Stress & Essential Oils
Over the next few weeks we will be reviewing the health benefits associated with Essential oils. Essential oils are beginning to grow in popularity due to people seeking natural methods to enhance their own wellness. I too have recently become an advocate of regular use of the oils. I have had a great experience using them and want to share what I have researched, learned by self use and included into my daily routines.
The article today is reviewing the importance of stress management, why it matters and some ways to help improve stress management using essential oils.
The importance of stress management
In the years I have been health coaching the most common health issue I hear of pretty much daily is how stressed people are.
While we commonly think of stress as too much mental or emotional pressure, physiological or physical stress is also important. Stress can affect how you feel, think and behave as well as how your body works, because your mind and body constantly interact.
The levels of stress become a health issue when it is not managed well.
What is stress?
Stress causes a surge of hormones in your body. When your body detects stress, a small region in the base of the brain called the hypothalamus reacts by stimulating the body to produce hormones that include adrenaline and cortisol. Both of which are stimulating hormones.
These hormones help you to deal with any threats or pressure you are facing - which is called the 'fight or flight' response.
Adrenaline increases your heart rate, raises your blood pressure and provides extra energy.
Cortisol, known as the stress hormone, also temporarily increases energy by triggering the release of glucose into the bloodstream, to help the person fight or run away. At the same time, other bodily functions which are not immediately needed, such as digestion, are suppressed.
How stress may be affecting your health
The body's normal response to stress usually regulates itself. As your hormone levels fall, your heart and blood pressure will return to normal. As more cases of what is referred to as Chronic Stress arise, we are learning that the body does not follow this normal trend. For many of us by accepting we now live in a time where our lifestyles create an abundance of stress, a smarter way to live well, is by learning effective strategies to help better manage stress.
One study found that Chronic stress affects your ability to concentrate, act efficiently and makes you more accident-prone. Chronic stress has devastating effects on memory and learning. It actually kills brain cells and has been shown to decrease the size of the hippocampus, the brain’s memory centre.
Everyone needs a certain amount of stress or pressure to live well. It's what gets you out of bed in the morning and motivates you throughout the day. However, stress becomes problematic when there's too much or too little.
Whilst a lack of stress means your body is under-stimulated, stress that is too intense or prolonged, causes your body to release stress hormones over a long period. This increases the risk of a range of physical health problems including headaches, stomach upsets and high blood pressure. It can even increase the risk of having a stroke or heart attack.
More often, stress leads to psychological problems. It can make people feel distrust, anger, anxiety and fear. Stress also plays a key role in the development of anxiety disorders and depression.
The long term effect of stress
Long-term stress can play havoc with your immune system. Although not always quantifiable research has found people who suffered from chronic stress at work were at greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
Best oils for stress
Essential Oils can have dramatic effects on your limbic function and how you feel. Because stress is closely linked to how you feel, certain oils known to help improve mood, induce great sleep or help you relax can alleviate some of the common symptoms of stress.
The oils work because of the strong fragrances they hold, which are found inside volatile molecules that can make their way into your bloodstream and travel directly through the blood/brain barrier very quickly. They can be used topically, aromatically or ingested.
1. Lavender: Known properties; Helps with relaxation, improves mood and heals burns and cuts. Because of lavender oil’s sedative and calming properties, it works to improve sleep and treat insomnia. One of the best remedies for a stressful day is a great sleep. To relieve stress and improve sleep, put a diffuser by your bed and diffuse oils while you sleep at night or in the same room while you’re reading or winding down in the evening. You can also apply lavender oil topically behind your ears or add 5-10 drops in a hot bath for the same benefits.
2. Vetiver - Like lavender this oil has calming properties and has been traditionally used in aromatherapy for relaxation and alleviating emotional stress, panic attacks, trauma, anxiety, insomnia, hysteria and depression. A 2015 study investigated the effects of vetiver oil as a tool that helps with anxiety. Vetiver oil can be used by adding 5 drops to 10 drops fractionated coconut oil and gently massaged onto the bottom of your feet or back of the neck before bed.
3. Roman Chamomile - The relaxing properties of Roman chamomile promote healthy sleep and help against insomnia. A 2006 case study explored the inhalation effects of Roman chamomile essential oil on mood and sleep. Add 3-5 drops in a diffuser and mix with Lavender to initiate a calm relaxed state before bed.
4. Ylang Ylang - Has sedative properties and has been used to help with rapid breathing helping to balance heart function and feelings of frustration. This oil has calming and relaxing effects. Use 2 drops Ylang ylang and 2 drops Frankincense with a few drops of coconut oil and gently rub into the back of the neck before bed to help relieve tension.
5. Bergamot - This oil can stimulate hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin, which create feelings of sedation and relaxation. Bergamot reduces nervous tension and feelings of stress and anxiety. Relieve stress and anxiety by using bergamot oil in a diffuser. The smell of the oil leads to a feeling of ease and contentment
Research on Essential Oils and stress
Breathing technique for stress management
Try Box Breathing which is slow, deep breathing. You lie on your back with legs up against the wall or simply flat on your back lying comfortably. Inhale deep for 4 seconds, pause for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, pause for 4 seconds and repeat for 5-10 minutes. This breathing exercise helps the body override the sympathetic system, which controls our fight-or-flight response, and lets the parasympathetic system — which controls our ability to relax — play a more dominant role.
The next few weeks
Follow the articles that will be published over the next few weeks as I will be sharing content, educating and giving in depth reviews of many of the best researched and documented essential oils.
Stay tuned so you can begin to implement the practical use of all the oils I review, and follow us until the end of the campaign where I will be releasing an E-Book so you can take ownership of all the new information and share with your family, friends or clients to improve health for everyone.