Essential oils can be quick relief
Essential Oils Came To My Rescue
In 2017, a few years after I was introduced to essential oils, I would put them to the test. In August of that year, our home flooded during Hurricane Harvey. Since we had a one-story home, every room had about 8 inches of water in it. We had to be evacuated on a boat. Each person in my family brought a tote bag or duffel that we stuffed in a black garbage bag. I put a few changes of clothes, toiletries, essential papers, and a Ziploc filled with my favorite essential oils in my bag.
Unfortunately, I got separated from my bag when volunteers helped me off the boat. We were whisked off while they went to rescue more people. Honestly, at that point, I didn’t care that my belongings were gone. It was just stuff. However, that night, around 9:00, my husband got a call from a volunteer, letting him know they had found our bag. She even dropped it off at the friend’s house we were staying at. There are angels in this world!
During that stressful first few months, as we tore apart and began remodeling our home, I had trouble sleeping. Each night, I would use some of the calming oils listed below. In the daytime, I used a few of the uplifting ones. Sometimes I blended calming and uplifting oils together.
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are aromatic compounds distilled from plants. They can come from the flowers, leaves, stems, roots, seeds, or bark. Essential oils don’t have the fatty lipids that most of us think of when we hear the word “oil”. With hundreds of compounds, essential oils can provide support for a large variety of ailments. They have very little side effects and are affordable natural care, costing just pennies per drop. They’ve been used for thousands of years, even mentioned in The Bible multiple times.
Why Use Essential Oils?
Essential oils are safe and effective for both physical and emotional needs. You can avoid safety issues by diluting the oil with a carrier oil (like coconut oil, jojoba, almond oil, or olive oil), and reading the label. Most people think of essential oils for the physical benefits, like soothing a burn, or aiding in digestion, but they are really supportive emotionally as well. Essential oils assist as you take a look at traumatic feelings, like fear, grief, anger, resentment and guilt. They can be calming, grounding or uplifting, depending on what you need.
Here are a few of my favorites (with information from the book, Essential Emotions):
Calming oils
- Copaiba essential oil – If your stress is caused by guilt or shame, this oil will help support you feeling worthy and self-aware.
- Frankincense essential oil – When you are feeling abandoned, or spiritually disconnected, frankincense will help you feel loved and protected.
- Bergamot essential oil – Bergamot helps relieve the stress of low self-esteem and self-judgement. It supports feelings of self-acceptance.
- Lavender essential oil – If you are feeling blocked communication, or fear of rejection, this oil will be very supportive. It will help you feel more expressive and have peace of mind.
Uplifting oils
- Grapefruit essential oil – Grapefruit is great for when you are stressed about body issues and a distorted self-image. It encourages love, tolerance and acceptance of self.
- Peppermint essential oil – This oil helps with intense despair and gives you strength to face emotional pain.
- Lemon essential oil – When you are fatigued and feeling a loss of joy and energy, this oil will lift you up to help you feel positive and alert.
How To Use These Oils
To use essential oils for stress relief, you have several options. The easiest way to benefit from essential oils, is to diffuse them with a diffuser made specifically for essential oils. You just add water to the diffuser, along with a few drops of the oil of your choice and push start. You could also put them on your skin. Use a good quality oil. My favorite oils can be found here. Blend a drop or two with unscented lotion, or a carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond oil, or jojoba. Place on your pulse points, or over your heart. (Citrus oils, like grapefruit, lemon and bergamot are photosensitive, and may cause a burn if placed on skin exposed to sunlight. Use them on skin that will be blocked from the sun, or use them at least 12 hours prior to going outdoors.) I love to use essential oils in a soothing bath. I add Epsom salt, coconut oil and a few drops of lavender and copaiba.
There are many arguments for and against using essential oils internally. If you do choose to use them internally, it will be important to check for the supplement facts on the label. Only essential oils safe for consumption will have the supplement facts. You will want high quality oils, that are usually not found on Amazon or in stores. *(See my link above, for high quality oils.) You can put a few drops of copaiba under your tongue, or try 1-2 drops of lemon, peppermint, or grapefruit in your water.
I often blend several oils together. I like to add a woodsy scent with a citrus or floral oil. For example, I will diffuse lavender, lemon and peppermint together, or make a roller bottle with copaiba and grapefruit. Try these recipes:
Peaceful Sleep Diffuser Blend
4 drops lavender
4 drops copaiba
2 drops bergamot
Tense-less Roller Bottle Blend
5 drops frankincense
12 drops peppermint
3 drops lavender
Place all oils in a 10ml roller bottle. Top with carrier oil of choice. (I like fractionated coconut oil.) Roll across forehead and on temples for head pain and tension relief.
Essential Oils Provide Quick and Easy Relief
In just a matter of seconds, essential oils can provide relief from stress and help you feel more uplifted, able to face uncomfortable emotions. I use them daily, but they especially come in handy during those super trying times, when you need a little extra support to get you through the day or night. If you are averse to taking pills, like I am, oils can provide a safe, simple solution.
Have you tried using essential oils for stress? Let me know in the comments. I would love to hear your experience.
If you need support dealing with trauma, or toxic family relationships, that are causing you stress, join my facebook group, Rebooting Health For Empaths, or check out my free resources on my website at beautifulimmunity.com
