Natural stress relief is an increasing part of my practice.
So many people these days are going through long periods of stress. When you have a look at current lifestyles – both people working; dealing with kids; just trying to find a holistic balance in life for yourself and other members of your family… Juggling all the commitments and having to keep up with modern technology and so on, means a lot of people are under almost continuous stress. Eventually it creates health problems, physical, mental, or emotional. Stress is a big issue. And natural stress relief techniques are much kinder on your body than drugs, whether that’s prescription, alcohol or something you buy on the street!
Using Aromatherapy and Essential Oils for Natural Stress Relief
Aromatherapy is a core part of my treatment for stress relief. I have a number of favourite essential oils for handling stress, including:
Lavender is always very, very relaxing.
Bergamot is a very balancing oil which takes away anxiety. It’s particularly good for the kind of anxiety which leads to under or overeating when you’re stressed. It’s a great energy balancer.
Chamomile is also an extremely calming and relaxing oil.
Clary sage is interesting. I’m not so keen on the smell, but I love its properties. It’s the most euphoric of the essential oils – by which I mean it makes you feel a high. It’s a natural way to get high instead of those terrible drugs that some of our youth use these days. (Well, they’ve probably been used for a long time, but they’re definitely used now.)
Clary sage is also an anti-spasmodic. When people are under a lot of stress, they can end up with a lot of very tight, tense muscles and clary sage is extremely good to help along with some remedial massage and/ or acupuncture to release same.
Other oils I often use for stress relief include jasmine, marjoram, neroli, and rose. Exactly which oils to use, and in what quantities, depends on the individual.
Designing a Personalised Stress Relief Treatment Plan
I treat everyone who comes to see me individually. So even if two people come to me for stress relief, I’ll use different essential oils. I like to have a bit of a chat with you beforehand and find out exactly what you’re going through. Then I work out the combination of oils that will best balance out whatever it is you’re experiencing at this particular point in time.
Short-term stress vs long term stress
A short-term event that’s causing you a lot of stress needs different treatment from a long-term draining lifestyle or situation. So in the first case, you might need more relaxing oils.
But if you’re going through a long period of stress, you’ll also need re-energizing oils because you’re burnt out and exhausted. And in this case it’s very good for you to have regular massages as a way of dealing with the stress and recuperating.
The ways different people react to stress
It’s not just about the kind of stress people are going through, short-term or long-term. There’s also a difference in the way that different people react to the same stress.
For example, somebody might get really knotted, tense muscles, whereas somebody else might not be able to sleep. So one would be physically tighter, which the other would just be more tired. Some people hold it all inside and try to carry on regardless, while others let it all out and then everyone else around them is affected. Sometimes, the stressed person may actually feeling okay about it all, but there’s a trail of destruction behind them!
So I explore how you’re reacting to the stress as well as what’s causing the stress. That affects the treatment too.
How should a stress relief treatment be?
Obviously stressed people are often very busy and it’s hard to find the time for treatment.
If really the only time you can spare is a half hour, then a half hour is great because at least you’re doing something and you will get some benefits. (Except it doesn’t allow much time for a good massage if you’re the kind of person who gets knotted muscles.) It can also help if you’re on a tight budget with money – and people who have money problems are often stressed. But sometimes investing in some natural stress relief can give you the strength to tackle the issues causing the stress too!
You also need to consider what works for you. Having two half hour sessions a couple of weeks apart works for some people. For others, a full hour session once a month works better. It’s very individual.
What can I do after treatment or between treatments?
You want the benefit of your treatment to last as long as possible, and there are some ways to help with that. One option I offer is to provide aromatherapy oils and creams which you can use at home.
One lady I saw recently for a shoulder problem, which she’s had for two years. During her treatment she mentioned that she’d also been having some sleep problems. She wanted to know if there were any oils or flower essences which I could make up for her. So I’m made up two preparations for her. An aromatherapy cream for her to massage into the areas where she’s been experiencing tension, then also a special oil for her to use in the bath. It’s a home aromatherapy oil to help her relax and get a good night’s sleep.
Now she just has to find time for a bath before bed!
Actually, so should most of us! Sometimes at the end of the day you just fall into bed and you can’t go off to sleep. It’s much nicer to have a ritual to relax and prepare for bed. Allow yourself an aromatherapy bath – maybe 20 minutes or something of uninterrupted time. Light a few candles. Enjoy a bath with the oils and perhaps some Epsom salts, just so that you can truly just relax and go into having a good night’s sleep.
To find out more about natural stress relief and get a personalised treatment plan, contact me at any time.