How Do I Eliminate Stress with Aromatherapy?

updated 06/27/2008

What is Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy uses essential plant oils to improve your well-being. oils are used to address physical and psychological issues. Aromatherapy as a practice is thousands of years old. Ancient Egyptians employed the use of essential oils and other plant substances for massages, bathing and healing. One of the major uses of aromatherapy in the US is for stress management. Today's innovations include delivery mechanisms and synthetics.

Some of the methods of aromatherapy application are aerial diffusion, topical and inhalation. It's even been taken vaginally, rectally and orally for things like congestion, anointments, and infection. Many practitioners use only natural essential oils since synthetics don't provide the same benefit as do the natural oils. You have to guard against the synthetic substances to protect your body. Be sure to read your labels to make certain that they contain organic, all-natural essential oils.

• The "Aromatherapy" label is not regulated, which means that an unscrupulous seller could list it even if it weren't appropriate. The labels "Made with Natural Oils" could be put on a product that had minimal natural oils and combined with other non-organic substances.
• There are oils that should be avoided. Like anything, you have to do the research to know what you should use.

Aromatherapy is very popular today as a treatment for stress relief. It offers a natural, organic alternative to pharmaceutical substances. One primary application method is inhalation. The way it works is by introducing scents to the brain. It capitalized on the human reaction to aromas.

Another method of stress management, massage, uses essential oils, thereby incorporating touch and the physical manipulation of joints and muscles, to relieve tension and stress. The sensation of touch and the soothing aromas come together to release tension and stress.

Did You Know? Hippocrates used aromatherapy baths and scented massages. To end the plague of Athens, the father of modern medicine fumigated the city with aromatic substances. Aromatherapy was an accidental discovery. René-Maurice Gattefossé, a chemist in 1920s France, accidentally set his arm on fire in his laboratory. The nearest cold liquid he could locate was lavender oil, probably because it was a perfume laboratory. He noticed that the burn healed quickly and left no scarring. From that point on he researched essential oils and how they heal.

Aromatherapy is being studied and it's gaining in popularity as a method of stress relief because it has demonstrated its effectiveness in many applications. The scientific research being done, so far, reports positive results. In France, it's already part of their mainstream medicine. And that's appropriate since France is credited with being the birthplace of "aromatherapy."

The Stress of Daily Life

Both good stress and bad stress are parts of daily life. Many people consider all stress to be a natural part of life that should be accepted. But that's not the case. There are many things you can do to both reduce stress, and to eliminate health problems related to stress. Aromatherapy is one effective way to fight stress. You know, if you don't take action, the circumstance that brought you stress will take its toll.

For example, in 1995, insomnia (one of the side effects of stress) cost the United States $13.9 Billion in lost productivity. Imagine the impact on productivity if some of these sufferers had taken action. You can employ soothing essential oils to get the rest they needed for optimal performance. It's a wonder more people aren't using them.

The Dangers of Unmanaged Stress

How we set up our stress management system is an individual thing and there are many options to choose from. First don't think you have to accept stress because you don't have to. Stress can have a very damaging impact on your life. From health and mental issues and illnesses to loss of employment and family; it's not worth ignoring it.

• Stress can affect your blood sugar levels, especially in people with diabetes.
• Many people who do not properly manage their stress experience weight gain.
• Premature aging is another possible danger of not properly managing your stress levels.
• General pain throughout the body can be a side effect of unmanaged stress.
• Depression and general anxiety are common in people with poorly managed stress.

The dangers of stress cannot be overstated. Aromatherapy can be a pleasant, easy stress management tool to combat stress. The various essential oils used in aromatherapy for stress management are selected to alleviate your particular health concerns. The essential oils, geranium, can ease the symptoms of pre menstrual syndrome. And, sandalwood is considered an outstanding aphrodisiac. You can choose what you want to address and purchase a scent to work it out.

Doctor's Note: According to Dr. Group, some of the essential oils with stress relieving properties include geranium, peppermint, lavender, jasmine, chamomile and lemongrass.

Add aromatherapy to your arsenal as you fight against stress. The benefits can be quite effective, and the ease of use makes it a great choice.

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