Stress. We all suffer from it even though it varies from the intensity. As we grow up, we face more and more responsibilities regarding our personal life that involves our studies, our love life, our families and other crucial factors. Stress can easily build up because it’s part of our human nature. We live in a fast-paced society with high demands and expectations; our fear of failure makes us feel a large amount of stress. Although stress is perfectly normal, it can also come from certain mental disorders such as anxiety. Lately, there’s been a certain increase of people looking to relax and de-stress in a more natural manner rather than using drugs such as cigarettes and anxiety pills. One of the most popular ways to relax is aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy has been used throughout history by the Egyptians, the Chinese and the Indians for many healing properties both physically and mentally. So, it’s no surprise that people are turning to aromatherapy since its effectiveness is no longer questionable, it’s easy to use, and it works almost instantly.
There are separate ways to use aromatherapy. Bath and Body Works has a product line focusing on certain sensations using aromatherapy. They offer products to help with focus, happiness, sleep, comfort, vitality, energy and others. They have a broad variety of soaps, essential oils, splashes and body lotions. Another common and trendy way of using aromatherapy is incense.
Incense is a mixture of spices or other aromatic substances that when burned produce a strong scent. This is great to use when meditating or when trying to create a safe place, isolated from negative energy such as stress.
The top essential oils for stress relief are lavender, jasmine, bergamot, clary sage and eucalyptus. Lavender is used for calming restlessness and relieving insomnia. Jasmine helps relax nerves and muscles as well as lifting depression. Bergamot reduces heart rate, blood pressure, and chronic pain. Clary sage is used for spiritual enlightenment and as an antidepressant. Eucalyptus increases energy, reduces mental fatigue and relieves muscle pain.
As we can see aromatherapy is a very diverse form of stress relief that’s been proven to be effective and practical for the busy lifestyle of a college student. It’s accessible, affordable and an easy and quick fix to the consequences that stress can produce. I encourage you to give aromatherapy a try. You won’t lose anything.