{"id":2680,"date":"2020-09-02T15:53:01","date_gmt":"2020-09-02T15:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/?p=2680"},"modified":"2020-09-02T15:53:01","modified_gmt":"2020-09-02T15:53:01","slug":"how-to-use-essential-oils-to-ease-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/?p=2680","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Essential Oils to Ease Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety affects more than <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/adaa.org\/about-adaa\/press-room\/facts-statistics\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">40 million adults<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the United States aged 18 or older. If you\u2019re one of them, you know firsthand how hard it can be to deal with and manage anxiety on a daily basis, especially when it hinders you from doing daily activities like going to work or school. Anti-anxiety medication is often used to combat feelings of anxiety and essentially rewire your brain to lessen anxiety symptoms. But if you\u2019re looking to ease anxiety through natural practices, aromatherapy and essential oils might be for you!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A study released last year in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnbeh.2018.00241\/full\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> show that smelling a compound found in lavender-called linalool- can have similar effects as anti-anxiety medication, without harsh bodily reactions like Valium. It\u2019s also been shown Linalool can affect the brain just by smell alone and without being absorbed into the bloodstream or ingested.\u00a0 Other studies have shown various essential oil scents may help reduce anxiety in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5111093\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hospital patients<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29547610\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">those undergoing chemotherapy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/272450347_Aromatherapy_in_childbirth_An_effective_approach_to_care\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">women in labor<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/12442972\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">adults in hospice care<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aromatherapy works by stimulating smell receptors in your nose which then sends messages to your nervous system and are also believed to have effects on your body\u2019s chemical and energy symptoms. Here are some of the best essential oils to ease feelings of anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lavender. One of the most common and popular aromatherapy oils, lavender is thought to calm anxiety by<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturalmedicinejournal.com\/journal\/2012-02\/lavender-oil-anxiety-and-depression-0\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> impacting the limbic system<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which is the part of our brain that controls emotions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Valerian. Valerian is a popular essential oil if you have trouble sleeping. It\u2019s been shown to calm nerves and have a mild sedative effect on the body.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jasmine.\u00a0 According to a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/236235613_The_effects_of_jasmine_Oil_inhalation_on_brain_wave_activies_and_emotions\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study done in 2013<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, jasmine oil can promote a sense of well-being and is thought to calm the nervous system without causing sleepiness.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chamomile. Known mainly as a popular tea, chamomile may benefit people with mild to moderate generalized anxiety disorder.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frankincense. According to a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jkan.or.kr\/DOIx.php?id=10.4040\/jkan.2008.38.4.493\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study conducted in 2008<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Frankincense improved anxiety, depression, and pain in people who suffer from terminal cancer.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patchouli. Patchouli is very-well known in Ayurvedic medicine and has been shown to relieve anxiety, stress, and depression along with promoting calmness and relaxation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interested in trying some out for yourself? There are many different ways you can use essential oils to your benefit!<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a diffuser. Drop 4-5 drops of essential oils in a diffuser filled with water.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rolling onto the skin. If you do this, make sure the oil is diluted by 1-2 drops of water.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mixing with other essential oils.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aromaweb.com\/articles\/tips.asp\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this article<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for more aromatherapy tips for beginners.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This information is not a replacement for medical consultation and recommendations.\u00a0 If you plan to use essential oils, you may want to discuss with your doctor to determine if allergies or other contraindications for use exist.\u00a0 We also want to stress that there are many times when prescribed medication is essential for your well-being.\u00a0 Please consult with your doctor, listen to your body, and do what is best for you!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disclaimer:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*Our posts should not be viewed as a replacement for therapy\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*This blog should not be viewed to diagnose anxiety if you believe you are experiencing anxiety please contact a licensed medical professional<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*This blog post is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety affects more than 40 million adults in the United States aged 18 or older. If you\u2019re one of them, you know firsthand how hard it can be to deal with and manage anxiety on a daily basis, especially when it hinders you from doing daily [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2682,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-self-care","category-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2680\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}