Your Essential Guide To Essential Oils For Anxiety

Natural helpers that will tell the annoying little b*tch in your head to take a seat.

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Everyone likes to think they are all fine and put together because to think that we are human and susceptible to fear is, well, scary. But the truth is that anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18% of the population. (Source: National Institute of Mental Health). So when your racing heart and thoughts become more than a mere visitor during final exams, what do you do? Some of you may already have your routine worked out, but if you don't, or if you could always use a helping hand, it may be time to jump on the essential oils bandwagon. Oils are nothing new, they are simply concentrated amounts of oil extracted from plants, but like quinoa and kale, they are experiencing a bit of a renaissance among wellness gurus. They don't cure everything of course but they do help quite a bit with different ailments, especially anxiety. You just have to know which oils will work best for you. There are a few brands out there, but the two major ones are Aura Cacia and Young Living, and prices vary depending on which type of oil you are buying and who you are buying from.

1. Lavender

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Lavender is not just a lovely shade of purple. The benefits of this oil range from improved digestion to treatment of excema, but it has been highly ranked for treatment of symptoms that are associated with anxiety like insomnia, nervous tension, headaches, restlessness, and emotional stress. I use it most often right before going to sleep for its calming effects.

Lavender essential oil: $9.83

2. Geranium

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Geranium is another jack-of-all-trades like Lavender. It is considered an herbal tonic which promotes overall health and well-being in all systems of the human body. When our bodies are thrown off during severe bouts of anxiety, it's nice to know we have a little soldier fighting to get everything back on track.

Geranium essential oil: $10.10

3. Clary Sage

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Clary Sage is a balancing oil which is always important when it comes to managing anxiety. It's not about having all good days...it's about remembering that for every bad day there will be another day that's its opposite. This oil acts as an antidepressant and anticonvulsive which helps to combat low mood, lethargy, hopelessness, nervous tension, and restlessness.

Clary Sage essential oil: $10.02

4. Frankincense

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Frankincense is widely used for meditative purposes because of its relaxing properties. It inspires insight, mental peace and satisfaction, as well as lowers nervous tension and stress. You might also like to buy an oil diffuser in which you light a candle underneath a dish with a few drops of the Frankincense oil so that it spreads throughout whichever room you are in.

Frankincense essential oil: $9.97

Oil candle diffuser: $14.95

5. Rose

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Rose, like Clary Sage and a few other oils, functions as an antidepressant and effectively raises mood, and relieves anxiety. It is used often with people undergoing rehabilitative treatment for depression or anxiety. Its downfall is that it does fall on the more pricey end of the spectrum.

Rose essential oil: $42.75

6. Ylang Ylang

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Ylang Ylang is another oil used often as an antidepressant and has been used for a long time as such. It is relaxing and uplifting and has been recommended for usage in treatments for post traumatic stress or nervous disorders.

Ylang Ylang essential oil: $7.45

7. Bergamot

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Bergamot is a citrus fruit and its oils are derived from the peel. The oil has antidepressant qualities and also functions as a stimulant, uplifting mood and regulating bodily functions overall, especially hormonal secretions. Other citrus scents like orange and lemon are also helpful when trying to improve mood and mental clarity. Just sniffing the outside of an orange is said to energize the mind.

Bergamot essential oil: $10.78

8. Chamomile

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Chamomile is widely recognized as an ingredient in soothing tea blends. However, it is available more concentrated as an essential oil and has the same properties that people go after in their before bed drink. Just smelling the oil can reduce feelings of sadness and lift mood.

Chamomile essential oil: $7.90

9. Vetiver

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Like Geranium, Vetiver is considered an herbal tonic and upkeeps most systems of the body. Specifically for the nervous system, it repairs damage from different stressors and trauma. It can also be very useful for insomniacs and people experiencing restlessness due to anxiety because the oil has sedative properties.

Vetiver essential oil: $11.41

10. Stress Away, Young Living

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Combining Citrus, Vanilla, Cedarwood, and Lavender among other ingredients, Stress Away is a combination essential oil by Young Living that does just what its title suggests: sends stress away. You can either roll it on or put 2 drops in a glass of water daily to see effects on your body and mind.

Stress Away essential oil: $39.14

11. Panic Button, Aura Cacia

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Panic Button is a combination oil that combines Rose and orange flowers to produce a stress-relieving outcome. Citrus uplifts while Rose calms giving you the best of both worlds. Aura Cacia also sells a mist that is a more diluted form of this oil, but you can do it yourself and just add a few drops to a spray bottle of water so that you can spray it in your room or on yourself.

Panic Button essential oil: $10.99

12. Transformation, Young Living

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This is another combination essential oil by Young Living. It combines Lemon, Peppermint, Sandalwood, Frankincense and others to produce a calming blend that uplifts mood so that one may feel more confident to replace doubts and anxious thoughts with optimistic and hopeful ones. It is pretty expensive, but after Christmas and with the new year approaching, it may just be time to invest in something that could help you achieve a better outlook on life and on yourself. Plus it's packed with so many oils that it may end up being a better deal than buying them all separately.

Transformation Essential Oil: $90.46