7 Scents to Get You Through Emotional Highs & Lows
We are emotional beings, not robots. We experience a plethora of emotions on a daily basis — some positive, joyful, happy, and some sad, mad, frustrated, etc.
Do you ever feel that in the span of just a few moments you’ve gone from being really happy about the sun shining and the birds chirping, to being dismayed because someone comes and rains on your parade? Or you’re a little down in the dumps and teary-eyed, but then a friend calls and brightens up your day with some good news?
Well, I’m here to say that it is okay to be emotional. It’s okay to be who you were created to be. After all, it sure wouldn’t be much fun if we all just walked around speaking in monotone voices and no one ever had highs or lows.
“Our emotions are part of what keeps life interesting and ever changing.” Elizabeth Rose
I’ve come up with a list of Essential Oils that I have personally found to be helpful because of their support for emotions. Depending on what your emotional state is at any given moment, you may wish to relax at the end of a really — or really stressful — day. You may need a more grounded feeling of peace. You may just need a little pick me up and a dose of energy to get through the final tasks of a workday.
Essential oils can truly support your body and your emotions in an amazing way. Yes, there are scientific studies to prove how this happens on a physiological and cellular level. I’m not going to get in to those today, although you are welcome to go to PubMed.gov and do your own research. Try typing in “emotions and essential oils.” Also watch the documentary video entitled “Ancient Secrets of Essential Oils” found HERE. My friend Beverly Banks produced this documentary and interviewed a well-known medical doctor, Dr. Oliver Wenker, who was literally hooked up to a brain scanning machine while inhaling essential oils. It shows in real time how inhaling Peppermint and Lavender affect different parts of the brain in just a few seconds. It’s FASCINATING!!!
Rest, sleep, and feeling your best in the morning
Did you know that a study done in 2014 shows that 35% of adults suffer from sleep deprivation. The study also says that, “Adults who were short sleepers (less than 7 hours of sleep per 24-hour period) were more likely to report being obese, physically inactive, and current smokers compared to people who got enough sleep (7 or more hours per 24-hour period).” It also shares that “Adults who were short sleepers were more likely to report 10 chronic health conditions compared to those who got enough sleep.” And to top it all off, high school students comprise the age group that is most affected by sleep deprivation, at 68% of all students. WOW!
If you are someone who has a hard time falling asleep at night, there are a few factors to look at.
Turn off all electronics 30 minutes before bed
Get quiet and restful, turn down the lights, turn down the music volume and even play more soothing genre choices
Release all stresses from the day and begin to think positively about tomorrow rather than dreading it or complaining about it
Write down the things you are grateful for. Gratitude is POWERFUL!
EO TIP . . .
Lavender is a favorite of many who need help relaxing in the evening and sleeping through the night. Here are a few easy uses:
Diffuse 30 minutes prior to going to bed and let it keep going. Or set the diffuser to go on and off throughout the night.
Rub 2-3 drops onto bottom of each foot
Inhale directly from the bottle, or put a drop in your hands, rub hands together and cup over your nose to inhale deeply.
Make a spray bottle with water & a few drops of Lavender to spray on your pillow and bed sheets.
For bath time — add 3-5 drops of Lavender to a cup of Epsom Salt and poor into warm water for a relaxing bath time.
Stress, anxiety, anxiousness, frustration
Anyone, anyone? Who out there has stress? I know I do. I just survived the Texas blizzard of the century and still have friends living with me because their power hasn’t been turned back on. Now granted, they are AMAZING people, and we have all done super well living in the same space. However, Andrea is a super Young Living oils fanatic just like me, and we could probably both swear by the fact that oils have helped us get through this time. Plus, her 9-month-old has been teething and crying a bit more than usual. She’s in a new place, and we even had to create a special dark room for her to sleep in.
When times like this happen, it makes me so thankful for my “comfort oils.” Some people have comfort foods, I have comfort oils.
Now before you start saying, “She has an oil for everything. Can’t she just be real like the rest of us and deal with things?” Well, yes, there are more times than not when I take a few minutes to analyze why I am stressed, what is the root cause, and what is the mindset behind why I am frustrated or overly emotional or anxious. It’s real. We must get to the root cause so that we know how to manage these feelings over time. So I am totally not here to say that your escapes should be to sniff oils every time you feel stressed, and not deal with the root cause of the stress. That’s just medicating, putting on a band-aid. The root cause would still be there again tomorrow.
If your job or friends or family or transportation or meal preparation or giving a presentation or finances or whatever it may be, are real things you are going through in life at this time, you will need to do an honest analysis to discover how these things can be made better over time.
