Uplifting and energizing essential oils are by far the best natural mood boosters to make you instantly feel good and happy…
Feeling out of sorts? Try this little trick to quickly lift your mood. Grate a little lemon rind, take a few deep breaths, and you’ll instantly feel refreshed, energetic and happy. You’ve just experienced the power of a ‘feel good’ scent of an uplifting and energizing essential oil – to boost your mood quickly and naturally.
Much as we would like to be happy all the time, a bad mood can often strike without warning. A mix of emotions that can be triggered by anger, frustration, irritation or sadness that we struggle to shrug off. You could even be grumpy because you didn’t sleep well.
Essential oils can change all that. These powerful, potent elixirs have natural mood enhancing scents that can shift emotions, ease anxiety, refresh the mind, make you feel happy, and totally boost your mood in a matter of minutes – no matter how bad you feel…
HOW ESSENTIAL OILS BOOST YOUR MOOD
According to Dr. Alan R. Hirsch of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, ‘The quickest way to change a mood state - quicker than with any other sensual modality - is with smell.’
Who knew it could be so easy? And why is that?
It’s pretty simple really. Your sense of smell is actually 10 000 times more sensitive than your other senses. As soon as you smell something, a rush of emotions and feelings are immediately released from the brain and sent out into your body. They can be good or bad – depending upon what memories are linked with that scent.
That’s why many of us associate the smell of freshly baked bread with the warm fuzzy feelings of a happy home. And why your mood can change in a heartbeat as soon as you smell something you don’t like – even if you don’t remember why.
This is where the miracle-working magic of essential oils comes in. Each has a scent which is associated with an emotion, feeling and mind state that you can now imprint on your brain to enhance your whole mood – and outlook on life.
Need a quick pick me up? There are uplifting, energizing oils for that. Stressed out of your mind? Try a calming or grounding oil – or use both together. And if your brain is feeling a little foggy, there are clarifying and stimulating oils for that too. There are even happy essential oils that can immediately bring joy into your life and lift your mood – just because you want to feel happy…
What’s even more incredible is that essential oils get to work immediately. A few quick sniffs and within a matter of seconds, the benefits of lavender essential oil pass into your brain and body – and your mood lifts. Even if you apply to skin, they’ll take roughly 2-3 minutes to hit your bloodstream and about 20 minutes to reach every cell in your body. Pretty amazing, isn’t it?
Here are 11 of the best essential oils you can use to boost any mood – no matter how you feel…
INSTANT ESSENTIAL OIL MOOD ENHANCERS
LAVENDER
Calming, balancing, promotes well-being
Best for: Anxiety, stress, depression, sadness, sleep
Stressed or anxious about something? A few quick sniffs of lavender essential oil will soon have you sorted. Widely recognized for its calming and soothing effects on your body and mind, lavender is most well-known for promoting better quality sleep. It ensures you wake up feeling refreshed, in a good mood and ready for a new day.
It also helps you get rid of all that unwanted stress and tension, balance mood swings, reduce sad or anxious feelings - and gives you a wonderful feeling of serenity.
TRY: A handful of lavender bath salts into a warm soothing bath to soak away stress. Or liberally spritz a lavender spray mist in your bedroom to guarantee a refreshing night’s sleep. For a quick pick-me-up on the go, inhale lavender essential oil straight out of the bottle.
Feeling Depressed? Lavender Essential Oil Can Improve Your Mood In Minutes – Read More
SWEET ORANGE
Uplifting, calming, mental clarity
Best for: Depression, anxiety, physical and mental fatigue, sleep
Citrus oils are known to be great mood boosters, and sweet orange essential oil is no exception. Interestingly, it’s refreshing scent not only inspires feelings of energy and good cheer, but at the same time also relaxes and calms the mind.
It’s been found to have antidepressant effects, with an energizing and uplifting aroma that acts as a refreshing pick-me-up enough to brighten anyone’s day. It also boosts motivation and clarity while fostering creativity. One study found it enhances cognitive abilities; and, together with lavender, lemon and rosemary oils, also improved mental clarity in dementia patients.
TRY: Place one drop each of sweet orange, peppermint, and frankincense into your hand. Rub hands together and inhale deeply for an uplifting aroma.
ROSEMARY
Energizing, refreshing, mental stimulant
Best for: Exhaustion, depression, stress, brain fog, focus and memory
Is your brain a little foggy? If you’re feeling mentally or even physically exhausted, rosemary is known as a wonderful stimulant to boost your brain, body - and mood.
A refreshing, energizing and invigorating oil, rosemary has been shown to increase activity, heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate. It’s anti-depressant properties also help to boost focus and memory so improving overall brain performance.
TRY: Make an energizing roll-on by blending 6 drops rosemary, 3 drops sweet basil, and 2 drops peppermint into an ounce of jojoba oil. Or diffuse rosemary with frankincense and peppermint for a little brain boosting power.
CLARY SAGE
Soothing, contentment, self-confidence
Best for: Depression, stress buster, mood swings, anxiety, memory
All stressed out and don’t know which way to turn? A recent small study amongst women in their 50’s has shown that Clary sage has been found to very effective in reducing cortisol - the hormone your body releases when you’re stressed.
Even better, Clary sage simultaneously increases both dopamine and serotonin levels (the ‘happy’ and mood-enhancing hormones) which cuts down mood swings and calms the mind. Another study showed that Clary sage also reduces blood pressure and slows breathing.
TRY: Add ¼ cup of Epsom salts to a warm bath, then add 3 drops of Clary sage and 2 drops of lavender, and soak away your worries.
