Have you ever felt that sudden wave of anxiety wash over you? It's a common experience for many of us. One minute everything is fine, and the next, you're caught in a whirlwind of stress and worry. It's a natural part of life, these moments when anxiety sneaks up on us, whether it's a brief flutter of nerves or a lingering sense of unease.
And here's where our journey takes a wonderful turn. We're going to embrace the gentle power of nature with essential oils. These aren't just scents; they're like comforting friends, ready to help us unwind, rediscover our calm, and ease away the stress. In this blog, we'll journey through the world of essential oils, focusing on 10 that are particularly effective for soothing anxiety. Plus, I'll share some simple, do-it-yourself recipes for you to incorporate into your self-care routine, so you’re prepared when anxiety starts to creep in.
How Essential Oils for Anxiety Help
Essential oils, extracted from aromatic plants, offer a natural and holistic approach to anxiety management. These potent extracts contain unique compounds, such as linalool and linalyl acetate found in lavender oil and a-pinene found in frankincense oil, that can positively influence our mental and emotional well-being.
Whether inhaled, applied topically, or diffused, essential oils engage our senses, providing calming and uplifting effects. Their therapeutic power makes them valuable tools in the pursuit of relaxation and emotional balance, offering a fragrant journey towards tranquility amid life's complexities.
Popular Methods of Use for Anxiety Relief
Discovering effective ways to incorporate essential oils into your daily routine can significantly enhance anxiety relief. A discreet and convenient method is using a personal inhaler, allowing you to discreetly inhale the calming aroma whenever stress levels arise without drawing attention. Essential oil diffusers are ideal for creating a tranquil environment, spreading the soothing fragrance throughout your space. Linen sprays offer a delightful way to prepare your surroundings for a restful sleep. Additionally, when you apply essential oils by blending them into lotions or other skin nourishing carriers like coconut oil, they can provide a subtle and continuous source of relief as you navigate your day, fostering a sense of calm and balance.
Experiment with these popular methods to find the ones that seamlessly integrate into your self-care routine for optimal anxiety management. We've included recipes below to give you some recipe inspiration and to enhance your aromatherapy experience while promoting emotional well-being and helping you relieve stress and anxiety.
10 Essential Oils for Anxiety + DIY Recipes
These 10 essential oils for anxiety (and DIY recipes) are your natural allies to reduce anxiety symptoms and promote emotional well-being. From frankincense oil to cedarwood oil, each offers unique soothing properties, providing a personalized path to tranquility. Explore their diverse aromas and therapeutic benefits to create a tailored self-care routine for a balanced and calm daily life, making them invaluable contributors to anxiety relief.
1. Lavender Oil
Latin name: Lavandula angustifolia
Lavender essential oil is a popular choice for relieving anxiety due to its soothing and relaxing properties. Its gentle aroma promotes calmness and aids in stress reduction, making it an ideal addition to relaxation rituals. Use it in a calming linen spray or diffuse for an overall tranquil experience.
Featured essential oil blend: Good Night’s Sleep Lavender Linen Spray
Spray your way to a good night's sleep.
Watch my YouTube video and learn how to make your own Good Night's Sleep Lavender Linen Spray with my step-by-step instruction. Plus, learn how to mix water and oil together using a secret ingredient.
2. Geranium Oil
Latin name: Pelargonium graveolens var roseum
With its sweet floral aroma, geranium oil is a popular choice for reducing stress and anxiety. This essential oil can help lower heart rate and promote relaxation, making it suitable for various anxiety-related concerns. Add Geranium oil to a nourishing lotion base and apply topically for a soothing and aromatic experience in your self-care routine.
Featured essential oil blend: Emotionally Uplifting Lotion
Help soothe emotions with this citrusy, floral lotion blend.
3. Bergamot Oil
Latin name: Citrus bergamia
Citrusy and uplifting, bergamot oil is excellent for elevating mood and reducing anxiety levels. Its vibrant aroma makes it ideal for use in a personal inhaler. Inhale bergamot oil when anxiety creeps in, bringing moments of calm and positivity. Additionally, bergamot oil is great in your diffuser, providing an effective tool for managing stress.
Featured essential oil blend: Mind Ease Inhaler
This beautiful inhaler blend helps quiet and still a busy or anxious mind.
4. Frankincense Oil
Latin name: Boswellia carterii
With grounding and centering effects, frankincense essential oil is an excellent choice for anxiety management. Its ability to promote tranquility and emotional balance makes it valuable for meditation. Apply frankincense oil diluted to pulse points in a Meditation Oil for a balanced and centered mindset, or diffuse throughout a space to create a calm environment.
Featured essential oil blend: Meditation Oil
This meditation blend helps one find inner stillness and harmony.
5. Ylang Ylang (Complete) Oil
Latin name: Cananga odorata var. Genuina
With its sweet floral aroma, ylang-ylang essential oil is popular for reducing stress and anxiety symptoms by helping lower heart rate and promoting relaxation. Add ylang-ylang oil to a nourishing lotion base and apply topically for a soothing and aromatic experience in your self-care routine.