Imagine how God, at the beginning of human existence, put Adam and Eve in a fragrant garden. He didn’t put them in New York City. It stands to reason that if they were around fragrant plants and enjoying the outdoors, so should we. One simple thing to do is make time for a walk every day. If you’re not the type to get a gym membership then just find a way to be active for at 30 minutes to an hour a day, and more if possible. The more you are moving and using muscle mass, moving up and down, getting your heart rate up, the more at ease your mind and emotions will be.
Our body has the amazing ability to release stress, anxiety, anger, and frustration through movement and especially high intensity movement like running, biking, swimming or lifting weights.
EO TIP . . .
Stress Away
Why not just try it? If the name says it, I betcha it does what it says.
This blend is made of Copaiba, Lime, Cedarwood, Vanilla, Ocotea and Lavender
How to use it … I literally put 3-5 drops in the palm of my hand and rub the blend onto my neck and shoulder muscles. Personally, I carry a lot of tension in my shoulders, so I put the oil where I feel the most tension. This is a great blend to diffuse as well. Or rub on the bottoms of the feet.
Peace
What robs you of your peace? Do you worry a lot or let your thoughts wander to all the things that could go wrong? Do you see the glass as half empty, or half full?
Throughout life I have learned one lesson over and over and over. It’s the Peace Lesson. If I have a decision to make, big or small, I say a prayer that goes something like this, “Jesus, please guide my actions and decision-making by your sense of peace. Let your peace rest on the right decision.” Inevitably, when I do this and take time to think through the thing at hand, then I will feel peace on whatever direction is the best one.
Never step in the direction of anxiety, discord, unrest, or confusion. Here are two great Bible verses.
“Peace I [Jesus] leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippines 4:6-7
EO TIP . . .
Peace & Calming
Step one … inhale peace.
Step two … exhale frustration, anxiety, anger, stress, or anything you just don’t need to be holding onto.
Strep three … incorporate inhaling the Peace & Calming oil blend into this process. You can also diffuse it. Applying a few drops to your shoulders or bottoms of feet is wonderful and soothing as well.
Comfort food, binge eating, food cravings
Yes, they’re real.. We all have things we go to when we are stressed. Is food your go to? Do you ever find yourself reaching for a bag of chips, a gallon of ice cream, the dessert after dinner, pop tarts for breakfast, or some weird midday snack that you know isn’t fueling your body, but you love it anyways?
Yikes!!! You know what your body does with most of that stuff? It doesn’t know what to do with it!!! Literally. When you’re eating fake sweeteners like Aspartame, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) like wheat or corn found in chips and muffins, drink acidic sugar-laden soda, ingest food dye like Red-40, your body literally doesn’t know what to do with it. Those things go in, oftentimes do not digest properly, cause strange food cravings, and your body is left trying to process ingredients that weren’t designed to go inside the body at all.
If you find yourself using food as a way to cope, or maybe you just eat a little too much, or not the right things, here’s a tip for you. It’s simple and really cheap.
EO TIP . . .
Peppermint Vitality & Peppermint
Peppermint tea is delicious, right? What if I told you that you could get the health benefits of drinking 30 cups of peppermint tea by only using one drop of peppermint Vitality essential oil? Yep, that’s the statistic. It’s potent and powerful, and you don’t need much of it. But it works!!!
I love adding 1 drop of Peppermint Vitality to a glass of water or water bottle. It is refreshing, cooling, supports healthy digestion, and helps curve those hunger cravings. It even helps with my sweet tooth when I just really want dessert. It’s tasty, and it even helps support the body’s natural anti-inflammatory process. So, you’re getting multiple positive effects.
Tip: It’s best to use glass, and NEVER styrofoam, when consuming EO’s. They will leave a taste in plastic as well, so you probably don’t want to use your favorite reusable plastic cups. EO’s are safe, however, to use in stainless steel.
Inhaling Peppermint oil also has its benefits. It has been studied and found to help with nausea when inhaled for a minute. It is soothing to apply to the tummy area after a meal when you’re looking for a little comfort.
My mom would always bring Peppermint on road trips for times when we got motion sickness. She’d hand us the bottle of Peppermint oil to smell, and our tummies calmed down.
Feel good smells
Do you ever light a candle just to smell the fragrance and get that happy kind of feeling? If you’re like me you just love smells, good smells, not icky musty smells or wet dog smells, or the after-effects of rotten food. Haha!!!
Did you know … “Commonly emitted VOCs related to the scent in candles include formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, limonene, alcohol and esters. These harmful chemicals can cause health problems ranging from headaches, dizziness and allergy symptoms to asthma attacks, respiratory tract infections and even cancer.” Taken from this source.
Yikes! So, what’s the alternative? How about air fresheners? … Eh, not much better. See this article.
Well, I bet you can guess what my answer will be … ESSENTIAL OILS.
Yes, therapeutic grade essential oils, especially the ones from Young Living, do not have any toxic chemicals added. They are pure essential oil in the bottle without any fillers or additives.
