Essential oils and emotions

Guest Post and Giveaway- by Marie Montana

Hi there, I’m Marie. I love to teach about naturally supporting your body by using essential oils. This is because they have been such a game-changer for me. So my friends let’s do a giveaway!
I am giving away two Kindle books via Amazon. Don’t worry if you do not have a kindle, you can use the Kindle app. The winner will receive, Live Well, Essential Oils for Wellness, Purpose, and Abundance. And The Essential Oil Truth, The Facts Without The Hype both by Jenn O’Sullivan. (Via Amazon, Kindle format) To enter–simply send me an email with your questions about essential oils and sign up to my newsletter!

Good Luck!

Alright, let’s talk about essential oils and emotions

I am sure you are familiar with essential oils. You have probably even diffused them and thought they smelled so good and they certainly do. BUT, my friend there is so much more to these wonderful gifts from nature than that. There are many different ways to use essential oils in our homes to reduce harmful chemicals that are in so many of our products today.  But today we are going to talk about how to incorporate essential oils into your emotional wellness and self-care routine. The truth is, we can all get overwhelmed mentally and emotionally. And we all could use a little help with our emotions from time to time.

One of the coolest parts of using essential oils as a tool for emotional support is the versatility. Whether it’s a toddler tantrum or a mom meltdown, the body and brain react consistently and predictably to aromatherapy.  Think about your go-to coping mechanisms for stress. How are those serving you? Are you looking for a more gentle natural way to help support your emotional well-being?

Just so you know, Young Living is the only brand of essential oils we’re chatting about here. The cheaper stuff is cheaper for a reason. Usually, because it’s filled with all sorts of non-oil components. Young Living has been leading the industry for 25 years and its standards are rigorous, exacting, and uncompromised. 

Seed to Seal is Young Living’s quality commitment to its millions of members around the world. It’s a process that you can take part in and witness firsthand at any of the global farms. And a truly unique internal standard that keeps Young Living the world leader in essential oil.  Watch to learn more about the Seed to Seal Promise.

Disclaimer: I do want to say that I am not a doctor. This information is from my own experiences and from my extensive research and training. I encourage you to be your own health advocate and learn more.

A couple of safety notes before we dive in. There are 3 ways to use essential oils – aromatically, topically, and internally as a dietary supplement. Don’t worry, each bottle is labeled with exact instructions so you know just how to use them! For emotional support, the primary use is aromatic – we’ll talk more about that coming up. 

WHY USE OILS FOR EMOTIONS?  

22 seconds, that’s why. We are fascinating creatures designed with 5 senses to help us understand our experience of the world around us. Sight, Hearing, Touch, Taste, and Smell. The impulses that trigger the first four of those interact with our logical brain. Before they interact with our emotional brain. 

You see a baby, you think, “baby”. You hear a baby cry, you think “baby cry”. 

But, our sense of smell is completely different. Impulses that trigger our sense of smell interact with our emotional brain and THEN our logical brain. Our sense of smell is powerful and automatic. You know this instinctively – smell a familiar aroma and be instantly recall a memory. When you smell a displeasing aroma, you’re instantly repulsed. This heightened emotion related to our sense of smell is actually a piece of our survival mechanism. Eating rotten food would be dangerous for us. And, even more primitive, think the predator/prey relationship. The rabbit’s survival mechanism kicks into high gear when it smells and senses a predator nearby. 

What survival mechanism is that?

The amygdala is part of our limbic system in our brain that is responsible for fight/flight/freeze. It is constantly surveying the landscape, looking for danger. It’s the alarm system of the brain, the smoke detector whose ONE job is to signal danger. The hippocampus, right nearby within the limbic system, is the part of your brain involved in memory formation, long-term memory storage, and the emotional charge of those memories. It’s responsible for determining “Have we been here before?” 

We know that aromatherapy has long demonstrated a benefit to the human body. Whether for alerting or calming, it is well-established that aromatherapy can create mood shifts for users. Inhaling an essential oil impacts the limbic system in 22 seconds. Within 2 minutes, those molecules are found in the bloodstream. And within 20 minutes, every cell in your body (around 40 trillion of them) has been impacted by the microscopic molecules (around 40 million trillion) with a single drop of essential oil.

WHO SHOULD USE OILS FOR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT? 

