Did you know that you can use aromatherapy as part of your coping strategies for stress? Whilst some are sceptical about the power of alternative therapies to help and heal, aromatherapy has been shown in studies to help fight stress. Read on to find out how you can use aromatherapy to calm and relieve your stress and its symptoms.

Aromatherapy is a method of using scents or aromas, generally produced from plant essential oils, to create balance and healing in the body and mind. Think for a moment about the power of smell. Have you ever been overtaken by a scent that took you straight back to a past memory or reminded you of a person who is long since out of your life? Our sense of smell is very powerful and can produce impressive effects in the body and mind.

Aromatherapy works by stimulating our sense of smell, through the olfactory nerves in our nose. This affects our limbic system which is the part of the brain which regulates our moods, emotions and behaviour. This part of our brain also exerts control over our hormones and stress levels. It is thought to have evolved to manage our fight or flight response, an essential part of our reaction to stress.

It is therefore not surprising that scents can have a powerful effect on state of mind and emotions and, therefore, that certain essential oils should be effective in treating certain states of mind, such as stress. The main method of aromatherapy treatment is by inhalation which invokes the response in the brain specified above. And if our mind is responsible for producing the symptoms of stress in the body, then improving our state of mind can only help our stress symptoms. Studies have shown inhalation of essential oils to reduce blood pressure, pulse rate, subjective stress, anxiety and cortisol levels (the "stress hormone").[1][2]

Research has shown that our brainwaves are affected by aromatherapy. The frequency of our brainwaves corresponds to our state of activity or relaxation. For example, a brain actively engaged in mental activities would be generating beta brainwaves, whereas alpha brainwaves would indicate a more relaxed state of mind. John Steele and Robert Tisserand showed that when calming oils are inhaled, they alter our brainwaves to a pattern of calmness[3]. Lavender has been found to produce the effect of alpha brainwaves. To relieve stress we would want to relax and it is no coincidence that Lavender is one of the most cited essential oils for stress relief.

Another method of applying aromatherapy is through topical application, directly onto the skin. The oils are absorbed into the body through the skin and there is evidence that the chemical compounds contained within have antibacterial and antioxidant properties and a beneficial effect on various tissues.

So, how can we best use aromatherapy to reduce our stress levels? Well, anything that is scented with an aroma that is known to help relax the mind should be able to help, although to a degree, the scents that relax us can be subjective. However, some of the fragrances which are most soothing for stress relief are lavender, camomile, sandalwood and ylang-ylang.

Adding aromatherapy oils to our bath can increase the relaxation benefits that we gain due to inhalation of the oils. Oils can also be inhaled via oil burners, on a tissue or using incense. You can also find candles, room fragrances and pillow sprays especially sold as stress relief products. And there are even scented "stress relief wraps" to apply, hot or cold, as compresses to stressed, tired muscles and joints.

Another fantastic way of relieving stress with aromatherapy is using massage. Professional massages will generally involve the use of aromatherapy oils, tailored to any symptoms from which you are suffering. You can also "do it yourself". There are ready mixed stress relief massage oils available or you can mix your own by following a formula which you find in a book or on the internet.

So, now that you know that aromatherapy has been shown to relieve symptoms of stress and help sufferers, why not try it in your own campaign to fight stress. Make it a part of your regular stress coping strategies and see how much it can help you.

References - 1. The effects of the inhalation method using essential oils on blood pressure and stress responses of clients with essential hypertension, Hwang JH, Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi. 2006 Dec;36(7):1123-34. - 2. Smelling lavender and rosemary increases free radical scavenging activity and decreases cortisol level in saliva, Atsumi T, Tonosaki K, Psychiatry Res. 2007 Feb 28;150(1):89-96. Epub 2007 Feb 7. 3. John Steele (aromatic consultant) from Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steele_%28aromatic_consultant%29