LEMON
Uplifting, invigorating, happiness, promotes energy
Best for: Sadness, depression, lethargy, lack of focus
Lemon is one citrus oil that is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and quickly perk up your mood – and day. This bright, fresh and joyful essential oil actually increases your serotonin levels that make you feel happy, putting you in a positive and uplifting mood. A study has found it can even boost your self-confidence and body image.
It may also work to enhance your brain power. School learners who were exposed to lemon in their classrooms were found to perform much better at their exams. It also improves concentration and promotes energy and alertness.
TRY: Diffuse lemon with rosemary to lift your mood and increase energy. A happy essential oil blend of 4 drops of bergamot, and 2 drops each of lemon, grapefruit and ylang ylang will lift your spirits and bring joy into your life.
Always Feeling Tired? Time To Use Essential Oils For A Seriously Quick Energy Boost – Read More
FRANKINCENSE
Grounding, balancing, promotes inner peace
Best for: Emotions, lack of concentration, depression, worry, stress, sleep
While studies on Frankincense are limited, many people love the warm, sweet and woody aroma, and find that the scent eases irritability and balances their emotions. Well known for its comforting and grounding properties, it promotes feelings of relaxation, improves concentration and lifts the mood.
It can also help calm a busy mind, especially when you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, creating a sense of inner peace. In fact, one small study suggests that frankincense has anti-depressant effects.
TRY: To banish worried, anxious thoughts, diffuse a blend of vetiver, lavender, frankincense, ylang ylang and Clary sage.
BERGAMOT
Refreshing, uplifting, energizing, reduces anxiety & stress
Best for: Sadness, depression, negative thoughts, tiredness, emotional health
While bergamot is another refreshing and mood boosting citrus oil, it works in a slightly different way from the rest of the family. It’s been found to be particularly helpful when you’re feeling down due to stress, negativity, anxious thoughts or sad, depressed feelings – and can quickly perk up your mood after a rough day at work.
One study found that bergamot oil reduced stress and cultivated positive feelings, and in doing so, improved overall mental health and well-being almost immediately. Furthermore, this study found that bergamot not only significantly reduced blood pressure and heart rate, but also promoted a more balanced mental state amongst highly stressed teachers.
TRY: Dot bergamot essential oil onto the temples and back of the neck to calm runaway stress and emotions. Blend bergamot with lavender and apply it to the abdomen to promote a relaxed mood.
YLANG YLANGCalming, relaxing, improves self esteem
Best for: Stress, anxiety, anger, negativity, depression
One of the well-known relaxing oils, ylang ylang has mild sedative properties that instill a wonderful sense of calm. This study found that it actually reduces blood pressure and heart rate, so if you’re feeling stressed and all wound up, it will relax and soothe both the body and mind. It can even help alleviate anger.
Another study found clear evidence that ylang ylang can also significantly boost your confidence and self-esteem, guaranteeing a more positive outlook and lift in mood.
TRY: Blend several drops of ylang ylang with a carrier oil and massage onto the back and shoulders to help reduce the effects of daily stress and enhance your mood.
The Ultimate Guide on How to Best Use Essential Oils – Read More
PEPPERMINT
Invigorating, motivating, mentally clarifying
Best for: Mental and physical fatigue, distracted mind, tiredness, tension, anxiety, stress
If you’re feeling sluggish and mentally exhausted, one whiff of peppermint’s fresh, crisp scent will quickly turn your mood - and day - around when you need it most. Widely used to boost mental alertness and improve concentration, it’s invigorating aroma can immediately make you feel refreshed and energized.
This study found that participants inhaling peppermint oil not only reported increased alertness but also enhanced memory. Its natural energy boosting properties have also been shown to prevent the onset of fatigue.
TRY: Diffuse an energizing blend of peppermint, lemon and sweet orange to immediately boost your mood.
VETIVER
Calming, grounding, reduces anxiety
Best for: Nervous tension, anger, exhaustion, stress, irritability, lack of focus
The smoky, earthy scent of vetiver can help you feel more grounded if you’re feeling out of balance. Often used to quieten the nerves and lift a bad mood, vetiver can help soothe and calm anxiousness, as shown in this study. So, whether you’re having trouble sleeping or just need to chill out, vetiver will help balance out your mood.
And when your mind is feeling a little scattered and unfocussed, vetiver will also stimulate a tired brain to help you stay alert and on task.
TRY: Combine vetiver with lavender and apply topically to the feet, spine or back of the neck to soothe a tired, troubled mind and lift your mood.
EUCALYPTUS
Invigorating, uplifting, mental clarity
Best for: Stress, anxiety, mental lethargy, physical exhaustion, brain fog
If you’re feeling a little down, an uplifting boost from eucalyptus oil could be just what you need. Best known for its refreshing, invigorating scent, it stimulates the brain, clears your mind, energizes the body, and puts a positive spin on your mood.
Widely known to ease symptoms of stress, it has also been found to effectively reduce anxiety. It also has the ability to enhance concentration by boosting circulation to the brain, waking up a sluggish mind. On the flip side, it even increases feelings of calm and relaxation, so rejuvenating body and soul.
TRY: Recharge your mind and body by diffusing an uplifting blend of eucalyptus and lemon.
20 Incredible Health Benefits of Eucalyptus Oil That Seem Too Good to Be True - Read More
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Essential oils should be used as part of a holistic approach to healing. Sometimes it may be just enough to inhale and essential oil to lift your mood; while at other times you may need the more comprehensive support offered by clinical treatment.
There's a difference between an essential oil and simply an oil, which is basically a perfume. If a label does not clearly state that it is an 'essential oil,' then it is not a pure oil and should not be used as suggested.