April is stress awareness month and the Stress Management Society are emphasising "how even the smallest steps taken each day towards self-care and stress reduction can yield significant improvements in mental health over time."
When you’re stressed making changes can seem overwhelming, which makes them difficult to start or maintain. But even one small change, which may not seem like much, can have a cumulative effect, and start to make a difference. This is where aromatherapy can come in.
“The most profound benefits of aromatherapy exist on the mind. Due to the direct connection of the olfactory system and our limbic system, essential oil can help reduce stress, calm the nervous system, enhance energy, support sleep, deepen meditation and promote feelings of groundedness in this fast-paced world. When we cultivate a routine using aromatherapy that helps balance and calm our minds....our bodies can then finally relax as well”, (Brandenberger, 2023).
What is stress?
Stress is a physical response to something, when our body’s go into Fight or Flight mode and produce a range of hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and noradrenaline. We all know the symptoms; heart racing, feeling hot and sweaty, faster breathing. This short-term stress can be beneficial to help us escape dangerous or suddenly stressful situations. The modern challenge is that we can become stressed in all kinds of everyday life situations, not always dangerous ones.
How stress affects you
Longer term stress or chronic stress can be detrimental to our physical and mental health. It can cause us not to be able to think straight, can increase blood pressure and blood sugars can cause issues like digestive problems, muscle aches and pains, immune system and reproductive problems, as well as low mood, depression, and anxiety.
Small changes every day
Here are a few suggestions from the Stress Management Society on daily activities you can do to manage stress.
Connect with someone
Prioritise sleep
Move in your own way
Spend time in nature
Breathe deep
Practice mindfulness
Why Aromatherapy?
“Most studies, as well as clinically applied experience, have indicated that various essential oils, such as lavender, lemon and bergamot can help to relieve stress, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders. Most notably, inhalation of essential oils can communicate signals to the olfactory system and stimulate the brain to exert neurotransmitters (e.g. serotonin and dopamine) thereby further regulating mood” (Lv XN et al, 2013).
Adding Aromatherapy to your day
When thinking about making small changes to your day that could help, aromatherapy is worth considering. Aromatherapy can be used proactively to help with some of the stressful moments of everyday life. If, for example you find your morning commute stressful, or you have an impending medical appointment, or a meeting or a presentation coming up, or getting the kids sorted in the evening is challenging, whatever effects your stress levels, taking a few minutes before these moments, and breathing in a calming essential oil can help you respond better and feel less stressed.
Aromatherapy inhalers
An aromatherapy inhaler is like a mini diffuser that you can carry with you and use whenever you need support. There is a cotton wick inside a little tube with holes on the top, and it contains an essential oil blend that is designed to help you. To use it, you hold it below your nose for 30 seconds to a minute and take some slow, deep breaths. The scent will usually last 6-8 weeks. The benefit of an aromatherapy inhaler is that it is portable and easy to use, and you can use them discreetly if you need to and the smell wont effect those around you.
Aromatherapy rollerballs
Like the aromatherapy inhaler, a rollerball is small and discreet. It is a small glass bottle with a rollerball on the top. It is filled with a carrier oil and a blend of essential oils tailored to your needs. Before a stressful event, or when you are feeling anxious, you can roll a small amount of the oil on your pulse points, usually on the wrists and behind the ears. You then take a few moments to breathe deeply and take in the aroma. Like the aromatherapy inhaler, it can be used as often as you need during the day.
Both rollerballs and inhalers can also be used at night before bed to help relax and calm you before sleep.
Essential oils are also an easy way to make an impact on your emotional wellbeing when doing simple everyday activities, like showering. When many people think of relaxing and destressing after a long day, they often think of a hot bath. But a hot shower is also a great way to unwind. The hot water will relax and loosen any tense muscles, the steam can help clear any nasal congestion, and it can also be a good way to go through your thoughts of the day and clear your head. Research also shows that having a shower 1-2 hours before bed can help you fall asleep faster and improve your quality of sleep (Haghayegh et al, 2019).
You can elevate your shower by simply adding a few drops of essential oil to the shower floor. To help you feel calm and relaxed try lavender, chamomile, bergamot, or juniper. Or to feel more uplifted try orange, ylang ylang or lemon.
Why don’t you give it a try for a week and see how you feel. It’s a small change that could make a difference.
Diffusing essential oils in your home can also help. First thing in the morning a refreshing diffuser blend of Lime, Eucalyptus and Grapefruit can help you feel awake, similarly some Juniper, Lavender or Frankincense diffused in your room before bed can help with sleep. Or on a Sunday evening diffusing some Bergamot can help with those Sunday night blues.
If you’re interested in an aromatherapy inhaler or rollerball to help with stress and anxiety, please get in touch. These can also be added on to your aromatherapy massage or reflexology treatment to take home with you.
References
Brandenberger, Holly (2023). Essential Calm: A Guide to Stress Relief through Aromatherapy. @scienceofessentials
Haghayegh S, Khoshnevis S, Smolensky MH, Diller KR, Castriotta RJ. Before-bedtime passive body heating by warm shower or bath to improve sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2019 Aug;46:124 135. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31102877/
Lv XN, Liu ZJ, Zhang HJ, Tzeng CM. Aromatherapy and the central nerve system (CNS): therapeutic mechanism and its associated genes. Curr Drug Targets. 2013 Jul;14(8):872-9.
Stress Management Society UK. Stress Awareness Month 2024. https://www.stress.org.uk/sam2024/
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