The Best Essential Oils for Stress and Anxiety
The holiday stress is here! In a recent poll in my Instagram stories, 70% of participants said that they feel more stressed and anxious this time of year. They are not alone. Researchers in past surveys have shown that festive stress officially sets in on December 13th.
The hustle and bustle of this season can be draining and combine that with unhealthy eating and not taking time for our own self-care, stress levels can heighten. In one study on festive stress done by the New York Post, 41% of Americans were guilty of working too hard to get “the perfect Christmas”. In addition, 6 in 10 moms say they find it hard to slow down and enjoy the festive season.
This season is supposed to be full of happiness, relaxation and celebration. It can also bring out stress due to finances, family conflict, overindulging, feelings of loneliness and grief, and coping with our expectations of what this season should be like. I want to remind you of the stress cycle.
What a cycle right? The way our bodies work and how everything is connected is truly amazing.
Stop the stress cycle!
Start at the top and manage the stress. Staying hydrated, eating regular balanced meals and exercising play big role for stress management. When stress hits, be intentional and slow down, grab your favorite calming oil, close your eyes and B R E A T H E.
Essential oils can induce relaxation and help with stress. Pay close attention to what happens quickly after. Does your breathing and heart rate slow down? Do your shoulders feel less tense? What a great tool we have!
Smell is the most underutilized sense we have yet one of the most powerful. It is our most primal sense. It stops us from drinking sour milk, alerts us to natural gas, and can even detect a fire 30 miles away. While other mammals, such as dogs and cats have a much keener sense of smell, the human sense is still extraordinary with the human genome being packed with over 950 odorant receptor genes. Not to mention it’s the only sense that taps directly into the part of the brain responsible for emotion and memory.
Stress relief is by far the strongest pillar of aromatherapy practice. Aromatherapy can be a very helpful technique to elicit a relaxation response. Due to the complex chemical constituents, essential oils can play a role in transforming unpleasant emotions, inducing relaxation and potentially reducing the damaging effects of stress on the mind and body. In addition, essential oils are incredibly complementary to other healthy stress relieving techniques such as meditation, yoga, bubble baths, etc.
“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.” (1)
A few of my favorite studies showing how essential oils can reduce stress and impact mood:
A randomized crossover study with 42 females showed that salivary cortisol levels were reduced significantly after inhalation of bergamot essential oil. Also the high-frequency heart (a component of heart rate variability and indicator of parasympathetic nervous system function) also increased significantly. (2)
A small pilot study of 57 participants found that diffusing bergamot in a waiting room increased positive feelings and moods. (3)
A randomized single blind control study found that inhalation of a lavender and ylang ylang blend significantly reduced stress, sympathetic nervous system activity, lowered blood pressure and reduced serum cortisol levels. (4)
A placebo controlled study found that dermal application of sweet orange essential oil reduced arousal of the autonomic nervous system (reduction of heart rate and respiratory rate) yet increased cheerfulness and uplifting moods. (5)
A meta-analysis of 32 clinical trials suggested that aromatherapy with different essential oils could alleviate anxiety. (6)
Feeling stressed? Here are few ways essential oils can help:
Calm emotional state by decreasing sympathetic nervous system activity
Promote sleep
Ease tension
Enhance energy levels
Encourage health coping skills
Allow us to feel grounded in the present moment
Promote positive thinking
Enhance memory and focus
Want to learn more about using aromatherapy for stress relief? Here are my 3 stress less ways to start the day and learn about how to enhance meditation with essential oils.
Top 10 Essential Oils for Stress and Anxiety
1) Bergamot
Bergamot has an uplifting, fresh, invigorating aroma to help ease the mind and body under stress. Are you an Earl grey tea drinker? You already have a positive memory scent association with this one as bergamot is the key ingredient to give that uplifting and relaxing aromatic factor when drinking this tea. Bergamot can be helpful to defuse an angry attitude through encouraging a spirit of compromise. It has been shown to reduce anxiety, increase parasympathetic nervous system activity and decrease salivary cortisol levels. (8)
2) Black Spruce
The constituent pinene is what gives that crisp woodsy aroma. Alpha-pinene has been studied and shown to support sleep. (9) Spruce oil grounds the body, creating the feeling of balance necessary to receive and to give. Black spruce is also helpful for releasing emotional blocks.