Everyone….. Everyone has emotions. There are ups and downs of life, difficult transitions, anxious times, sad times, angry times, you name it. Children. Teens. Adults. Parents. Elderly. Literally, everyone can benefit from the gentle, non-invasive, intentional use of pure essential oils for emotional support. There isn’t a day that goes by where I’m not diffusing, rolling on, or otherwise using essential oils.

 There are days when I feel out of sorts, unfocused, or unaccomplished. That’s when patience wears out and my fuse gets shorter  It’s not pretty, y’all.  Even though at that moment I’m frustrated, I’m also so grateful that I have the tools to positively cope with and manage my emotions in a more natural way.

HOW DO YOU USE ESSENTIAL OILS FOR EMOTIONAL BENEFIT? 

Smell it. No, seriously. That’s it. Take a BIG inhalation and don’t fight the process, if you sense yourself calming, great. If you sense yourself getting more agitated, notice why that could be – what emotions or memories is the scent stirring up in you? Process them as you’re able. If it’s intense, just keep breathing through, and don’t be afraid to reach out for help from a friend or even a professional. 

WHEN DO YOU USE ESSENTIAL OILS FOR EMOTIONAL BENEFIT?

Early and often. Just as you might use essential oils to assist with everyday wellness concerns, it’s a good idea to take a look at what emotional wellness concerns you could address with essential oils. Are you in a high-stress career? Are you prone to certain types of negative emotions? Do you have difficulties communicating your needs or emotions to others? Honestly, when you can take preemptive action it’s best. But, that’s not always reality, right? A lot of times we don’t realize it until we’re in the midst of the struggle. 

 Still, just like you would take your car in for an oil change and yourself in for a checkup, it’s a good idea to take stock of your emotional health. Be honest with yourself about what small changes you could make that have the potential for a huge impact. Value yourself enough to do an honest assessment and take action. 

 If you had the tools in hand, would you be intentional and make a daily effort to use them? Essential oils are a gentle more natural approach to emotional support without side effects.

BONUS>> when you use essential oils, everyone in your home can benefit from them as well.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of resetting your emotional state and shifting your attention back to the present moment. In those instances, the Aroma Reset Technique ( Contact me to learn more about this exciting reset technique)  can be very helpful. Think about: what specific emotion or emotional memory is troubling you? Identify the feeling with a single word. 

Think about: where you feel that emotion in your body? Our physical body holds on to our emotions. Again, you know this instinctively. Stomach in knots from anxious thoughts? Shoulders slumped or tense from sadness or overwhelm? Chest heavy from guilt or disappointment? These could be clues to which essential oils could assist you. Don’t discount any of the essential oils or blends that are typically touted for physical benefits. You may be surprised at the emotional lift that you feel within that part of your body. 

WHAT ESSENTIAL OILS ARE FOR EMOTIONAL BENEFIT? 

Here’s the big secret about essential oils and emotional health. Ready? It’s a doozy. EVERY one of Young Living’s essential oils has an emotional component because of their natural chemical properties.  Yep. Everyone. Now, specific blends are useful for specialized concerns, of course. And, there are hundreds of essential oils and blends in the Young Living catalog. But, the fact remains that when used with a specific intention, ANY essential oil can help balance emotions. And, because every person is SO different, there’s no one-size-fits-all for essential oil usage.

The oil or blend that relaxes me may make you feel wired and energized, and vice versa. We have all had varied emotional experiences that play into our body’s emotional reaction to particular scents. So keep that in mind as you’re experimenting. 

Another thing to keep in mind is adoration/aversion. Along the same lines as a physical effect, the emotional effect of particular oils can be quite intense. If you find yourself “in love with” the scent of an oil-like your body is craving it, – that’s a signal of your physical body’s reaction to it. Similarly, if you find yourself with “hatred” towards the scent of an oil-like get that away from me, that’s the worst smell in the world,  – that’s a signal of your emotional reaction to it. 

Remember, any essential oil has an emotional component. But there are several in particular that are PERFECT for starting out. 

