Lately, I have felt exhausted from the daily routine of work, house chores, and caring for our adorable newborn puppies that have kept us on our toes. I feel like I have babies in the house again with their sweet little whimpering sounds, but the whimpering at 2:00 AM is a different story. Getting up half asleep to the pup’s cries brings back some memories when my children were little but now that I’m older, I feel it’s harder to go right back to sleep, which has been leaving me feeling exhausted, combined with my other activities.
Our Sweet Puppies
I’ve been using essential oils for over four years now and I don’t know what I would now do without them in my life. Lately, I have experimented with different blends for peace of mind, de-stressing, and relaxation. I’ve noticed my anxiety levels have tapered down at work as well, and I feel much more calm and collected. The following DIY blends are the calming essential oils that work so well for me.
Stress and Anxiety
I have a 40-minute drive to work and one thing I love is being able to awaken my senses by breathing in the aromatic scents behind the wheel.
Here’s a tip: Add a drop of Lavender to a clothespin and place it on your air vents. This helps ease nerves while commuting or just preparing you for the full day ahead. It’s also wonderful to use in a diffuser at night. You would need to add additional drops if using a diffuser but I love using Lavender combined with other oils in my diffuser while I sleep.
Fun fact: Did you know that Lavender is an herb native to northern Africa and the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean?
Lavender is a perennial evergreen plant that has produced the most used essential oil in the world for over 2,500 years. With a calming, physically, and emotionally balancing fragrance, it has commonly been used for its relaxing effects on the body. Even in ancient times, it was used for medicinal purposes, from cleaning cuts, to soothing bruises and skin irritations, as well as to scent the air for spiritual practices. The Egyptians used the oil for mummification and perfumery, while the Romans used it in baths and in cooking.
We know now that it can be used to reduce stress by relaxing the brain waves. Herbalist actually regard Lavender essential oil as the most useful and versatile essential oil for therapeutic purposes. It is the one essential oil I will not live without for its multitude of uses, and it also smells heavenly.
Calm and Focus
Try this diffuser blend or place a few drops on a cotton ball and place under your pillow. Inhaling the oils immediately kicks our body into action as the molecules travel through the olfactory system (sense of smell) into our brain. This can directly affect the body’s system and reactions, including emotions, memory, blood pressure, hormones, and stress. Essential oils are amazing!
# 1 Diffuser Blend
- 3 drops Rosemary essential oil
- 2 drops Wild Orange essential oil
- 2 drops Lavender essential oil
- 1 drop Peppermint or Spearmint essential oil
Relaxation
Trying to relax at night can sometimes lead to sleep problems. If you’re still wound up from your day, try this relaxation diffuser blend at bedtime.
# 2 Diffuser Blend
- 1 drop Rose essential oil
- 3 drops Patchouli essential oil
- 6 drops Bergamot essential oil
The Rose essential oil can be helpful when soothing upset emotions that are making it hard to relax. The Patchouli and Bergamot are a wonderful combination to help balance out the intensity of the floral from the Rose essential oil. Just a note that Rose essential oil is very potent. A little goes a long way. I love its beautiful floral scent. I also use 2 drops of it in my bath and it almost feels like I’m surrounded by a rose garden.
Peace of Mind
After a long day, sometimes we just want to hide away from the world and have peace of mind. You can make your own Peace of Mind DIY blend and combine it in a large dark glass bottle. Making more at once is more convenient for me and will help it last a little longer if you tend to use it frequently. Just smelling the scent from the bottle is wonderful and will lift your spirits. I use this blend in my bath and in my diffuser, and it’s oh…so wonderful!
# 3 Diffuser Blend
- 25 drops Tangerine essential oil
- 25 drops Orange essential oil
- 15 drops Ylang-Ylang essential oil
- 10 drops Patchouli essential oil
- 4 drops German (Blue) Chamomile essential oil OR Roman Chamomile (either can be used)
Here are some other ways you can use this wonderful blend:
Add 3 to 4 drops of this blend to 1/8th tsp. carrier oil of your choice (I use coconut oil or sweet almond oil) and apply as follows:
Massage on the back of your neck for a relaxing effect or rub the blend on the soles of your feet to relieve tension and promote a good night’s sleep.
You can use a rollerball bottle for this – just combine the blend with the carrier oil to the rollerball, which is great on the go.
*Note: Everyone’s skin is different and some oils may react differently than others, so before applying any essential oil directly to the skin, you should always try a small patch test first to make sure you don’t have any allergic reactions or skin sensitivities to it.
Conclusion
Diffusing essential oils can enhance your environment and promote positive emotions. Unwind after a long day of work or on the go with these calming essential oil blends for stress relief and relaxation. They can be a safe and effective way to find the extra peace you need to get through the day or when winding down at night. A lot of personal preference and the scents you enjoy goes into deciding which essential oils will best help you combat stress.
These are just some of my favorite blends that I wanted to share with you but using essential oils in your daily routine can be a wonderful way to find the extra mental and emotional support you need when stress gets the best of you. I hope you find some of these calming essential oils useful in staying healthy through these ever-changing times. If you have any questions about using essential oils, please leave a comment in the section below and I would be happy to help.
