What is the best essential oil for anxiety?

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is an emotion characterised by feelings of unease, worry, fear and/or dread. It’s a natural response to stressful situations, such as taking an exam or going to the dentist. Almost every single person in the world will experience it at some point in their lives. In fact, most of us encounter anxiety more often than we would like!

Anxiety can present with a variety of different symptoms. These include physical reactions such as an elevated heart rate, sweating, fatigue, shaking, and shortness of breath. You may also experience psychological responses like difficulty concentrating, irritability, restlessness, and uncontrollable feelings of worry. Trouble sleeping is another common symptom. In extreme cases, anxiety can cause a panic attack.

It’s perfectly normal to be concerned about what’s to come, and in some situations, anxiety can actually help us. It triggers our ‘fight or flight’ response, putting us in a heightened state of alert. This enables you to detect and respond to threats more effectively. Anxiety may even act as a motivator in certain circumstances, boosting our physical and mental performance.(1)

However, when anxiety is constant or disproportionate to the situation, it’s not just unhelpful – it can be debilitating. For some people, it interferes in their daily life and prevents them from doing things they enjoy. It’s at this point that you might begin thinking about coping strategies, such as using an essential oil for anxiety.

Regardless of whether your anxiety is mild or severe, having effective ways to ease it is vital for our wellbeing. Here’s why.

The importance of learning to cope with anxiety healthily

While a little anxiety may be useful, chronic, misplaced, or intense anxiety can damage both our mental and physical health.

For instance, when you’re stressed or anxious, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. Research indicates that long-term exposure to cortisol can impair the immune system and increase the risk of weight gain.(2) Likewise, studies have linked anxiety disorders with a greater risk of high blood pressure, digestive conditions, and heart disease.(3)

When it comes to mental health, anxiety can lead to difficulties at work because it makes it harder to focus. It may also have a detrimental impact on your social life.

People sometimes turn to substances such as alcohol to help them cope with anxiety. However, although this may provide some short-term relief, in the long run it is likely to make the situation worse. Instead, it’s better to build positive lifestyle changes as a healthy way to ease stress.

We’ve detailed a selection of helpful ideas to alleviate feelings of worry at the end of this post. However, first let’s look at using an essential oil for anxiety.

An overview of essential oils

We’ve got a more in-depth article about what essential oils are, but let’s go through a quick refresher for ease. Simply put, they’re highly concentrated extracts that capture the ‘essence’ of a particular plant. That includes its unique flavour and fragrance. You can make them from all different parts of a plant, and use them in a multitude of ways.

Every essential oil has its own potential benefits to offer, depending on the effect they have on our bodies and minds. You can use an essential oil to help you focus. You can use an essential oil to help you feel more refreshed and energised. And you can use an essential oil for anxiety. It’s this final benefit that we’re going to explore in more detail here.

How can essential oils help with anxiety?

So, how does using an essential oil for anxiety work? You probably already know that scent has a potent influence on our brains. Specific smells might trigger a vivid childhood memory, or evoke a certain emotion in you. Interestingly, they can also cause physiological changes in the body.

In terms of easing anxiety, science suggests aromatherapy may assist in several ways. Studies have found that inhaling calming essential oils could lower your blood pressure, slow down your heart rate, and improve the quality of your sleep.(4) They can have a relaxing effect on the nervous system and reduce levels of cortisol in the body. All of which may alleviate feelings of nervousness, worry and dread, enabling you to get on with your day.

It’s also possible to use aromatherapy to help with other issues associated with anxiety. For example, if you suffer from stress-related migraines, you might like to know what essential oil is good for headaches. Research has found that rosemary, peppermint, chamomile, and lavender can all work to ease migraines.(5)

The best part is that using an essential oil for anxiety doesn’t have the same risk of side effects as some pharmaceutical drugs do. Likewise, you don’t need to worry about becoming dependent on them.

Aromatherapy may provide both immediate stress relief and long-term benefits. For instance, inhaling essential oil blends for anxiety and panic attacks could help ease symptoms as you’re experiencing them. Meanwhile, using an essential oil for anxiety as part of your daily routine can reduce your overall stress levels. We’ve got some suggestions for how to do this below, but before that, let’s investigate which fragrance to choose.

Related reading

• 5 best essential oils for sleep
• Essential oils: benefits, uses and side effects

What essential oil is good for anxiety?

Many scents have a calming effect on the mind and body, so there’s no single best essential oil for anxiety. Instead, the right fragrance for you will depend on your personal preferences and how you want to use the oil. So feel free to test out a few different options until you find the perfect match!

To help you narrow it down, here are some of our recommendations. Each one has scientific evidence to back it up. Oh, and they also smell fantastic!

Choosing an essential oil for stress and anxiety: our top suggestions

Start your search for the best essential oil for anxiety with these soothing fragrances:

Lavender

Numerous studies have shown lavender to be an effective essential oil for anxiety.(6) Proven to aid relaxation and sleep, its delicate floral scent helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system and calm you down.

