You may see essential oils at the health foods store, you may have a friend or family member who sells them, or you may see them in other situations. In all cases, you may have heard the claims that essential oils can be helpful for anxiety.
Wondering if that's true? Well, a number of studies indicate that essential oils just may work. Here's a look at some of the top studies and how you can integrate these ideas into your life to help with your anxiety.
1. Hospice Patients
In one study, a group of 58 hospice patients had their hands massaged with essential oils. The oils used were bergamot, frankincense and lavender. They were diluted into a mixture of almond oil. After receiving several messages, the patients had less anxiety and depression than they did before.
In addition to trying that particular mixture of essential oils for anxiety, you may also want to combine essential oils with massage. In general, massage helps to reduce your body's production of stress hormones. When combined with the right essential oils, that can create a truly relaxing experience.
2. Rats
In another study, scientists exposed rats to lavender essential oils for seven days. Then, the scientists gave the rats some potentially stressful tasks to see how they responded. In the face of mazes and swimming tests, the rats remained cool under pressure.
The idea behind this research is that humans may feel similar results when exposed to lavender essential oil. This research also underscores the point that it can take a while for the essential oils to produce results in some cases.
If you don't immediately feel calmer when sniffing essential oils or while sitting next to a diffuser, give it some time. Consider exposing yourself to essential oils repeatedly every day for a week or so. For example, try putting essential oils in your daily bath. Then, see how you feel at the end of the week.
3. ICU Patients
In another study, doctors in an intensive care unit exposed patients to aromatherapy. They used the essential oils lavender, roman chamomile, and neroli, and patients inhaled these aromas about ten times before their coronary interventions and then another ten times after the procedure. The results indicated that the patients said they had less anxiety, and they also had improved blood pressure and better sleep patterns.
This highlights a few important things. First of all, you may want to try that particular combination of essential oils to reduce anxiety. Second of all, it's important to pay attention to the other side effects caused by the essential oils.
For example, if a certain essential oil helps you get to sleep, that can indirectly help with your anxiety. Even if that oil doesn't work that well when you are in the midst of an anxiety attack, it still helps with the sleep component, and when you are better rested, you may feel calmer throughout the day.
As you experiment with different essential oils, note all of their effects and pay attention to how those effects may help your mental health overall.
4. Women in Labour
There's even a study that shows essential oils can have calming effects on women in labour. The study divided a group of 100 women into a control group and an intervention group. Women in the control group were exposed to water while women in the intervention group were exposed to water and essential orange oil.
Both groups showed slightly less anxiety, but those in the control group had a more significant reduction in anxiety. This study highlights the potential efficacy of orange essential oil, and it indicates that oils can work in serious situations such as when you are in labour. At the same time, it also shows that the suggestion of treatment, although not as effective, can have some calming effects.
By extension, if you ever don't have access to your essential oils, you may want to mimic what you do with them (baths, massages, etc), and see if just going through those motions helps you to feel calmer
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26 October 2017
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes ten years ago. Since my diagnosis, I have been committed to learning how to modify my lifestyle and adopt healthy practices, such as daily exercise and eating wholefoods, that help control my diabetes and improve my quality of life. I started this blog to connect with others living with this condition and to share what I've learned on my personal journey to better health. I also update the blog with the latest research and news relating to type 2 diabetes. If you have a specific question that's not been addressed in a blog post, feel free to send me an email.
