As a person who has struggled with anxiety and depression my whole life, I love the fact that I can use a home remedy like essential oils to help calm my anxiety symptoms naturally. All my best tips and ideas for using essential oils for anxiety.
My Anxiety Story
I know that I like to know about the person who is writing, so I thought you might like to know a wee bit about me!
I always knew I had depression, but never thought that I had anxiety. I pictured that as being someone having a panic attack or running around with their hair on fire.
Never mind that I get regular cold sores from stress or that I have a business, kids, pets and a dementia mom all who need me all the time!
Now, please understand, I am not anti-medicine. I take a pill a day to help with depression, but I didn't want to up my dose because of the side effect and was THRILLED to find that I could help manage my symptoms with essential oils!
Anxiety & Essential Oils
If you know anyone who suffers from anxiety, or you suffer yourself, you know that it’s difficult to deal with. Whether situational or chronic, anxiety can take the smallest trigger and paralyze the person with anxiety.
If you’ve never dealt with it (whether yourself or with someone you love) you can’t begin to understand the panic. Telling someone with anxiety “come on, how bad could it be?” isn’t the solution.
They’ve already thought of the worst and beyond and knowing it’s implausible doesn’t stop the racing thoughts and paralytic fear.
You know what can help? Staying calm, telling them that while you don’t understand, you are here for them, and essential oils. Really, essential oils. There are several that help calm and destress.
Here are the most common and available essential oils for anxiety (you can use one, two or all of them in a roller ball, necklace, bracelet or diffuser!
Lavender Oil
Lavender is probably the best-known essential oil for use in calming people and animals. It is known to help with sleep, restlessness, irritability, panic attacks, nervous stomach and stress.
“It is reported that inhalation of lavender (diluted to 10% concentration) for 3 minutes increases alpha power of EEG as decreases anxiety and brings the subject to a better mood in 40 healthy adults.” (source ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Additional Resource :: Essential Oils To Help With Sleep
Rose
Rose is a heady, deep, sweet scent. People think of romance when they think rose but rose is also known for it’s ability to settle emotions, relieve anxiety and depression and help with panic attacks, grieving and shock.
Chamomile
Soothing tea anyone? While most people think of tea when they think chamomile, the calming effect you get from drinking the tea is stronger in its essential oil. It has a peaceful, calming scent, decreases irritability, overthinking, anxiety and worry.
Vetiver
Vetiver is often used to calm and stabilize. It decreases jitteriness and hypersensitivity and is also useful in panic attacks and shock.
Ylang Ylang
Ylang ylang has been used for centuries as a sedative, but it has also been shown to help with anxiety and depression due to its calming and uplifting effects. It may also calm heart agitation and nervous palpitations and help with insomnia.
One caution: it can be sensitizing or irritating to the skin so use it in a carrier oil like sweet almond oil or coconut oil. Also avoid using in conditions of low blood pressure.
Bergamot
Best known for it’s use in Earl Grey tea, this citrus oil is calming. Interestingly enough it provides energy (which is good in the treatment of depression) while also promotes relaxation to help with sleep and reducing agitation. Like other citrus oils, it is photosensitizing so avoid use before sun exposure.
Frankincense
This “Christmas” oil can help promote calmness and add a tranquil effect to quiet the mind. This benefit is extremely helpful with anxiety as it help quiet the racing thoughts.
Rosemary
Most think of Rosemary as a stimulating essential oil, but it’s been shown to improve cognitive function and decrease stress hormone levels. That helps reduce anxiety.
Sweet Orange
While citruses tend to be energizing, they also lower stress and anxiety. Same photosensitivity warning as Bergamot.
Clary Sage
Clary sage is known to be a great mental health oil. It works as an antidepressant, helps to calm nerves and an actually provide a feeling of euphoria.
Patchouli Oil
Patchouli has a strong scent that people either love or hate, but it’s good for relieving anxiety, depression, and stress. Use in a blend if the scent is to strong for your senses.
Geranium
Geranium has a calming scent that is known to be a natural perfume and also a natural sedative.
Additional Essential Oils You Can Use For Anxiety
Doing my research for this post I found that there were a few essential oils that I didn't know helped with anxiety. I wanted to include them for you here…
- Holy Basil
- Sweet Marjoram
- Orange
Essential Oils For Anxiety Wrapup
I have used all of these at one time or another. That said, I like a few a lot and use them in a little roller ball when I am getting stressed… my faves are rosemary, bergamot and lavender.
I have a big ole bottle of lavender essential oil that I use often as the base and rosemary goes into almost every mixture I make too!
The cool thing about essential oils is that they are useful for numerous things. The anti-anxiety roller ball is great to use before bed because it shares many of the same oils as I use in my bedtime spray.
You need to find the mixes that work best for you and then add them to your self care routine! Once you work them into your daily life, it will just seem like another support you can rely on!