The daily demands and pressures of life can be quite distressing and in particular those demands that are work-related. Work-related stress is a fact of life with which most individuals deal. Work-related stress not only negatively impacts work performance, but it can also adversely affect personal relationships as well. Stress from work can lead to fatigue, aching muscles, headaches, stomach problems, and emotional difficulties such as anxiety or depression. When you need to relieve work-related stress, you may want to consider using lavender oil.
Using natural ingredients to combat the ill-effects of stress is both safe and effective. Treating stress with chemicals, such as those found in anti-depressants and over-the-counter medications, can be counterproductive to one’s overall health. Since many medications carry with them warnings of dangerous side effects, it seems only rational to opt for natural alternatives instead. Reducing work-related stress naturally can be better for physical, mental, and emotional health.
There are many ways in which lavender oil can be used to reduce work-related stress. The fragrant, calming vapors of this oil can be inhaled directly or the oil can be added to a hot bath. Most people can apply lavender oil directly on the skin without a carrier oil, but you may find after a patch test that you prefer to dilute the lavender oil with some jojoba or another base oil. The oil from the lavender plant (Lavandula angustifolia) produces a calm, soothing, and sedative effect that can restore balance to the nervous system thereby promoting relaxation and uplifting one’s mood.
It’s not always practical to use a diffuser at work because everyone else may not want to smell lavender, and it can be overly relaxing for some people… which is not usually something everyone else in the office wants or needs. The easiest way to take full advantage of the benefits of lavender oil is to simply keep the bottle on hand, either in a purse or in your pocket, and simply breathe in deep inhalations of the scent from the open bottle. Alternatively, you can put a couple of drops of the pure oil on a tissue and then breathe in the aromatherapy from the tissue. This is generally a milder option and sometimes subtlety is the better method when it comes to full strength essential oils.
Remember that pure essential oils are very concentrated therapeutic substances, but they are not to be over used. Moderation is always the best practice with natural healing substances.
Michael D. Thompson, an organic perfumer and accredited Master Herbalist, is the founder and director of Florapathics, LLC which manufactures all-natural, organically-derived personal care products that are infused with pure essential oils for aromatherapy.