Less Stress and Better Focus with Essential Oils

Less stress and better focus are goals for many of us with busy lives. Most of us deal with stress and overly full schedules on a daily basis. However, since chronic stress can damage physical, hormonal and emotional health, it’s crucial to find ways to feel calm in order to remain effective. Essential oils offer a natural solution, and when used properly they can promote relaxation and help you feel calm under pressure as well as retaining your focus.

Essential oils to promote focus and concentration

Distractions are just about everywhere, and we can all use a little help with focus and concentration. Here are five top essential oils to consider for this.

Lavender, for example, is known to increase concentration. In one particular study, students were split into three groups during their recess break. Group one inhaled no essential oils, group two smelled jasmine aroma, and group three was given lavender aroma.

The students who inhaled lavender returned to their studies with the highest concentration levels compared to the other two groups.

Research also shows that rosemary can improve concentration and cognitive functions, including speed and accuracy. One reason why rosemary is so helpful is because it has high concentrations of eucalyptol. Other essential oils also have high amounts of this compound, including eucalyptus, sage and peppermint. So, you can consider using these oils, too.

How to use essential oils for focus and concentration

The following five essential oils can be diffused. Additionally, you can offer other application methods to your clients:

•Lavender: Mix with a carrier oil and apply topically

•Rosemary: Mix with a carrier oil and rub into the palms of your hands

•Eucalyptus: Mix with a carrier oil and gently rub your temples or the back of your neck

•Sage: Avoid applying topically as it can irritate skin

•Peppermint: Mix with a carrier oil and gently rub your temples, or the back of your neck

Essential oils to relieve worry 

No matter how much we prepare for an upcoming event, feeling worried or stressed is pretty common. These feelings extend past just feeling nervous and jittery. Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and our fight-or-flight response. This increases heart rate, blood pressure and physical tension.

This isn’t the state anyone wants to be in leading up to an important event.

To alleviate these feelings of worry-related stress, consider using lavender essential oil. As we’ve seen, it can help boost focus and concentration, but it can also lift feelings of worry and nervousness, too.

Additionally, ylang ylang essential oil can increase feelings of calmness, while quieting nervousness and anxiety. Another great choice is sweet basil essential oil thanks to its calming effect and its ability to both clear and strengthen the mind.

How to use essential oils to relieve worry

Lavender, ylang ylang, or sweet basil essential oils can be diffused. Or, they can be combined to create a calming mist or roll-on - both of which are easy to keep on hand throughout the day.

Prioritize sleep for less stress

Research shows that skimping on sleep weakens memory and learning, while also compromising the immune system. In short, sleep deprivation sets us up for failure.

Therefore, it’s important to prioritize sleep. But even when you want to sleep, feeling worried, nervous or jittery doesn’t help. In situation like this, essential oils, like lavender, cedarwood, sandalwood, roman chamomile and ylang ylang provide sleep-support and less stress.

Roman chamomile, for example, is known to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. Meanwhile, this study found that cedarwood essential oil has “marked sedative effects.” Both of these oils are viable options to support better sleep.

How to use essential oils to promote sleep

These five essential oils can be diffused. Or, consider the following suggestions:

•Lavender: Mix with a carrier oil and apply topically

•Cedarwood: Place several drops of this oil onto your pillowcase before sleep

•Sandalwood: Mix with a carrier oil and rub onto your skin

•Roman Chamomile: Mix with a carrier oil and rub onto your forehead before bed

•Ylang Ylang: Mix with a carrier oil and massage into your skin, or add several drops to a bath

Essential oils to beat mental fatigue

Long hours at work and busy schedules can lead to feeling burnt out and mentally fatigued. To ease these feelings, consider sage essential oil. It provides a much-needed boost of mental stamina. Peppermint essential oil can also increase alertness and invigorate the mind.

When the workload is starting to increase feelings of hopeless, consider lemon essential oil. It can boost the mood and help quell despondent and apathetic feelings.

How to use essential oils to beat mental fatigue

•Sage: Use a diffuser, or create an invigorating mist with lemon essential oil

•Peppermint: Use a diffuser while doing deep breathing exercises

•Lemon: Mix with a carrier oil and apply topically

Essential oils promote relaxation and help you feel calm under pressure. It may be necessary to boost focus and concentration, or to beat mental fatigue. Some may need sleep support, while others need to lift worried feelings about upcoming events. Whatever the case may be, essential oils provide a safe and effective solution to remain focused and effective while feeling more relaxed and calm.

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