a break from the world, Neroli is one of many essential oils that can help us through times of extreme grief, nervous tension, or exhaustion. Its floral aroma can help comfort fluctuating emotions that come with grief. Also known for its comforting capabilities, Rose Absolute can help soothe emotions and bring a sense of calm in the midst of fresh grief. With this in mind, try the diffuser blend below to help you during times of agitation.
Vetiver, another great essential oil, boasts an earthy and woodsy aroma that is pleasant to the senses. It helps promote balance and relaxation back into our lives. It’s recommended to diffuse before bedtime because it can help calm the mind. Check out our Self Care Diffuser Blend that combines Vetiver, Green Tea CO2 Extract, and Lavender for the ultimate relaxation session.
As mentioned before, Lavender is well-known for its calming and tranquil properties. Diffuse into your living space or dilute it into a warm, night bath for a peaceful experience (try our DIY Lavender Bath Sachets recipe!).
Geranium Love Diffuser Blend
What you’ll need:
- 3 drops Bourbon Geranium
- 2 drops Ylang Ylang
- 1 drop Rose Absolute
What you’ll do:
Place essential oils into your aromatherapy diffuser for some needed self-love.
Uplift and Energize Moods
For days that seem grayer than others, there are a few essential oils that can help uplift your mood when you’re feeling down or upset. It can instantly help get you going after a simple diffusion but adding these oils to lotions or creams can help you take in its emotional benefits as well.
Bergamot is arguably one of the most enlightening essential oils you can use. During times of sadness, this can help boost emotions with its bright, citrusy scent. Furthermore, you can add Bergamot to other emotionally supportive essential oils like Lavender or Neroli for even more benefits. The next time you’re feeling down, check out our blog post on the benefits of breathing exercises and diffuse this Breathing Light Diffuser Blend. When you’re feeling insecure and uneasy, Blue Tansy gives you a boost in confidence and supports high self-esteem.
Plant Therapy’s Self Esteem Blend is a concoction designed to help ease worry and relieve some nervous tension. It gives you that confidence boost when needed most. Combining Blue Tansy, Black Spruce, Frankincense Carterii, and Ho Wood can help soothe and calm frazzled emotions and uplift your overall mood.
Don’t forget– May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This year we are Planting Kindness and donating to an organization that helps provide education on emotional health and suicide prevention for our nation’s teens and young adults. To learn more about this blend and our donation efforts to the Jed Foundation, check out our post.
What are your favorite ways to take care of your mental health? Let us know in the comments!
