Depression, Anxiety, Grief, Anger, Rage, & How to Use Essential Oils

Depression, Anxiety, Grief, Anger, Rage, & How to Use Essential Oils

There has been a lot of discussion lately about emotional disorders like depression and anxiety. Talking about this difficult topic is an enormous step forward on the road to supporting those who suffer. One question I am often asked is: Which natural remedies work for depression and anxiety? And this is often followed-up with something like: Can essential oils REALLY help?

With a recent study showing a link between anti-anxiety medications and dementia[1], there is more reason than ever to choose essential oils instead of pharmaceuticals. I know it’s hard to imagine that inhaling a “nice aroma” could alter your body’s chemistry and imbalances that lead to mood disorders, but here are three essential oils that research has shown can help ease depression and anxiety.
One essential oil that stands out for depression is bergamot. Many citruses are acknowledged for their uplifting effects, but bergamot is particularly powerful.


What about anxiety? Another study conducted in Taiwan in 2011 provided clearer and more powerful evidence. The authors selected elementary school teachers, who are known to constantly work under significant stress, and used an inhalation of bergamot essential oil as the method of administration; they focused on the physiological stress signals that are easy to record and straightforward to interpret. They found that even a 10-minute-long weekly inhalation of aromatherapy resulted in a significant reduction of blood pressure and heart rate, and drove autonomic nervous activity toward a balanced state.


Anti-Stress Blend

Lavender: 5 drops
Ylang ylang: 3 drops
Bergamot: 2 drops

Blend the oils and add 3 drops to a full bath or use a foot or hand bath once daily. Adding this formula to liquid soap and using it daily in the shower is an effective alternative, too.

Clary Sage is Your Essential Oil Elevator!

Use Clary Sage every time you are feeling depressed. It is a hormone regulator and it lifts you one level from depression when you inhale it. It can help you feel lighter, less depressed, and less sad. A great anti-depressant! 

While essential oils are wonderful aids for wellness, depression and anxiety are serious mood disorders. You do not have to face this struggle alone.
If you find yourself experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, please seek the attention of a trusted physician, naturopath, or mental health provider, who may in fact suggest an aromatherapy regime.

Why Does Gratitude Help with Depression?

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude. - Ralph Waldo Emerson 

It’s holiday time. Tomorrow many of us will gather with friends and family. Where gratitude and thankfulness fill our hearts.

Stopping to give seasonal thanks is a wonderful thing, but what’s even better is practicing gratitude year round. In fact, studies show that consistent positive interactions, particularly ones that involve gratitude, increase happiness and decrease depression.

So, what are the gratitude techniques research says help alleviate depression? 

Here are 7 that can help you all year!

1) Gratitude visit – Deliver a letter of gratitude in writing or email to a person you are grateful to, but have not thanked appropriately.

2) Three good things - Write down three things that had gone well for you this week and an explanation why those things happened. 

3) Using signature strengths in a new way – Use one of your best strengths in a new way every week. 

4) Three funny things - Write down three funny things you experienced or did this week - and an explanation why those things happened. 

5) Counting kindness - Count and report the acts of kindness you offer every day. Or the ones you receive every day. 

6) Gift of time - Offer at least three ‘‘gifts of time’’ by contacting/meeting three persons about whom you care about each week. 

7) One door closes, another door opens - Write about a moment in your life this week when a negative event led to unforeseen positive consequences. 

So, why do these gratitude experiences boost happiness and alleviate depression? The insight and reflection of counting these moments is what makes the practice of gratitude so powerful. But the key to combating depression is making these positive experiences part of the fabric of your life.

You don’t have to do all of these techniques. Do some. Or one. Just get out there and be grateful.

Click here to see the essential oils that can help battle depression.