3) Lavender
Known as the “Swiss Army knife of oils” as it supports the body in numerous ways. Aromatically, it promotes positivity, health, love, peace and a general sense of well-being. It also blends well with almost all oils.Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils for calming the nervous system. It has been shown to be effective in alleviating anxiety and inducing a relaxation response. (10). Inhaling lavender and rosemary have also been shown to lower cortisol levels. (11) Lavender is known for improving sleep quality which can positively impact our ability to react to stressors.
4) Hinoki
Hinoki is made from a Japanese tree in the cypress family. Historically it was used to refresh the soul and has a mild, earthy aroma that can increase spiritual awareness. It’s main constituent is alpha-pinene which is incredibly grounding and helpful in promoting calmness and centering the mind. In a study with female university students, it was found that inhaling hinoki essential oil increases parasympathetic nervous system activity and induces physiological relaxation. (12)
5) Lime
Lime has a fresh, lively fragrance that is stimulating and refreshing. I love to blend lime with peppermint or eucalyptus in the afternoon. Its aroma makes me feel happy and uplifted!
6) Frankincense
Frankincense is one of the most commonly used essential oils to help with stress and anxious feelings. I love to use frankincense prior to bedtime or meditation when feeling unsettled. It has multiple health benefits for the body and mind when under stress. It may reduce muscle tension and stress due to its anti-inflammatory properties (13) and has been shown to support patients with anxiety during labor (14).
7) Ylang Ylang
Ylang Ylang can be supportive in soothing anxiety, anger and nervous tension. It also promotes alertness and attention which makes it great for increasing productivity. Ylang Ylang is known for promoting feelings of positivity, cheerfulness and confidence. It can calm the nervous system and has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate which counteract the stress response while feeling anxious. (15)
8) Copaiba
Copaiba has a woodsy aroma that helps elevate mood and combat nervous tension, stress and anxious feelings. It is also believed to amplify the effects of other essential oils. Copaiba has the highest quantity of the constituent beta-caryophyllene of all essential oils which helps it to support a lot of systems in the body. Particularly the endocannabinoid system which is involved in a lot of physiological processes within the body. Copaiba has impressive anti-inflammatory properties to help soothe tension, arthritis, and joint pain. (16) It also has a calming aroma which is supportive for stress and anxiety.
9) Tangerine
Tangerine contains esters and aldehydes, which are sedating and calming to the nervous system. When diffused together with marjoram, tangerine can soothe emotions such as grief, anger, anxiety and shock.
10) Sandalwood
Sandalwood is calming and balancing when stressed. Great for quieting mental chatter and enhances meditation.
During periods of stress and other negative emotions, take a moment and reach for those essential oils you gravitate towards and have previously formed memory scent associations with. Open the bottle and smell it. Breathe slowly and deeply, inhaling those amazing aromas through your nose, exhaling through your mouth and releasing any tension held within the body. Multiple studies have shown essential oils can induce a relaxation response due to their complex chemical constituents. Pay attention to how your mind and body respond shortly after.
Want to learn more? Check out these 5 Tips for Using Aromatherapy for Stress Relief.
Disclaimer: This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user's own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.
References:
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Yang H, Woo J, Pae AN, Um MY, Cho NC, Park KD, Yoon M, Kim J, Lee CJ, Cho S. α-Pinene, a Major Constituent of Pine Tree Oils, Enhances Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep in Mice through GABAA-benzodiazepine Receptors. Mol Pharmacol. 2016 Nov;90(5):530-539
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Atsumi T, Tonosaki K. Smelling lavender and rosemary increases free radical scavenging activity and decreases cortisol level in saliva. Psychiatry Res. 2007 Feb 28;150(1):89-96.
Ikei H, Song C, Miyazaki Y. Physiological effect of olfactory stimulation by Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) leaf oil. J Physiol Anthropol. 2015 Dec 22;34:44.
Börner F, Werner M, Ertelt J, Meins J, Abdel-Tawab M, Werz O. Analysis of Boswellic Acid Contents and Related Pharmacological Activities of Frankincense-Based Remedies That Modulate Inflammation. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021 Jul 10;14(7):660.
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