Essential oils have always been a really important part of my life when it comes to helping with a racing mind and anxiety. I'm a busy brain kind of person: I love creative thinking and learning, meeting new people, exploring new ideas. Sometimes though I don't see the crash before the fall. I throw myself into things and then jump from feeling overexcited to overwhelmed. It's not the easiest brain to inhabit, but I wouldn't have it any other way and throughout my life essential oils have been an amazing ally to keep me steady when I realise that the whirling excited, creative brain has become a little too giddy and needs a good dose of calming down before I swing into full-on anxiety and overwhelm.
Many essential oils have been shown to calm down heightened emotions. They've anecdotally and scientifically in varous studies been shown to calm the nervous system, sending signals from the olfactory bulb to the amygdalla (the primitive fight or flight part of your brain) that all is well. While there are many many oils that work for general stress and anxeity, I particuarly like the oils listed below for their 'body' rather than 'mind' qualities. The last thing you need when you're all in your head, is a an oil that is very ethereal. These oils are the exact opposite of that. They're punchy and raw, very much linked to the body and therefore really good when a racing mind needs to be ignored and a focus on breath, the body, and the earth need to be enhanced.
You can use any of these oils individually for calming and grounding (add a couple of drops to a tissue and inhale) but the synergy of their powerful, earthy and potent combination works incredibly well together which i why I combined them into my Tranquility blend.
- Patchouli - this sweet, dark amber coloured, viscous essential oil is strongly rich with an earthy odour. It helps balance the connection between body and mind and is very much a 'body' oil in terms of it's personality. It soothes nervous exhaustion and emotional stress.
- Ginger - extracted from the earth, this spicy root oil is another that is great for grounding. Warming and good for the digestive system, this oil is also very much about the 'body' rather than the 'mind' and I love using when i'm too much 'in my head'
- Petitgrain - extracted from the leaves of the bitter orange tree, the oil helps to soothe overwrought emotions. It is a partner oil to Neroli, extracted from the same plant but whereas Neroli is extracted from the airy, feminine flowers and is good for generic low mood and stress, this oil is extracted from the much more solid and grounded leaves and twigs and therefore I prefer it when a busy overactive brain is the main problem
- Cedarwood - one of my all time favourite oils, this oil has a strong and dependable presence and gets used a lot in my life when I'm feeling a bit off kilter emotionally or when I need grounding and steadying. It's like a practical, reliable best mate who'll always give you the best advice without holding back on the bullshit. Just love it!
The Tranquility blend that I formulated nearly a decade ago now was created with racing thoughts in mind and contains a potent blend of the above essential oils. You can find the full range of products here:
www.bloomremedies.co.uk/collections/tranquility
Hope you've found the above interesting, as always ping me an email on marie@bloomremedies.co.uk if you have any questions!