One of the most common topics that keeps coming up in my day to day conversations is anxiety and how to deal with it. I’ve made no secret of my own personal anxiety and mental health struggles but it has taken me a long time to get a handle on it and feel like I can discuss it without the fear of being judged or being told to just get over it. Anxiety is one real mother f*cker!! Whether it has been in conversations in my workplace, with acquaintances at the gym or just day to day conversation with my family and friends, it is obviously an issue that affects so many people in different ways and just seems to be a growing issue within our society. The sad thing is that most people feel like they can’t address the topic out of fear of judgement or the societal stigma that comes along with speaking up about mental health. After the tragic passing of 2 well known people in the media – Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain – and my own personal link to losing a family member from suicide, I thought what better time to look at mental health and how oils in particular have really supported myself personally recently.
Statistics from Beyond Blue estimate that 45 per cent of people will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime and in any one year, around 1 million Australian adults have depression, and over 2 million have anxiety. That is HECTIC! In a nutshell, anxiety is more than just feeling stressed or worried. While stress and anxious feelings are a common response to a situation where we feel under pressure, they usually pass once the stressful situation has passed, or ‘stressor’ is removed from the situation. Anxiety is when these anxious feelings don’t go away – when they’re ongoing and happen without any particular reason or cause. It’s a serious condition that makes it hard to cope with daily life and can be extremely crippling. Everyone feels anxious from time to time, but for someone experiencing anxiety, these feelings aren’t easily controlled. Research has found that anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. On average, one in four people – one in three women and one in five men – will experience anxiety at some stage in their life. The fact that 6 Australians take their life every day, with 5 of them being men just blew my mind. We need to look after our boys and get rid of this notion that it’s weak to speak!
I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty of how anxiety can be managed – that is a very personal decision. In my experience I have overcome anxiety for the most part by a combination of medication, counselling, exercise and now I also turn to oils to support me when I feel those anxious & stressful feelings coming on. Day to day I have my own coping mechanisms – I listen to podcasts while driving in traffic and usually have my headphones in with music on when I am in a place that previously has triggered anxiety (oddly enough the supermarket for me!!). What I’m about to write about is simply my personal experience and opinions from the research I have done. There is saaaa much information out there, I really encourage you to jump on YouTube in particular and open your mind to the alternative solutions to support your mental health – this clip in particular I found so fascinating! https://youtu.be/n9OefWUI6mI
My sister and I both have anxious moments at times, and have been taking Frankincense internally when they come on (a couple of drops under the tongue) which helps so much. I also literally inhale peppermint from the bottle when I am feeling stressed at my desk at work or when I am stuck in traffic on the highway, it centres me and gives me a bit of a boost. Lavender on my temples and neck has been awesome too. Vetiver is natures tranquiliser – it has a weird, earthy smell and taste but you can put it in a cup of hot water as a tea and that helps to chill out also. I have been diffusing Vetiver, Lavender Peace, Cedarwood and Juniper berry at night, and I literally have it right next to my bed and have been able to fall asleep so much easier than previously when I would have so much running through my mind, and I haven’t been waking up during the night which is also a huge improvement! I’ve also found a lot of support in Bergamot – I have added to baths along with Epsom salts and applied to my pulse points on days where I know I have a lot to tackle.
Here are a few fun facts about some of the different oils that I have found helpful in managing my anxious moments recently. I’ve found huge relief in using these oils in few different ways – aromatically, topically and internally.
