May is Mental Health Awareness Month - let's have a check-in...

Mindfulness| Natural Remedies & Nutritional Supplements| Essential Oils

November 13, 2024•9 min read

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and I don't think it could come at a better time.

After 8 weeks or so of #SIP, many of us are literally losing our minds. Have you found yourself prisoner to thoughts that just come upon you out of nowhere? Thoughts that can be filled with anger, resentment, frustration, or despair?

Or maybe your mind is simply wandering these days. Your body is restricted to your home but your mind has found sneaky ways of escaping only to be jarred suddenly back to your physical body because a child is tugging at your shirt or your Zoom conference call just asked you what your opinion was on a work issue that you were totally not paying attention to.

Or sadly, as many have been sharing with me, this month has been a huge struggle for them with so many low points and feeling depressed. The current situation feels oppressive to their ability to find joy and comfort from their social network. Gone are the days we can get hugs from a bestie or even get close enough to see someone's eyes wrinkle as they smile and radiate happiness. Those little touch points kept many of us grounded and filled our cups.

Perhaps we will find our way back to these kinds of exchanges, where you could easily share or receive the gift of physical touch or close intimate conversations with your closest girlfriends. But until that day comes, what are we to do?

For some, this way of living has many silver linings that fill our cup and keep us going steady. For others, we find ourselves yearning for connection with others, struggling to find a quiet moment for our introverted self to recharge, or battling feelings that before had been calmed by our comforting blanket of social touches but now these feelings are raging loudly without a helping hand to caress them back from the precipice, where we fight to keep our feet balanced and not plummet into despair.

Where do you find your mental health lies? Are you doing ok? It's ok if you are not...let's talk.

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Tools to use to support your mental health

There are many ways to support your mental health and I will share some, but keep in mind that I am NOT a doctor and this is not medical advice. Do your own research and consult the appropriate professionals before making decisions regarding choices with your health care.

Sunshine and Outdoors

The benefits have long been touted of daily outdoor exposure to sunshine in moderate amounts.

"But won't I get skin cancer from the sun?!?!"

Moderate amounts of sun exposure are actually good for you! Depending on your skin tone and type, 10-20 minutes each day of direct sun exposure can actually help your body make Vitamin D, which is critical for many aspects of health.

Studies also show that simply being outside has long list of benefits to our mental health.

I like to Move it Move it

I can't get that image from Madagascar out of my head (thanks kids) but it actually gets me in the mood to move my body so...let's go with it.

Did you know that moving your body can reduce anxiety and depression (amongst a plethora of other benefits)?

Physical exercise produces an anti-anxiety effect in the brain. Both aerobic and mindful movement, like yoga, help to activate and replenish GABA, a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in the body’s response to stress. Regular exercise both decreases and prevents depression—helping the body and brain to relax and de-stress.
Dr. Ellie Cobb

Even getting as little as 15-20 minutes of movement can improve your mental health.

Natural Remedies

Given that it is Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted to suggest various tools that can help support someone's mood and emotional health.

So let's move beyond movement and dive deep into what Mother Nature has gifted us to help with most of our ailments. Let's talk about the power of plants.

Are plants really that powerful?

When I first started learning about essential oils, I thought, 'well they sure smell good but how can inhaling a scent actually be therapeutic?'

Can you think of other examples of inhaling chemical compounds and receiving a therapeutic response? What about when someone is put under anesthesia for surgery? The patient isn't usually given a pill or a shot, no, they breathe in chemical compounds through a mask and is out in less than 10 seconds. That is how powerful the brain responds to the right messages through our olfactory nerve.

An aroma is inhaled and travels to the olfactory system, which is responsible for controlling our sense of smell. The olfactory system is connected to the limbic system, where our memories and emotions live. The limbic system then produces a response. Find the right oils, and you can get powerful responses.

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10 best essential oils for emotional & mental health

Uplifting Oils

Wild Orange: The energizing, revitalizing aroma of Wild Orange essential oil can provide energy on a stress-filled day. Wild Orange has a refreshing scent that helps to inspire feelings of energy, spontaneity, joy, and abundance. The next time you need to cheer yourself up, allow the bright aroma of Wild Orange to act as a pick-me-up during your day.