So, diffusing essential oils can be extremely beneficial as an air freshener and double as a feel-good, smell-good essence.
EO TIP . . .
Citrus Fresh & Citrus Fresh Vitality
Citrus Fresh is a blend of Orange, Tangerine, Grapefruit, Lemon, Mandarine, and Spearmint. It smells beyond amazing and refreshing when diffused in any room of your house. Plus, the essential oils have the ability to purify the air and kill odor-causing bacteria.
Why not just use the same blend as a Vitality oil and add a drop to your favorite smoothie recipe or to a glass of water throughout the day? It tastes great, and all citrus oils have a constituent called D-Limonene which has powerful health effects in the body.
Need some valor and courage
We all have “battles” in life. Maybe they’re at work, or in times when we need to have the courage to stand up to someone. I’m not an advocate of fighting, but sometimes we go through righteous battles where we need a little extra strength. Here is a link to a Blog written by D Gary Young about the battle he was fighting when he created a very special blend of oil called Valor.
He states, “The essential oils in Valor were used by the Roman soldiers before battle to promote courage during a time of physical and emotional challenges. All of us go through physical and emotional challenges. I made this blend in 1990 because at that time I was having a confrontation with the IRS, and I had to go to Seattle for the hearing … I made Valor the night before, poured it in the tub, and then bathed in it … Valor is grounding, balancing, and empowering when inhaled and includes Rosewood, Blue Tansy, Black Spruce, and Frankincense in a base of almond oil. It also instills courage, confidence, and self-esteem.”
Wow! Well, there you have it from the pro. Gary Young is the founder of Young Living Essential Oils and a master blender.
EO TIP . . .
Valor
Add 1-5 drops to a cup of Epsom Salt and add to bath water for an uplifting soak.
Diffuse when needed, or put a drop in your hand, rub hands together and cup over nose to inhale.
Apply to the bottoms of feet and down the spine before bed or first thing int the morning. *Like Gary Young says in his blog, “I made this oil blend specifically based on electrical frequency, because our body is made up of energy, and we have different frequencies.” Valor has a similar frequency as the muscles and skeletal system of the body, and it positively helps align those systems when applied topically.
Grounding during meditation
Last but not least, when we experience emotional highs and lows, one of the best things we can do is meditate. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines meditation as: 1) to engage in contemplation or reflection. 2) to engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness. 3) to focus one's thoughts on, reflect on or ponder over.
For me, I sometimes pull out my Bible and look up verses that relate to the current issue that I am needing clarity on. It helps me focus on the positive, hopeful, peaceful future that can be the outcome. Here are a few of my verses with a short paraphrase.
Romans 8:31-39 … We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus
Philippians 4:8-9 … Whatsoever things are ___ think on these things.
Ephesians 6:10-18 … Putting on the full armor of God
Matthew 6:9-13 … The Lord’s Prayer
Choose to take time out of your day to think and meditate. It is a powerful thing, and I encourage you to make time for yourself. You are #WorthIt.
EO Tip . . .
Frankincense
Frankincense is a very grounding oil. It was so prized among the kings in ancient times that the wealth of a king was determined by how much incense he or she had. Frankincense, Myrrh, Hyssop, Cedarwood, and Cinnamon Bark were traded on the market back then like we trade gold and silver today.
Inhaling Frankincense can support the brain and help it focus during times of meditation. It has also been studied for its effects on mental clarity, memory and alertness.
By applying Frankincense to the back of the neck right at the hair line, it will soak in and cross the blood-brain-barrier in just 4 seconds, allowing it to oxygenate the brain and support healthy emotions.
Inhaling or diffusing is also a blessing to the human body.
One thing to note about essential oils: in whatever way they are used — internally, topically or aromatically — the body will quickly “read” what the oil is and know where in the body those natural constituents are needed. Then the body transports the tiny molecules of oil all throughout the body.
“It’s truly miraculous how the human body was created to be so intuitive, and how the plant matter that makes essential oils so intuitively works with the natural functions of the human body. For this reason, I believe essential oils are the missing link to modern medicine and will prove to be invaluable in the 21st century!” - Elizabeth Rose
Conclusion
Are you ready to tackle the ups and down of life?
If you would like someone to talk with, pray with, chat about life with, or get some ideas on how to be more in balance, I would love to chat with you over the phone. Feel free to call me at 833-357-5777. You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook @Life.With.Elizabeth.Rose
If you are interested in using the essential oils mentioned in this blog and are needing to purchase them, please let me be your go-to-gal. We can set up a wholesale account with Young Living Essential Oils if you don’t already have one, and then I will be your go-to for ongoing education and support. The oils mentioned above are all found in the Premium Starter Kit that also includes a diffuser.
Well, till next week, I pray that you and your family are blessed with overflowing joy.
To Your Health, Emotions, and Joy!
Elizabeth Rose