L A V E N D E R
Lavender essential oil is the most used essential oil in the world today, but the benefits of lavender were actually discovered over 2,500 years ago. Because of its powerful antioxidant, antimicrobial, sedative, calming and antidepressive properties, lavender oil benefits abound and it’s been used both cosmetically and therapeutically for centuries.Considered the most common essential oil, lavender oil benefits include having a calming, relaxing effect. It’s considered a nervous system restorative and helps with inner peace, sleep, restlessness, irritability, panic attacks, nervous stomach and general nervous tension. Interestingly, during the Black Plague, which hit London in the 16th century, lavender oil and alcohol were taken as a way to ward off the disease. Bunches of lavender were sold in the streets in an attempt to ease the smell of the dead and dying. #gross
V E T I V E R
I am personally obsessed with this oil, perhaps I am drawn to it as it is quite grounding and I definitely need to be brought back down to earth at times! Traditionally, vetiver oil has been used in aromatherapy for relaxation and alleviating emotional stress, panic attacks, trauma, anxiety, insomnia, hysteria and depression. Fun fact – vetiver is also known as an aphrodisiac. When you live life in a stressed state, you deplete testosterone levels and feel a loss of sexual desires. Because vetiver oil is proven to be an effective calming and sedative agent, it leaves your mind and body relaxed, which allows you to balance your hormones naturally = SEXY TIME! You’re welcome.
B E R G A M O T
There are many signs of depression and anxiety, including fatigue, sad mood, low sex drive, lack of appetite, feelings of helplessness and disinterest in common activities. Each person experiences mental health conditions in a different way. Bergamot is known for its ability to promote cheerfulness, feelings of freshness and increased energy by improving the circulation of your blood. Bergamot oil is also great way to reduce the symptoms of sprains, muscle aches and headaches. Instead of relying on pain killers that have nasty side effects, use this safe and natural oil to reduce pain and tension. Bergamot comes from the citrus family – if you’ve ever enjoyed a cup of Earl Grey tea, you’ve enjoyed the lovely scent and flavor of bergamot. One of the most popular teas in the world, Earl Grey owes its unique fragrance to the oil, which is also used in perfumes and cosmetics. I love this oil and could literally slather myself with it on the daily!
C E D A R W O O D
I am literally in love with this oil (I feel like I say that a lot ha ha). It reminds me of dirt, but I strangely LOVE it. Cedarwood essential oil is extracted through the process of steam distillation from wood pieces of the cedar wood tree. Cedarwood essential oil is a sedative, which means it has the power to relieve tension and stress that affects your health. It has a soothing and calming effect on the mind, reduces inflammation and muscle pain, and minimizes skin irritation or itchiness. The scent of cedarwood essential oil encourages the release of serotonin, which is converted into melatonin in the brain. Melatonin induces restorative sleep and leaves you feeling calm. All you have to do is inhale cedarwood essential oil directly from the bottle (my sister and I do this on the regular…oil sniffing hippies!!); you can also diffuse a few drops of oil or rub a drop of oil right above your eyebrows to relieve tension. Fun fact – this versatile oil also has amazing anti bacterial properties which means it is awesome to use on skin conditions (eczema, dermatitis, acne to name a few).
What I’ve come to realise in my old age is that nothing about us is all good or all bad – nothing. If you’ve struggled with anxiety, for all the angst it causes you, it’s also helped to shape the person you’ve become in positive ways – the choices you make, the friend you are, the partner, colleague, sister, brother, leader or employee you are. Anxiety is not who you are, it’s something that happens to you sometimes. It’s part of being human and doesn’t need to rule your life. If anxiety is something you are struggling with, please reach out for help! Talk to your mum, sister, friend and know that it can be managed in so many different ways. If you want to learn more about how oils can help support your mental health (this post is the tip of the iceberg, there is so much more I could write about!), please reach out to me even if just for a chat. I am more than happy to share what I have learnt, and if you are wanting to try different oils I am more than happy to pop together a sample for you.
doTERRA is an amazing source for essential oils along with many other lifestyle products to incorporate into a natural lifestyle – as with anything of this nature you will really only reap the benefits if you are open minded and have the right support around you. It’s for this reason I encourage you to connect with me personally if you’ve read any of my posts and want to learn more – I’d love to welcome you into our oily tribe where there is so much support, positivity and resources to really help change your life by using natural solutions. You won’t regret it 😉
xoxo The O.G
http://www.mydoterra.com/laurenanderson85
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
https://draxe.com/section/natural-remedies/essential-oils/
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/anxiety
diary of a 30 something hot mess 