This is the next article in the “We Tried Essential Oils” series. If you didn’t catch the last article where Her Campus Western members tried doTERRA essential oils for sleeping, you can check it out here.
This time we looked into different essential oils that can help you study. We tried doTERRA’s In Tune, an essential oil blend that increases your focus and concentration, Balance, an oil blend that helps you manage your anxiety while working, and Lime, which can help get you energized and on task.
Here are our results:
**Disclaimer: not all essential oils brands are made equally! We used doTERRA since it is currently the safest and purest on the market. It is also the only brand you are able to ingest. Please do your research before using essential oils topically or internally!
1. In Tune
In Tune is an essential oil blend that has been dubbed “the study blend” due to its ability to create and sustain the users focus and concentration. I use it whenever I go to the library. It helps me tune into my work and keeps my “squirrel brain” from taking over and distracting me. I roll the oil blend right onto my wrists and find that I can tune out distractions more easily. The effects may not be dramatic, but it gives you that extra push you sometimes need to get your work done.
Amy Scott, a second year student media theory and production student, also tried In Tune. She said that it did help her focus slightly more. “[I was] more interested in school work than other distractions,” Scott told me. Scott also had her boyfriend try In Tune. “It helped, and he was more efficient in getting homework done” Scott said on her boyfriend’s behalf. However, she used the oil again a few days later and did not find that it helped her focus. Overall, she was satisfied with the results.
Second-year human resource management student Chloe Congourdeau also tried In Tune. “The effects lasted for about an hour,” Congourdeau explained. “A bonus is that it smelled really good!”
Congourdeau felt that In Tune was quite effective in increasing her concentration and that it was an effective study aid.
2. Balance
Balance is on my “top five favourite essential oils list.” It has such a soothing scent that is a mix of floral and citrus, and really helps me calm down whenever I feel anxious. Its relaxing properties are what makes it great for studying. If your anxiety keeps you from focusing when you study, Balance can help ground your emotions and keep you from worrying. Unlike other calming oils, however, Balance will not make you sleepy due to the use of citrus oils. Citrus oils increase awareness and are energizing. This makes it perfect for calming anxiety when you still have to be productive.
Fourth-year MIT student Leena Patel also fell in love with Balance. She told me how she usually has trouble concentrating on her work, but Balance oil helped her stay focused all day. Patel used Balance by adding two drops to her hands and rubbing them onto the back of her neck. She also applied the oil to an aromatherapy necklace that features special essential oil diffusing beads. This allowed her to carry the scent around with her all day without carrying the essential oil bottle.
When Patel used Balance during an exam, she had equal success. “I was surprised at how focused I was during my exam,” Patel explained, “Usually it takes me a while to get my head in the zone but the scent of Balance was enough to keep me focused for the whole two hours.”
Just like Scott, Patel decided to share her oils to see if others would get the same results. On a long car ride with her dad, she diffused Balance by adding a couple of drops to their car’s empty air-freshener vents. “Not only did it help my dad stay awake while he drove, it also helped me stay focused on my readings!” Patel said, “I never thought I could be productive in a car but it was surprisingly easy when I used my essential oil.”
3. Lime
Lime essential oil is extremely versatile. When you add it to your water, it adds both flavour and immune-boosting effects. However, it can also help improve concentration. As a citrus oil, it is stimulating, but it has the unique ability to be calming while it stimulates. Basically, it keeps you focused on what you need to focus on while helping you tune out the rest.
“I was excited to try this oil because it was supposed to be energizing and help me focus,” says fourth-year criminology and psychology student Alex Hawkins. She found that Lime essential oil increased her concentration slightly, and she really enjoyed the scent. “[I] found that the best way to use it was to apply it to the insides of my wrists,” she said. Hawkins also tried adding the oil to her water but didn’t care for the flavour.
I also tried the doTERRA Lime essential oil. I added a few drops into my diffuser before starting a reading, and it made my dining room smell wonderful. However, I still faced my usual distractions and ended up spending more time on my phone than actually doing my work. Lime oil did not seem to increase my concentration at all, and I will stick with my In Tune next time since it gave me better results.
Overall, each of us enjoyed our week with essential oils. Balance was a favourite for clearing away anxiety and increasing our focus, while In Tune really helped us become more productive. Lime essential oil showed some promise in increasing concentration when applied directly to the skin. If you are looking for an all-natural study aid, essential oils could be a great option to try!
Are you interested in learning more about essential oils or purchasing any of the ones mentioned in this article? Contact Sarah Nagus on Facebook or send her an email at sarah.nagus@gmail.com.
Related articles:
- We Tried Essential Oils for Sleeping and Here’s What Happened
- Different Study Habits To Get You The Best Grades
- 5 Gadgets to Help With Exams
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