First, let me say that clinical depression is potentially serious condition that requires professional intervention. However, most of us who don’t suffer from this disorder do have times when sadness or anxiety hits. We may have trouble sleeping. Or, we may dread facing a day we know is going to be filled with stress. Or, we may have trouble unwinding after an extremely busy day. We may just feel a little down in the dumps.
Sometimes, we hear deeply disappointing news. This knocks us for a loop. Turning on the television, it’s hard to not become worried about what’s happening in the world. We’re living in very trying times.
Lately, I’ve joined the growing number of people who fight negatively naturally, with essential oils. We these highly concentrated plant extracts to combat frazzled nerves, and lift our mood. Aromatherapy does seed to take the edge off, as many of who use them for that reason can attest.
Natural Remedies for Mood Swings
(This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything, I receive a referral fee at no extra cost to you.)
Here are a list of specific oils and aromatic blends often recommended for stress reduction. Aromatherapy has a long history of use. So these are time-tested remedies. by aromatherapists who specialize in treating various physical and emotional conditions with these all-natural plant-based remedies.
Please understand that I’m not a doctor, or a professional aromatherapist. So I can’t give medical advice or make claims that a single essential oil or aromatic blend will make you happier. I am simply sharing my personal experience of how essential oils help me, as well as information on their historical use.
Essential Oils For Happiness
I use essential oils every single day. As I look back upon my life, I wonder how I lived without them for so long. At one time, I had major trouble sleeping. It was dreadful. Just the thought of not getting enough sleep was enough to keep me awake. I’d lie in bed and worry about all the things I had to do the next day. Where would I find the energy, if I couldn’t get to sleep?
Fortunately, essential oils have helped stop that vicious cycle. Every night, before going to bed, I place a drop or two of essential oils (either a single or a blend) on a tissue. Then, I put this tissue by my pillow. If the scent is too strong, I move it farther from my head. I inhale a soothing aroma as I drift off to sleep. If I’m worried about something, I focus on the lovely smell, instead of the problem.
Mood Lifting Essential Oils
Clary sage oil may not be the first one that comes to mind when people think of mood lifting essential oils. But it’s one of my favorites. This aromatic helps me with everything from sleep to eye strain. (For the latter problem, I dilute it in a carrier oil and put it around (not near) my eyes. It comes from the Salvia sclarea plant, which has a long history as an eye remedy. It’s nicknames are “eye bright” and “clear eye.”
For me, clary sage essential oil is a good sleep remedy. (If I get a good night’s sleep, I’m automatically happier.) I don’t use clary sage continuously. But I often use it for two to three nights in a row, before switching to something else. My essential oils work best when I rotate them. Clary sage has a unique smell that some describe as “woodsy,” or “wine-like.” It seems to have natural sedative properties, much like lavender essential oil. This is why it’s often recommended for people suffering from insomnia.
If you don’t already own clary sage essential oil, Plant Therapy is a brand I trust and use myself. (It’s an excellent alternative to the MLM networks.) For me, geranium essential oil has similar effects to clary sage. I like to use both of them, at different times.
Plant Therapy Clary Sage
Plant Therapy Geranium Oil
Mood Lifting Essential Oils
Citrus oils are among the most popular choices for naturally lifting the mood. That’s why nearly every major essential oil company sells special citrus blends, or blues busting blends made with citrus oils.
Citrus blends are cheery and uplifting. I like to have one or more citrus-based blends in the house, at any given time. I use them during the day, as well as at night. They appear to have both energizing and relaxing properties, depending upon when you use them.
Below is Plant Therapy’s Citrus Burst, which contains six different essential oils. Plant Therapy also makes a special Blues Buster blend, which you can see on the right. Citrus oils are among the most affordable, and versatile types of essential oils. You can use them for so many things. They smell great in an essential oil diffuser, something I like to run just before company arrives, so my house smells nice.
Plant Therapy Citrus BurstPlant Therapy Blues Buster
Natural Remedies for Mood Swings
Before I knew much about essential oils, I didn’t know how to use them. I thought you either sniffed them straight from the bottle, or put them directly on your skin. However, these are not the best ways to use aromatic oils.
For one, essential oils are very strong. So you need to dilute them in a carrier oil before putting them on your skin. This protects your skin. (Even though essential oils are safe, when used properly, they’re really potent. So you need an oily buffer for your skin.) Also, carrier oils help to “carry” the healing compounds into your body.
Another good way to use essential oils is to put them in a cold air diffuser. I love my diffuser, and I run it often. Aromatherapists believe that inhalation is one of the most efficient ways to get aromatic compounds into your bloodstreams, via your lungs. Essential oil molecules are tiny. So they have easy access to your body. If you don’t own a diffuser, you can either find one at your local health food store or online.
Cold Air Essential Oil Diffuser
Which Essential Oils Lift the Mood
It’s difficult for me to say definitely that certain essential oils can beat the blues. That’s because not a lot of research has been done. The scientific gold standard for proof is a double-blind controlled study. But most studies are funded by the pharmaceutical industry. There’s relatively little incentive to study essential oils. These are natural substances. So they can’t be patented.
There’s a little bit of research into some of the oils. One is lavender oil. I mention lavender as a mood enhancing remedy in a post I wrote earlier. This aromatic, apparently, can help you relax, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center website. This site also noted that having a massage with lavender essential oil can result in a “more stable mood.” Research into essential oils is in its infancy. But other findings noted that inhaling certain essential oils resulted in less stress for patients about to undergo an unpleasant medical procedure.
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. People with health concerns should discuss them with a doctor. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils, unless under the direction of a health care professional.
