Best Essential Oils for Relaxation

Essential oils have been around for centuries. They’ve been utilized since ancient times in various cultures, including China, Egypt, India and Southern Europe.

Some essential oils have even been applied to the dead as part of the embalming process. We know this because residues have been found in tombs dating over 2,000 years old.

The beauty of essential oils is that they are natural, extracted from flowers, leaves, bark or roots of plants. While it’s best to make sure you use pure essential oils, meaning oils that have not been diluted with chemicals or additives, they can provide much needed relief and healing for a variety of ailments, including as a natural remedy for anxiety.

Anxiety is a tough battle to face day in and day out, which makes having a natural solution, such as an essential oil blend, important.

In a recent 2014 study by the American College of Healthcare Sciences, 58 hospice patients were given hand massages once a day for one week with an essential oil blend in 1.5 percent dilution with sweet almond oil. The essential oil blend consisted of these essential oils in equal ratios of bergamot, frankincense and lavender.

All patients who received the aromatherapy hand massage reported less pain and depression, concluding that aromatherapy massage with this essential oil blend is more effective for pain and depression management than massage alone.

Here are some of the best essentials oils for anxiety:

1. Lavender

Considered the most common essential oil, lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia) include having a calming, relaxing effect. It’s considered a nervous system restorative and helps with inner peace, sleep, restlessness, irritability, panic attacks, nervous tension and nervous stomach. To reduce anxiety, it’s considered one of the best essential oils.

2. Rose

One of the benefits of rose essential oil (Rosa damascena) is it’s very settling to the emotional heart and perhaps the second most popular after lavender for relieving anxiety and depression, helping with panic attacks, grieving and shock.

3. Vetiver

Vetiver oil (Vetiveria zizanioides) has a tranquil, grounding and reassuring energy, often used in trauma helping with self-awareness, calmness and stabilization. A nervous system tonic, it decreases jitteriness and hypersensitivity and is also useful in panic attacks and shock.

4. Ylang Ylang

This popular essential oil can treat anxiety and depression due to its calming and uplifting effects. Ylang ylang (Cananga odorata) helps with cheerfulness, courage, optimism and soothes fearfulness. It may calm heart agitation and nervous palpitations and is a moderately strong sedative, which can help with insomnia.

5. Bergamot

Bergamot is commonly found in Earl Grey tea and has a distinctive floral taste and aroma. Bergamot oil (Citrus bergamia) is calming and often used to treat depression by providing energy; however, it can also help with insomnia induce relaxation and reduce agitation.

Final Thoughts

• To reduce anxiety and promote relaxation, using calming essential oils is easy and all-natural.
• Some of the most best essential oils for anxiety include lavender, chamomile, ylang ylang, bergamot and frankincense.
• These oils can be used aromatically to create a peaceful, relaxing environment. Essential oils can also be used topically to relieve stress by placing a few drops on your wrists and temples.