Citrus Bliss: This blend brings together seven citrus oils to help promote a positive attitude and create a blissful environment. By combining the uplifting fragrances of Wild Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Mandarin, Bergamot, Tangerine, and Clementine, Citrus Bliss helps to uplift mood and promote a cheerful attitude.

doTERRA Cheer: As part of the doTERRA Emotional Aromatherapy System®, The doTERRA Cheer Uplifting Blend helps to promote feelings of optimism. When you are experiencing negative emotions that make you feel down, blue, or low, the fresh aroma of doTERRA Cheer will help to promote feelings of cheerfulness and happiness.

Elevation: As the name suggests, Elevation is an invigorating essential oil blend that is designed to elevate mood. With a unique blend of essential oils like Tangerine, Ylang Ylang, Lavender and more, Elevation helps to promote feelings of confidence and self-worth, while lessening feelings of stress.

doTERRA Motivate: A perfect blend of citrus and mint oils like Peppermint, Clementine, Basil, Melissa, and more, doTERRA Motivate Encouraging Blend promotes feelings of confidence, courage, and belief. This is a powerful oil for counteracting negative emotions of doubt, pessimism, and cynicism—helping you to remain motivated and excited about life.

Calming Oils

Melissa: With a fresh, citrus-like aroma, Melissa oil is useful for calming tension and nerves, promoting feelings of relaxation, and uplifting mood. The next time you want to refresh your thoughts or calm feelings of nervousness, reach for a bottle of Melissa.*

Lavender: Renowned for its calming and relaxing properties, many people use Lavender oil for emotional health because it promotes soothing feelings of calm and self-awareness, while easing feelings of tension. Some studies suggest that the chemical properties of Lavender may make it useful for reducing sad feelings.

doTERRA Peace: Another favorite oil from the doTERRA Emotional Aromatherapy System, doTERRA Peace is a beautiful blend of calming essential oils like Vetiver, Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Frankincense, and Clary Sage. doTERRA Peace Reassuring Blend promotes feelings of reassurance and contentment while counteracting anxious and fearful emotions.

doTERRA Balance: This grounding blend provides whole-body relaxation while promoting feelings of balance and tranquility. doTERRA Balance is a go-to oil for those who want to lessen stress, ease anxious feelings, and create a calm environment.

PastTense: When it comes to calming emotions, the mint and herbal tones of PastTense Tension Blend work to provide grounding and balanced emotions. Past Tense helps to reduce stress and anxious feelings, as it uses essential oils that are known for their soothing effects on both the mind and body.

How to use these essential oils

When you find the oil you want to use, try any of these application methods:

Massage onto the base of the skull and neck with a carrier oil
Rub on the inside of the elbow or bottoms of the feet with a small amount of carrier oil
Use an essential oil diffuser (I like these)
Apply a drop to the palms, rub hands together, and inhale, do a deep breathing or meditation exercise if you have a few minutes
Rub into the wrists and carry the aroma with you all-day (or wear a diffuser bracelet to carry the oils with you in style!)

Find what works for you

Essential oils work differently for everyone. Because each oil has such a complex chemical makeup, and because aromas interact with the part of our brain that stores our personal memories and experiences, no two people will experience one essential oil in the same exact way. If a recommended oil doesn't work for you as suggested, try another in the same category.

Explore and Discover. You know that Wine Tasting party game where you cover the wine bottles with paper and try to guess which wine is which? Well, I suggest you try a similar method with oils - only don't drink them! Cover the labels or better yet, close your eyes and try smelling a few oils to see which ones you really like. By taking in the aroma of the oil, it is easier to discover what really helps you.

Incorporate oils into your personal routine. Oils that sit on a shelf looking pretty help NO ONE. You actually have to use them with consistency to experience the benefits. Essential oils can be used during yoga, as part of your skincare routine, diffused in the car, and nearly any other part of your day you can think of.

Be consistent. Rather than using essential oils sporadically when you want to alter your mood, try using small amounts on a more regular basis. Some people complain that they don’t experience the benefits of essential oils for emotional health, but a one-time application isn’t always a guarantee of a mood change.

Practice other healthy habits. As mentioned, essential oils are just one resource for promoting good emotional health. By adopting other healthy habits in conjunction with essential oil use, you can help to promote better emotional health overall. Things like quality sleep, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and getting time outside in the sun are an important part of feeling emotionally healthy.

Seek extra help. When your quest for an emotionally-balanced life becomes overwhelming, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Reaching out to friends and family and seeking professional help can provide you with extra help on your journey to good emotional health.

XOXO,