Does Lavender Really Help with Anxiety? Natural Ways to Shut Down Racing Thoughts
Many people have chronic stress and anxiety. They face symptoms such as nervousness, agitation, tension, a racing heart, and chest pain. In the United States, more than 18 percent of adults are affected by anxiety disorders each year, whereas in the UK approximately 1 in 4 people will experience anxiety and depression each year.
The emotionally suggestive nature of smells might link to the improvement of mood after aromatherapy from essential oils. This, in turn, may provide some relief in mood disorders, such as depression. Using essential oils to help ease symptoms of depression might work because of their smell.
A sense of smell is one of the five senses and a powerful connector between people and the world around them. People are very sensitive to smell, and researchers believe that an individual can recognize 1 trillion different aromas.
Aromas are highly emotive. Everyone reacts to scents differently - how they respond to a smell depends on what they associate with that smell. For example, they may associate a certain scent with a long-forgotten memory.
Essential oils delivered via inhalation route may exert psychologic effects, because the olfactory bulb has limbic inputs in the amygdala and hippocampus that are associated with emotion and memory. It is hypothesized that smell-triggered emotional memory may be the etiologic root of situational anxiety in some circumstances. This form of emotional memory is exemplified by state anxiety associated with the characteristic smell of the dentist's office, which has been reduced with LEO. Conversely, particular smells may be associated with positive emotions and mood, which is a core tenet of hypothesized benefits in aromatherapy.
What is Lavender Essential Oil?
The lavender essential oil is extracted from the flowers of the lavender plant (Lavandula angustifolia), primarily through steam distillation. Lavender flowers are known for their calming fragrance and have been used for making potpourri for centuries. The Latin name of lavender is Lavare, which means "to wash". This is because lavender flowers and lavender essential oil have been used since ancient times by the Romans, Persians, Greeks, and Egyptians as a bath additive and perfume.
Lavender oil aromatherapy has been shown to be effective in the management of anxiety and depression in small and medium-sized controlled and uncontrolled clinical trials.
The efficacy of aromatherapy of lavender is thought to be due to the psychological effects of the fragrance combined with physiological effects of volatile oils in the limbic system. These calming effects of lavender oil and single constituents may be the origin of the traditional use of lavender. Lavender oil olfaction has been shown to decrease anxiety, as measured by the Hamilton rating scale,51 and can increase mood scores. (Appleton, 2012)
Lavender flower and its extracts have been used, both internally and by olfaction, for centuries as a treatment for anxiety and depression.
One 2016 study showed that inhaled lavender improved the sleep cycle of people at college who experienced sleep disturbances, which can be an effect of depression.
Although anxiety's causes are varied, it often materializes in overthinking and not being able to quiet your mind. One of the best things to try for it? "Just simple inhalations". Sniffing essential oils can help quiet that constant chatter that's in your head, and help you reconnect the mind and body in a healing way.
Using essential oils or aromatherapy is a holistic approach to healing. If you feel like you might be having a panic attack or are just dealing with an anxious moment, smelling certain scents can help slow down that rush you're feeling, explains Galper (she is a certified aromatherapist and founder of the New York Institute of Aromatherapy).
That's because the nerve endings in your nose have a direct impact on the part of your brain called the hypothalamus that manufactures the hormones responsible for emotional reactions. Sniff essential oils to overcome fears, lower your nervous energy and go into a state of calm.
Besides sniffing, applying a few drops of lavender oil to your temples may provide some relief from migraines, headaches, depression, nervous tension, and emotional stress. You can also add a few drops of lavender oil to your bath water to reduce nervous exhaustion and restlessness. This is because terpenoids like linalool and linalyl acetate, present in lavender essential oil, have powerful anxiolytic abilities.
A 2018 research by Western University of Health Sciences, California shows that the oil may be an excellent tonic for anxiety issues. Multiple studies suggest that oral administration of lavender preparations reduces anxiety. Dr. Nicolette Perry from the Medicinal Plant Research Centre, Universities of Newcastle and Northumbria in the UK, in her research paper, verified that aromatherapy helps manage chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia.
Essential oil (EO) of lavender (LEO; Lavandula angustifolia) is purported to be antibacterial, antifungal, anxiolytic, antidepressant, analgesic, carminative (smooth-muscle relaxant), as well as to have beneficial immunomodulatory effects on wound healing. Folkloric claims of benefit in anxiety have been supported recently by clinical data.
As a complementary therapy, essential oils might improve or reduce individual symptoms for some people with depression and improve the effectiveness of other treatments.
While lavender may help soothe anxiety, it should not be used in place of professional health treatment for any type of anxiety disorder. If you're experiencing symptoms of anxiety such as constant worrying, fatigue, insomnia, and rapid heartbeat, make sure to consult your primary care provider first.
With love,
Sophie & Ellie xx
Sources: wellandgood.com; Medicalnewstoday.com, mind.org
Essential oil of lavender in anxiety disorders: Ready for prime time?
Benjamin J. Malcolm, PharmD, MPH and Kimberly Tallian, (2017)
Lavender Oil for Anxiety and Depression, Review of the literature on the safety and efficacy of lavender
Jeremy Appleton, ND (2012) Natural Medicine Journal
Organicfacts.net