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Writer's pictureLauraBeth Ryan

The Power of Essential Oils

Essential oils are a great way to lift your emotional state and increase your productivity, relaxation, or peace of mind, depending on what essential oil you’re using and the effects you’d like it to have. While essential oils are most commonly used during holistic healing treatments and massages for aromatherapy purposes, essential oils are a useful item to bring into your home as well. Apart from providing your home with a pleasant aroma, inhaling essential oils through the means of an oil diffuser, spray, or droplets in your bath stimulates the olfactory system, which is the part of your brain that deals with smells, and can positively affect your mood.

Essential oils are compounds extracted directly from plants essence, and are obtained through distillation or cold-pressing. From there, the essence is combined with other scentless carrier oils that keep the scent from becoming overpowering. How an essential oil is made is very important, as essential oils that are chemically manufactured are not technically true essential oils, and could contain extra ingredients you may not want to be rubbing on your skin or breathing in, so be sure to check before you set out to buy your first essential oils!

There are plenty of different aromas of essential oils to pick from, with a variety of different positive effects the exposure can have on your emotional health. Some of our favorites include:

Lavender

A classic essential oil that we simply couldn’t do without, the sweetly floral scent with herbal notes is excellent for relaxation and the National Sleep Foundation even endorses the scent of lavender as a great way to help reduce anxiety and help you relax before a restful 8 hours of shut-eye. Throw some in your diffuser or spray on your pillows before you fall asleep to promote relaxation.

Orange

The smell of citrus fruits alone is energizing and their sweet aroma conjure pleasant memories for many. Orange essential oil is a very concentrated scent, and can both mentally energize and relax the user simultaneously. This study even suggests that the citrus based essential oil can even help alleviate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in some users.

Peppermint

It’s not just for fresh breath! Peppermint is a great scent to use to start your morning because it promotes energy, digestion, and according to this study, it can also boost your memory. Note that peppermint essential oils may smell different than you expect because they are unrefined, as opposed to the artificial peppermint smell from toothpaste or after-dinner mints.

Bergamot

Bergamot is a citrusy fragrance with plenty of woodsy spice infusion. This essential oil is sometimes deemed as the ultimate scent for relaxation, and is thought to help calm nerves and relieve stress.

Ylang-Ylang

Not only is this essential oil fun to say, but it’s scent is a heavenly combination of sweet, slightly fruity floral notes, and is a scent included in Chanel No. 5, a classic perfume. For aromatherapy purpose Ylang-Ylang essential oil is a great option to include in your night-time bath as it promotes relaxation.

Thank you for visiting Cheerful Hearts by LauraBeth Ryan, a person that can help you relieve stress and anxiety online life coach. We hope that you’ve found this blog helpful in taking the first step in relieving stress and anxiety! If you or someone you know needs a personal empowerment coach, contact LauraBeth today.

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