There is an old saying – “May you live in interesting times”. It may seem like a good thing, but when you think about it, the times we read most about in history books are the ones deemed interesting. These are all times filled with uncertainty, fast-paced living, stress, and many other things that don’t really do much good for human health and our overall wellbeing.
One such interesting time in history is the one we’re going through right now. It is characterized by most of what I already mentioned above, and then some. It’s a stressful time to be alive and we’re all trying our best to find some rest and relaxation, a little break from reality, our own little world.
There are many recommendations and ways to relax and soothe the mind and body alike, but none of them is as effective or as pleasant as essential oils. With a deep history rooted far into the past, essential oils have been by our side through many rough patches and they are here now, too.
Used not only for relaxation but for many other purposes, like gaining clear skin, bettering the immune system, dealing with pain, and so on, they’re a diverse bunch that is organic and natural and has virtually no side effects.
Still, since relaxation is our much-needed topic of conversation right now, let’s not digress and just go over a few types of essential oils that are excellent soothers and will definitely come in handy when you need a break.
How to Use Essential Oils
Before we go into the specifics, it’s important to note that there are a few different ways of using essential oils. Still, the one I’m going to recommend in this article is the essential oil diffuser or vaporizer.
Extremely easy to use, you can buy a vaporizer for essential oils from many places, but ideally, it would be a retailer that specializes in essential oils and essential oil diffusers. I recommend this because these stores usually stock way better products than any other and they often make their own essential oil blends, which tells us a lot about how serious their knowledge and dedication is.
There are different types of essential oil diffusers around, but since we’re talking about rest and relaxation, I’d recommend getting one that has a timer option. This is a great feature as it limits the dispensing time, so you can leave it on when you go to bed and be sure it won’t stay on all night.
They’re also quite diverse in looks, so you can match your diffuser with your interior, making your safe space even more soothing. Now, let’s go over the types of essential oils that are best for relaxation and ideal to use with your vaporizer.
Chamomile
Much like the tea, a chamomile essential oil is sure to give you that peace of mind you’re looking for. If you like the smell of the flower, you will love the smell of the essential oil too!
Since essential oils are basically concentrates of their ingredients, a chamomile essential oil, just like any other, needs a carrier oil to be able to be put into a vaporizer for essential oils and dispersed.
One other fact about chamomile is that, even though its potential for relaxation and calming is extremely high, its smell is usually very potent, too, so you’ll need to be careful with the measuring.
A few drops are going to do the trick just fine. Remember, essential oils are all about a fine median, so don’t go overboard or you might just end up more irritated than relaxed. Each essential oil comes with instructions, so stick to them at first and then adjust the recipe as you see fit.
Lavender
You saw this one coming, didn’t you?
Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils out there and for a good reason. Its calming potential is huge and it also has a lot of other health benefits in store.
A very basic oil, it’s easy to use, easy to disperse, and if you like the smell of the flower, you’ll be in heaven before the fumes even begin to fill the room up. We’ve all seen the mattresses and pillows that are scented with lavender, so it’s only logical that there is some truth behind the scent and its properties.
Another great thing about lavender essential oils is that they are safe to use for all ages, so you and your whole family can enjoy the benefits of this sweet-smelling, calming compound. Once again, don’t go overboard or you might grow to hate the smell!
Valerian
A very common ingredient in natural sleep medication, the valerian root essential oil has an interesting, earthy aroma and lots of calming power within.
Quoted to be the perfect bedtime essential oil, it can help with stress, anxiety, insomnia, and more, making it quite literally the perfect oil to try right now. Valerian oil is also known to have a mild sedative effect and that’s what makes it so good.
Still, since it is so potent and has very powerful nerve-calming abilities, it’s important to use it only when you have free time or just right before bed. Mind that the effects aren’t as drastic as when you take a sleeping pill, but this oil will definitely make you sleepy and relaxed, so make sure your schedule is cleared and all that’s left to do for the day is to fall asleep.
Bergamot
A very affordable essential oil, though not as popular as the ones above, bergamot is another example of potency mixed with easy use. Known to be able to balance hormones, release tension, soothe anxiety and feelings of fear and discomfort, it’s one of the less-talked-about oils that definitely should get more time in the spotlight.
This is an oil that can be taken internally as well, but if you don’t want to do that, you can stick to aromatherapy and just use it with your essential oil diffuser.
Bergamot oil has a soothingly sweet aroma that will really take care of those upset feelings while it puts you in a good mood at the same time. It has cleansing and purifying properties and really does wonders for the state of our mind, making it quite the oil to use before you drift off to sleep.
