Scent is powerful.

 

Smell is the most underutilized sense we have, yet one of the most powerful. It is our most primal sense. It stops us from eating food that's gone bad, alerts us to fire and other potential dangers, it even helps us to find compatible partners. While many animals have much keener scents of smell than ours, the human genome has over 950 odorant receptor genes. It’s also the only sense that taps directly into the part of the brain responsible for emotion and memory. Because our sense of smell has the power to evoke such strong emotional responses, the practice of aromatherapy has become a reliable way to influence our state of mind. Not surprisingly, stress relief is one of the most common practices of aromatherapy. 

 

Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic plant extracts and essential oils to manage symptoms of well-being. It can take form in the practice of inhalation, massage or baths.

 

“Most studies, as well as clinically applied experience, have indicated that various essential oils, such as lavender, lemon and bergamot can help to relieve stress, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders. Most notably, inhalation of essential oils can communicate signals to the olfactory system and stimulate the brain to exert neurotransmitters (e.g. serotonin and dopamine) thereby further regulating mood.” (PUBMED.)

 

How to Use Aromatherapy Candles for Stress Relief

1. Find Your Candle Aroma Preferences

Essential oil candles are most helpful for stress when you have a positive emotional reaction to an aroma. There are certain essential oils that are emphasized for emotional and stress support based upon their chemical constituents, however, any aroma that is considered pleasant to you can be helpful in initiating a relaxation response. You may already know which scents you find appealing, but if not, we offer mini sizes of all our aromatherapy candles to help you find your preference.

Many people are drawn to certain aroma categories. I find that Woody scents are very commonly used to help people find a sense of calm, possibly because we tend to find respite in nature. Below is a list of all the essential oil aroma categories; is there one that you tend to enjoy more than the others?

 

2. Use Aromatherapy Candles During Stress Relieving Activities

Start lighting your favorite candle while practicing relaxing activities such as a bath, during yoga, meditation, in massage or when unwinding after a long day. Due to the direct connection between the olfactory system and the limbic system, your brain will begin to form memory scent associations of those specific scents and relaxation. This is also known as odor conditioning.

 

3. Practice Deep Breathing

Now it's time to put the odor conditioning into practice. When you find yourself in a moment of stress or needing to relax, grab your favorite aromatherapy candle. You can either light it or simply hold it under your nose to start feeling the calming effect of your candle's scent. You have already formed a memory association with this particular aroma, so it should only take a few moments to feel the stress relieving effects. Breathe slowly and deeply, inhaling those amazing aromas through your nose, exhaling through your mouth and releasing any tension held within the body. Take notice of how you feel afterwards.

 

4. Determine Where the Stress is Manifesting

Due to the mind body connection, we tend to physically store and hold stress in various ways within the body. During your deep breathing exercise, try to take notice of where you are feeling tight or stagnant. Is your jaw clenched, back aching, a migraine coming on? Noticing how the stress manifests in your body is as important as determining the root of the stressor itself. While we obviously want to reduce the feelings of stress in our lives, it's also important to acknowledge this is one of the ways our bodies communicate with us. Stress is the sign we need to take account of what might not be working for us, where we need to make adaptations and changes in our lives. Try not to think of stress itself as the enemy. 

 

5. Practice Aromatherapy Consistently

Be proactive in reducing your stress levels by using your aromatherapy candles consistently. When we use aromatherapy as a regular practice, we begin to feel more comfortable being calm and grounded and thus we are less likely to become triggered when a stressor occurs. Lighting your candles and spending a few moments each day enjoying them is one of the easiest ways to be consistent. 

 

 

A Few Ways Aromatherapy Candles Help to Reduce Stress:

 

• Create calm by decreasing sympathetic nervous system activity
• Promote sleep and deeper rest
• Ease tension and aches
• Enhance energy levels and ability to focus
• Encourage healthy coping skills
• Allow us to feel grounded in the present moment
• Promote positive thinking
• Enhance memory and focus