Featured essential oil blend: I Am Freaked Out Lotion
This blend is profoundly calming and soothing, which is so helpful for times of situational anxiety or stress.
6. Sweet Orange Oil
Latin name: Citrus sinensis
With its bright and uplifting citrus aroma, sweet orange oil is a cheerful addition to anxiety relief. Known for its mood-boosting properties, this oil can help uplift your spirits and bring a sense of positivity. Incorporate sweet orange oil into an emotionally balancing perfume by blending it with other complementary oils like neroli/petitgrain oil and ylang ylang. Apply this perfume to your pulse points for a burst of aromatic delight and emotional well-being.
Featured essential oil blend: Emotionally Balancing Perfume
Help soothe emotions with this citrusy, floral, soft perfume.
7. Xanthoxylum Oil
Latin name: Zanthoxylum armatum
Xanthoxylum oil, derived from the Xanthoxylum armatum plant, offers a unique approach to anxiety relief. With its spicy and warm aroma, this oil can help create a sense of ease and comfort. Blend Xanthoxylum oil into a personal inhaler blend to provide a convenient way to inhale its soothing scent whenever you need a moment of calm.
Featured essential oil blend: Nepalese Ease Inhaler
This incredibly calming blend is so helpful for soothing situational anxiety.
8. Patchouli Oil
Latin name: Pogostemon cablin
Patchouli oil has grounding and calming properties, making it a great choice for alleviating stress, anxiety, and feelings of unease. Whether diffused or applied diluted to the skin, patchouli oil can provide a sense of calm and balance. Its earthy and rich aroma adds a comforting dimension to relaxation practices, making it a valuable essential oil in anxiety management.
Featured essential oil blend: Calming & Uplifting Diffuser Blend
Calm and uplift the mind, body and spirit.
9. Rose Otto Oil
Latin name: Rosa x damascena
Distilled from the Bulgarian Damask rose, Rose oil is renowned for its exquisite floral scent and calming effects. It helps relieve anxiety levels while promoting emotional well-being. Blend it along with a carrier oil like jojoba for a sensory and emotionally balancing blend when applied to the temples, wrists, and back of the neck.
Featured essential oil blend: Restorative Oil with Rose
Create balance and ease an overactive mind.
10. Cedarwood Indian Oil
Latin name: Cedrus deodara
With its warm and woody aroma, cedarwood oil has grounding properties, making it an excellent choice for creating a sense of security and calming the mind. Incorporate cedarwood oil into a personal inhaler when feeling down and anxious, allowing its comforting scent to provide a sense of security and mental calmness.
Featured essential oil blend: Blues Be Gone Inhaler
Calm and ground the senses when feeling down.
Other Essential Oils for Anxiety Relief
While these essential oils didn't make our top 10 list, they are also popular essential oils for helping reduce anxiety, and are excellent additions to your essential oil collection.
• Chamomile Essential Oil - Known for its gentle and calming properties, chamomile oil soothes the mind and helps create a tranquil atmosphere, contributing to overall anxiety relief.
• Clary Sage Essential Oil - Alleviates stress and tension, promoting relaxation and emotional balance.
• Coriander Essential Oil - Promotes soothing warmth with a sweet aroma, providing relief from stress and fostering emotional equilibrium. Learn more about this oil's ability to help reduce stress and anxiety here.
• Jasmine Essential Oil - With a sweet and intoxicating floral scent, jasmine oil promotes a sense of positivity and relaxation, offering emotional support during anxious moments.
• Palo Santo (Holy Wood) Essential Oil - Provides a comforting and spiritually grounding experience with its rich, sweet, and woody fragrance, contributing to anxiety relief through calming effects.
• Rhododendron Essential Oil - With its floral and woody aroma, rhododendron creates a serene environment, supporting emotional well-being during anxious times.
• Spearmint Essential Oil - Refreshes and invigorates, uplifting the mood and promoting a sense of clarity for anxiety relief.
• Vetiver Essential Oil - With grounding effects, vetiver oil fosters a sense of security and emotional balance during moments of anxiety.
Browse over 40 all-natural products known to help reduce feelings of anxiety here.
Important Safety Disclaimer
Essential oils offer a natural, complementary approach to managing anxiety symptoms but are not a cure for anxiety disorders or treating anxiety. For a proper diagnosis and treatment, consult healthcare professionals. Persistent symptoms or suspected disorders require guidance from qualified professionals for comprehensive assessment and appropriate intervention. Essential oils are supportive elements in a holistic self-care routine and not substitutes for professional medical advice or treatment.
Additional Learning Resources
For a deeper understanding of how you can use essential oils for anxiety be sure to check out our free learning guide, "Natural Stress Management with Essential Oils", and join me for my Aromahead workshop, "A Spectrum of Essential Oils for Anxiety" where we uncover strategies to help paint daily anxious moments into peaceful renditions of artful living.
