Essential Oils: A Natural Way to Manage Stress & Brighten Your Mood!
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Nicole Avena
How is stress affecting your life?
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I often feel overwhelmed?
- Is it difficult for me to relax?
- Does my mind race with anxious or stressful thoughts?
- Do I often get irritated with those around me?
- Is it hard for me to handle life’s ups and downs?
If you answered “yes” to any of these, you aren’t alone!
In today’s ever-changing, fast-paced world, many people deal with added stressors every day.
Some lifestyle factors – like exercising, eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep, meditating, and nurturing relationships with positive people – can help you cope with daily stress. Another effective way to promote calm and improve mood is to engage the senses, specifically the sense of smell.
The Science of Smell
A wealth of scientific research has shown a link between mood and our sense of smell.
– When scientists chemically blunted the sense of smell in mice for a 2018 study, it induced depressive behavior in the rodents.
– In another study on elderly Koreans, an impaired olfactory function was associated with a significantly higher degree of depressive thoughts in addition to lower cognitive performance and decreased quality of life.
– A 2016 review of the existing research on anosmia (loss of the sense of smell) and mood issues showed that the relationship appears to be a two-way street. People with low mood are more likely to have problems with their sense of smell than healthy controls, and people with anosmia are more likely to have mood issues.
Olfaction and the Brain
The area of your brain involved with smell (olfactory cortex) is located near your limbic system (the brain’s emotion center), including the hippocampus, which is involved with mood and memory. These areas tend to deteriorate during the latter stages of life.
Not only is the loss of smell associated with low mood, it also may be linked to serious, perhaps long-term, memory loss. Studies show that olfactory deficits have been noted in Alzheimer’s dementia as well as individuals with mild-cognitive impairment (MCI), and that these deficits precede the onset of illness.
If you, or a loved one, are experiencing a diminished sense of smell or the sudden loss of your ability to identify scents, it could be a sign of trouble. Be mindful of any health issues, such as fever, cough, and fatigue, and assess your emotional well-being and memory to see if you notice any changes. If these symptoms worsen, be sure to make an appointment with a healthcare professional.
Sharpen Your Sense of Smell
Just as you can strengthen your muscles with a physical workout, you may be able to improve your sense of smell by exercising it every day. There’s evidence that repeated exposure to certain scents can improve the ability to smell.
In a study from Aristotle University in Greece, 111 patients with anosmia following a respiratory infection repeatedly trained their sense of smell twice a day using four scents (phenyl ethyl alcohol, eucalyptol, citronellal, eugenol). Compared to a control group, participants noticed a significant difference in their sense of smell after 8 weeks, and the improvement lasted up to a year.
If you struggle with identifying smells, put your nose to work. This may be a pleasant exercise since certain scents are calming or uplifting.
Essential oils, such as lavender, chamomile, and jasmine, can help support a healthy mood and manage stress.
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts. Since many of these oils require significant amounts of organic plant material to make, some can be more expensive than others. For instance, it takes about 5,000 pounds of lemon balm to make 1 pound of lemon balm essential oil.
Benefits of Essential Oils
Essential oils are often used in aromatherapy, a practice that uses the sense of smell to help improve mood and overall well-being. The oils can be rubbed into the skin and some ingest small amounts of these oils in their foods or beverages.
Caution is recommended since essential oils may cause skin irritation when applied topically.
When considering the benefits of essential oils, some people report that they can:
- Enhance relaxation
- Increase happiness
- Revitalize mood
- Improve sleep quality
- Manage stress and anxiousness
- Relieve headaches and nausea
In fact, research studies show that essential oils can help reduce anxiousness and also may have a positive impact on depressive behavior in laboratory animal studies.
Since essential oils provide so many potential wellness benefits, BrainMD is proud to offer the…
Bright Minds Aroma Diffuser
The Bright Minds Aroma Diffuser utilizes breakthrough ultrasonic technology to atomize essential oils for scenting your home or office. Diffuse your essential oils safely and naturally with this compact and convenient Aroma Diffuser. Just a drop or two will do.
What Others Are Saying:
“I really like the size of the diffuser. It’s a nice size for my desk. And the deep wood grain is attractive. The selection of oils are fantastic. I’m pleased that I ordered one.” – Walker
Bright Minds Diffuser Oils Pack
Fill your home or office with natural scents to help brighten your mood, increase mental clarity, and restore inner calm.
The Bright Minds essential oil set contains 6 natural scents to inspire feelings of calm, happiness, and inspiration. This 100% pure essential oil set includes 10 ml bottles of:
- Lavender for mood, anxiousness, grief, memory support, and pain relief
- Ylang-ylang for mood, memory support, emotional trauma, and libido
- Peppermint for energy, focus, and stress reduction
- Eucalyptus for energy and breathing
- Jasmine for mood and relaxation
- Chamomile for anxiousness and quality sleep
What Others Are Saying:
“I like the diffuser size and shape and the generous amount and kind of oils in the nice box with descriptions. I need to enjoy it more often and do some breathing, prayer and reading with it. Thank you for this fine product.” – Lisa B.
To help promote better mood, relaxation, and happiness, order the Bright Minds Aroma Diffuser and Bright Minds Diffuser Oils Pack today!
At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest purity nutrients to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about the Bright Minds Aroma Diffuser and our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
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