 They’re all a part of a set Young Living calls the Premium Starter Bundle, and they’re each stellar for physical AND emotional wellness!  If you want more info on the starter bundle, just let me know.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE ESSENTIAL OILS

Lavender is known worldwide for its calming benefits and a large number of research studies have shown advantages for emotional health for those who use Lavender. Core emotional difficulties like abandonment and criticism can be soothed by intentionally using Lavender. Especially because of its calming emotional benefits. 

Frankincense is steam distilled from the resin of the Boswellia Tree. [Here’s a good rule of thumb for you: oils that come from trees are GROUNDING. Think tree. Think rooted to the earth. Think deep strength and fortitude.] The beautiful scent of frankincense is very helpful for emotional and spiritual health and is used the world over in meditation and prayer rituals. 

Stress Away is an oil blend specific to Young Living that contains Copaiba, Lime, Cedarwood, Vanilla, Ocotea, and Lavender. Delightfully relaxing, this blend is very calming for nervous tension. Copaiba and Cedarwood are both tree oils as I mentioned earlier. Lime and Vanilla are uplifting and familiar aromas that stimulate the mind and refresh the spirits. And, Ocotea is a unique oil that has physical balancing benefits and serves a similar emotional purpose of restoring harmony and balance under pressure. 

Lemon is also a very useful single oil for emotional support.  The emotional benefits of Lemon aren’t really difficult to imagine. Bright, happy, pretty-smelling? Um, yeah! Total mood uplifter, right? Feelings of frustration and stuck-ness can be improved by utilizing an uplifting essential oil such as Lemon. 

Lemon is also a very useful single oil for emotional support.

The emotional benefits of Lemon aren’t really difficult to imagine. Bright, happy, pretty-smelling? Um, yeah! It’s a total mood uplifter, right? Feelings of frustration and stuck-ness can be improved by utilizing an uplifting essential oil such as Lemon.

Similarly, Raven is an oil blend that can assist with clearing feelings of sadness and grief. Raven contains a number of comforting oils that assist with easier breathing like eucalyptus, peppermint, and ravintsara. They uplift the senses and can help snap you out of a funky mood in a matter of moments when used aromatically with the intention of emotional uplifting.

Citrus Fresh is a cleansing essential oil that can assist with cleansing negative emotions. Anger, loneliness, rejection, negativity, all the yuck that you wouldn’t want hanging out at your house – that’s the type of thing that Citrus Fresh can help clear emotionally. Applied to the vita flex points on the hands or feet (see below)  there is tremendous emotional benefit from this unassuming little bottle. 

Valor essential oil is truly an unmatched blend for promoting courage and strength and helping you do the hard things instead of shrinking back in fear. It can help with emotional balancing and maintaining mindfulness (staying in the present moment without projecting to the past or future). It’s prediluted and ready to use for everyone in the family.

Peace & Calming blend is one of my favorites! 

This essential oil is game-changing for emotions.   It’s so easy to get agitated, right? It is easier for our human nature to be worried and stressed rather than peaceful and calm. It’s deeply relaxing for the body and mind – helping you center your awareness and quiet your heart. It is literally for ALL ages. Which of these two rockstar blends would help you the most? 

Ever wanted to face your fears with a boost of energy? Whether it’s fearing failure or fearing success, Peppermint essential oil can stimulate you to overcome those fears when used aromatically! What about feeling restricted in your thoughts or emotions? Peppermint can also help you expand your mind to think creatively and discover new beliefs.

Another oil that is a dietary supplement that actually helps with emotional wellness is DiGize Vitality.

This may surprise you, but your digestive system has an enormous impact on your overall emotional health. Did you know that 90% of the body’s serotonin is created in the digestive system? It’s called your second brain – and for good reason. In fetal development, the brain and digestive system start out as one and as they split, they are both considered to be the nervous system. These two parts of the body are in constant communication with each other! So, keeping your digestive system in optimal health is one of the first and best ways to support overall emotional wellness! DiGize Vitality is a fantastic daily supplement to help you do that.

I hope you enjoyed learning how you can use essential oils for emotional support on day to day basis. Our bodies were created perfectly so it makes sense that essential oils that come from nature like plants, trees, barks, and shrubs have such powerful physical and emotional benefits without any harmful side effects.

If you have any questions at all or you are interested in learning more about essential oils and all the ways you can use them in your home, I would love to hear from you. Email me at hello@marieinmontana.com.

 My Website: https://www.marieinmontana.com

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