You may have heard on TV “Depression hurts” as part of an ad to sell you an antidepressant. Of course, after the ad there’s a list of warnings long enough to go around the planet twice. (Well, not quite that long, but you get the point.) You don’t have to worry about those nasty side effects if you use essential oils for depression. They can lift your mood and make you feel on top of the world. However, therein lays a problem.
Let’s say you wake up in the morning, take a shower and slather your after bath lotion. The lotion you use contains the very essential oils that are supposed to lift your spirits, wake you up and clear your thinking. They work great and you feel wonderful, but a few hours later, you feel the blahs coming back or find yourself tired or your thinking is a little foggy. You can’t very well drop everything and run to your lotion for help. What do you do? Take your essential oils for depression with you. That’s what you do.
In previous posts, I’ve provided you with recipes to make creams and lotions, massage oils and room sprays to boost your mood and help you feel like the beautiful person that you are. In this post I’m going to show you a simple way to create that mood boosting effect anytime and anywhere. I’m also going to list a few of those essential oils you might just want to take with you everywhere you go.
How do essential oils work?
Studies have shown that essential oils primarily work by entering your body via your lungs and nose. The vapors from essential oils enter your nose where the active ingredients are introduced to an enormous bank of nerves and blood vessels that are in close proximity to your brain. The vapors then move into your lungs where they are introduced into your bloodstream through the alveoli (tiny sacs in your lungs where gas is exchanged).
Which essential oils should you have with you all the time?
There are two factors to consider before you make a decision about which oils to carry.
The associative factor
– We associate certain odors with positive or negative events in our lives. For instance, ylang ylang is noted for its calming effect, but if you associate that aroma with say the death of a loved one who wore the ylang ylang rich perfume, Chanel #5, the fragrance may calm your jangled nerves, but leave you depressed. Not good.
On the other hand, if you associate a bouquet with a positive experience or don’t associate it with any experience, then the essential oil that carries the fragrance is a candidate. Say you associate the wearer of Chanel #5 (ylang ylang) aroma with one of the nicest people you’ve ever met, the association is positive. That’s good and ylang ylang becomes one of your candidates for use.
The physical and mental factor
– What do you wrestle with during the course of your day? Is it depression, fatigue, mental fogginess or stress? Is it a combination of these issues? You will want to choose different essential oils depending on your needs. Below is a bare bones list, of essential oils renowned for their ability to help you cope with physical and mental challenges. If you have associative issues with particular oil, simply substitute it with another.
- Essential Oils for Depression – Clary sage, jasmine, lavender, lemon, ylang ylang and more
- Essential Oils for Mental clarity and memory – rosemary, sweet basil, bergamot, and many more
- Essential Oils for Stress and anxiety – ylang ylang, frankincense, lavender, bergamot, German chamomile, Roman chamomile and more
- Essential Oils for Tiredness, lethargy – (Physical conditions, some of which are serious, can cause these symptoms. Get a checkup.) Roman chamomile, cinnamon, coriander, frankincense and more
How to take your essential oils with you everywhere
No, you don’t need to haul your essential oils with you in their original bottles. This is unadvisable anyway. One reason is essential oils are too potent to uncap and take a big whiff. Instead simply pour two or three drops of your oil or blend and add to a cotton pad. Place pad in a baggie and seal it. When the need arises, open the baggie and waft the aroma toward you. Remember, essential oils are potent and you don’t need much to reap their benefits.
Another option is to create massage oil, a room spray or a diffuser blend. Place in a small tightly sealed bottle. When the need arises, uncap the bottle and whiff.
Conclusion
The more I study the research on essential oils for depression and other medical and emotional issues, the more excited I become with the enormous benefits they offer. Unlike foods, they don’t have to go through the digestive process; they go directly into the bloodstream and start to work very shortly after you are exposed to their aroma. Though they are not cure alls, coupled with a healthy lifestyle, they are wonderful complements to achieving lifelong health and well being for anyone who uses them.
Now go have fun and relax.