Stress Awareness
This week we have been catching up with the lovely Emma from Tiddley Pom. She has been filling us in on how essential oils can work wonders for the management of stress and anxiety.
For thousands of years, aromatherapy and essential oils have been used to help in the treatment in illnesses of all kinds. But with a renewed interest in holistic treatment options, the past decade and especially during the pandemic, has seen a bit of ‘comeback’ for essential oils—particularly in the treatment or management of stress and anxiety.
How exactly do essential oils work to curb anxiety symptoms?
Put simply, certain scents have the ability to trigger emotional and physical reactions. The autonomic nervous system is the part of our brain that controls our ‘fight-or-flight’ response and factors like our heart and respiratory rate. When you’re facing a stressful situation, this part of the brain activates and your body responds with physical symptoms like shallow breathing, a quicker pulse and a rush of adrenaline.
So the next time you’re preparing for a presentation at work or feeling nervous about a difficult conversation with a loved one, the right oil can help you feel a little more relaxed.
We recommend the following oils for their calming properties:
- Lavender
- Bergamot
- Vetiver
- Ylang Ylang
- Roman Chamomile
- Sweet Orange
- Frankincense
How can we use essential oils?
A diffuser disperses essential oils into the air through a gentle mist. This is one of the many different ways that you can start to incorporate essential oils into your daily routine. A lot of people use a diffuser, a device that disperses essential oils into the air through a gentle mist. You can try a diffuser in your work space or in your living room or bedroom to get the relaxing effects of your scent of choice.
You can also put a few drops of essential oils into your bath, on your pillow, or into your usual body cream. The key thing to remember is to not use essential oils directly onto skin undiluted. You can use a base oil such as sweet almond or coconut oil at a ratio of 5 drops per 2-3 drops per 10ml. The exception to this is Lavender and Tea Tree oil which can be used on specific areas such as blemishes undiluted.
Essential oils should be used in conjunction with therapy, mindfulness, or meditation. It can be helpful to use essential oils for anxiety and, for people who have mild anxiety or who rarely find themselves feeling anxious, these oils may be enough to help manage your symptoms. However, for moderate or severe anxiety, using essential oils should not be your only treatment method. If any doubt seek medical advice.
Essential oils are an easy and natural addition to a wellness plan, but they should be used in conjunction with therapy, mindfulness, meditation or whatever other treatment plan you and your health care provider already have in place to manage your anxiety symptoms
If pregnant or have underlying medical issues always seek advice from a doctor. Never ingest essential oils or use neat on the skin unless advised as safe.
Thanks so much for your top tips Emma, to check out Tiddley Poms collection of natural mother and baby skincare products click here, or to be in with a chance of winning some and a £100 TotsBots voucher enter here
To find out more about our award-winning Bamboozle night nappy system click here
