Sooner or later, stress gets the better of all of us. It’s to be expected, really, considering everything life throws our way. Between keeping up with work, family, friends, personal hygiene, healthy eating, housekeeping, getting enough sleep, and everything else we’re supposed to do in life, getting overwhelmed and stressed by it all happens to the best of us.
The good news is that practicing stress management techniques can help you keep your stress down to manageable levels that still allow you to be productive. Even better, a lot of them can be enhanced with aromatherapy.
1. Meditation
Meditation has been practiced around the globe for centuries. There are multiple ways to practice meditation, depending on what you’re trying to achieve. If you want to improve your receptiveness to the world around you, quieting your mind, focusing, and gently observing the universe as it presents itself to you can be a good way to start. What you choose to focus on is up to you. Some people think about their breathing while others listen to the ambient noises around them.
You might try adding aromatherapy to your practice. Try focusing on the scent and the effect it has on your body and mind as you meditate. Use your favorite essential oil, or try Frankincense, Myrrh, or Sandalwood, commonly used to improve the meditation experience.
2. Yoga
3. Massage
Massage therapists often use oils and lotions specifically intended to work with those tricky spots and elevate the overall experience. You can do this at home too by combining essential oils with lotions or carrier oils and using them in your massage. Different essential oils have different effects when applied topically. For instance, wintergreen can have warming effects, while peppermint can have a cooling effect. Both can feel absolutely wonderful when used in combination with a massage.
If you choose to elevate your massage experience with essential oils, be sure to dilute the oil and do a spot test on your skin to make sure you don’t have an adverse reaction to the oil you intend to use.
4. Visualization
Because of this, incorporating as many of your senses as you can into your visualization exercise, the better. You can play recordings of sounds from your favorite scene or a scent that transports you there. Aromatherapy scents can be a great way to evoke more powerful images and make them feel more real.
The benefits of aromatherapy and stress management techniques make the two of them a match made in heaven. Many stress management techniques can be used alone to create the desired effect. Similarly, aromatherapy by itself can be effective at evoking feelings of relaxation, happiness, rejuvenation, and more, thanks to the powerful connection between scent and emotion. When you put the two together, the effects can be more powerful than if using them separately.
Aromatherapy can greatly enhance your relaxation experience. Try using different relaxing oils and blends to see which ones work best for you.