Geranium

This sweet floral fragrance has sedative properties that make it a great essential oil for anxiety. Research suggests it can both lower blood pressure and reduce feelings of stress.(7)

Lemon

The refreshing citrus aroma of lemon essential oil is perfect for lifting your mood. Studies also indicate that lemon can ease anxiety, improve sleep, and lower cortisol levels.(8)

Jasmine

Jasmine’s heady floral scent could be great for calming the nervous system without making you feel sleepy. It can promote feelings of wellbeing and ease symptoms of anxiety.(9)

Bergamot

Another citrusy fragrance, studies show that bergamot can induce positive feelings and boost your mood.(10) This makes it a brilliant choice of essential oil for anxiety and stress relief.

Chamomile

Sweet and floral, chamomile essential oil is another classic option for easing stress. It’s prized for its relaxing and sleep-promoting effects, and studies show it can alleviate symptoms of anxiety.(11)

The best ways to use essential oils for anxiety

One fantastic thing about essential oils is their versatility. Once you’ve chosen an essential oil for anxiety, there are several ways you can use it. As each method has its own advantages, we recommend incorporating more than one into your daily routine. That way, you’ll be able to maximise your results.

Firstly, consider keeping a bottle of essential oil in your bag to help deal with anxiety on the go. No matter where you are, you can inhale a quick burst of relaxing fragrance to soothe your nerves. This is handy for calming yourself down before intimidating situations, like a medical appointment or big presentation at work.

When you’re at home, your options for employing an essential oil for anxiety are far greater. For example, one popular method is to use an oil diffuser. These emit a fragrant mist that infuses the air with your chosen scent. This enables you to enjoy the calming effects regardless of what you’re doing, whether it’s reading, watching television, or cooking.

Speaking of cooking, it’s also possible to use an essential oil for anxiety in the kitchen. Just a couple of drops can give your food and drink a delicious burst of flavour and comforting aroma. Check out our lavender ice cream recipe if you’d like some inspiration!

If you want to evoke some stress-releasing spa vibes, add 5-8 drops of essential oil to a hot bath. This will surround you with a relaxing fragrance as you allow your worries to melt away. Plus, you’ll absorb some of the oil through your skin for extra benefit.

Finally, try sprinkling a few drops of an essential oil for anxiety on your pillow before bed. This is a wonderful way to ease yourself into a deep and peaceful sleep.

How to use essential oils safely

While essential oils are safe to use in the ways described above, there are some precautions to be aware of. This is because they’re so highly concentrated.

Firstly, never apply essential oils directly to your skin without diluting them. This is because in their pure form they can cause skin irritation, such as redness or a burning sensation. The best practice is to mix five drops of your chosen essential oil for anxiety with a carrier or base. We find that almond oil works perfectly. You’re then able to safely massage the resulting blend into your skin.

In a similar vein, some essential oils derived from citrus fruits are phototoxic. This means that they can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. As such, when using these oils topically, you should only apply them at night.

If you’re planning to consume essential oils, make sure that you only use ones that are food grade quality. Likewise, never ingest them neat – you should always mix them into a recipe.

Whichever way you utilise them, it’s important to only purchase from the best essential oil brands. Choose reputable companies selling 100% pure oils, and avoid those with chemical additives. In addition, some people are allergic to essential oils. Therefore, it’s a good idea to do a skin patch test first to ensure they’re safe for you.

Finally, seek medical advice before using essential oils if you’re pregnant, taking medication, or have an existing health condition.

Other effective techniques for dealing with anxiety

Using an essential oil for anxiety can be extremely helpful. However, it’s not a magic bullet that will instantly rid your life of stress and worry. As such, to get the best results, it’s wise to combine aromatherapy with other tactics for easing anxiety. Here are some of the most effective:

• Try breathing exercises and meditation to help you relax, slow your heart rate, and focus on the present moment
• Do gentle exercise such as yoga and tai chi to take your mind off your worries
• Go for a walk in nature to boost your mood, get some fresh air, and expose your body to sunlight
• Write down the things that are worrying you, to get them out of your head. This can be particularly helpful before bed if anxiety makes it difficult for you to get to sleep
• Try to figure out what triggers your feelings of stress and anxiety. Then aim to avoid those things, people, and places if possible
• Consider speaking to a therapist or other mental health professional if anxiety is having a negative impact on your life
• Spend time with friends and family. Strong social connections can help to reduce feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression
• Make sleep a priority. Being well-rested enables our mind and body to deal with stress more successfully
• Eat a healthy diet – our physical wellbeing has a direct influence on our mental wellbeing

It’s not always easy to deal with stress and worry. However, finding an effective essential oil for anxiety can be a brilliant step in the right direction. When you use it in tandem with other methods, you should hopefully see your symptoms improve.

Related reading

• What are the benefits of lavender essential oil?
• Ashwagandha benefits and uses