5 Essential Oils for Healing Everyday Stresses

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Whether you are a teen, a college student, parent, adult professional, grandparent and even a young child, life is far more stressful than it was 30, 20... even just 10 years ago. With all the technology available and the various means of communication to choose from--you can get the feeling like you can't keep up with school, social life, family, work... because there's always something else needs to be done. And, of course, that something needs to be done as soon as possible!

Therapeutic-grade essential oils can help manage that busyness and stress in many different ways. I'll tell you a little story that illustrates that point. The other day I was emailing back and forth with a good friend of mine about our work. As I was reading and responding to his emails, I thought I detected a tone that indicated he was stressed out. So, I sent an email asking him if everything was okay and that I thought he sounded stressed. His reply to me, using his exact words were, "it's impossible to be stressed out when you have essential oils." So, as it turned out, what I thought was stress coming from him was in fact, a feeling of being driven and motivated to get our work done.

Essential oils are amazing for soothing the emotions of anger, frustration, confusion, feelings of being overwhelmed, fatigue from too much stimulation from technology, work and multi-tasking, sadness, depression, procrastination. The list goes on.

Essentilal oils help in a multitude of ways, but one big way is helping you to stay or get into a positive and peaceful state of mind where you can prioritize and determine what to let go of "because it's just not that important" to helping you get focused on what is important in your life.

Here are my top five picks for :

1) LAVENDER: One of the most versatile essential oils I've ever used and worked with.

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It helps soothe feelings of stress and frustration for sure, as it helps to calm the nervous system and the brain. It is excellent for calming the mind for sleep at bedtime too; thereby preventing insomnia caused by a mind that can't seem to turn off. On a physical level, lavender is excellent for the skin, healing all sorts of skin conditions from minor burns and cuts, to eczema, allergic reactions like hives. For skin conditions, I mix with a pure, organic lotion or, for more deep healing, coconut oil. For minor cuts, I use a natural ointment where I add a drop of lavender essential oil. On a spiritual level, lavender is excellent for working with the fifth chakra -- the area that addresses our verbal expressions and the ways in which we communicate.

Application: You can apply lavender to the temples, the base of your skull, your crown, the bottoms of your feet, and most importantly put a drop on the palm of your hands and inhale deeply several times.

2) LEMON: Is an excellent oil for focus and communication. Using a diffuser (that doesn't heat up the oil), in a study room or when you are doing homework, will a

Application: You can always apply lemon on the palms of your hands and the bottoms of your feet. A small warning: all citrus oils are "photosensitive." If you apply directly to any skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight, your skin may react by getting splotchy. If you do apply to your skin, just keep that part of your body away from the sun for up to 72 hours.

3) BASIL: This oil is very good for overcoming feelings of being overwhelmed, frustrated, and stressed. It helps to clear away the fatigue that builds up from those types of emotions leaving you feeling refreshed and clear. It smells sweet and herbal and it really helps you handle multitasking and busyness with grace; thus making you become a person who is calm under pressure. On a physical level, it's a natural muscle-relaxant making it great for soothing muscles and joints after excessive sports or other physical activity.

Application: Dilute with a pure, organic lotion or coconut oil, and apply to temples, behind the ears, and back of the neck. Apply undiluted to soles of the feet and palms of the hands for inhaling. If you have a diffuser, diffuse away. Before you leave the house for the day, apply a few drops of basil oil to a clean cloth and put in a plastic bag. You can take out periodically to inhale for keeping you feeling calm and refreshed.

4) ORANGE: Lifts the spirits and can create a feeling of joy. It's naturally clean and refreshing smell has amazing benefits to your overall well-being. When you have a feeling of joy and happiness, it opens you up to your creativity and you attract abundance too. It's great to use when doing creative projects or creative thinking.

Application: It's an excellent oil to diffuse and use similarly to lemon. It is also another citrus oil, so the same warnings apply as with lemon. (refer to lemon application for reminder). Carry a bottle in your purse or backpack -- you can put a drop in your drinking water to refresh and change your plain water without having to spend extra money for a "flavored" water. As with all oils, you can apply to palms of the hand for inhalation, and on the soles of the feet for overall well-being.

5) CEDARWOOD: Of all the essential oils, Cedarwood is the most calming oil of all essential oils. Cedarwood helps with focus and concentration.

Application: Cedarwood is very mild. You can apply to the base of your spine, your temples, your wrists and of course for inhaling. At bedtime, massage cedarwood with a little olive or coconut oil, or a pure lotion. Give yourself a foot massage before going to sleep.

These five oils can be used in combination with one another. For example, lemon and basil go very well together and diffused, smell amazing -- creating a feeling or renewal and focus. You can combine cedarwood with lavender for relaxation, destressing and for sleep. Orange and lemon diffuse beautifully cleaning the air and lifting the spirits and level of creativity.

A brief note about the brands of essential oils: It's important to know that not all essential oils are created equal. For full healing benefits, you must use therapeutic-grade essential oils. My personal preference has always been the oils produced by Young Living. I used them professionally as they were the ones I trusted to facilitate the healing of the people who came to see me. The healing benefits of the five oils I've included in this article are happen when you use this level of quality of essential oils.

Experiment with them on your own. Enjoy their aroma, feel physically and mentally their healing and experience the uplifting feelings in your emotions and overall well-being. You'll find yourself smiling more, able to take your daily challenges with amazing grace.