by Ana Keller from Savvy Homemade

Staying calm is a very difficult thing. Getting control of a bout of anxiety or just trying to relax in the evening so that you can fall asleep more easily is not something that everybody is just naturally good at. 

For some people, being calm is kind of like their default state, but others need to work at it. And how we reduce the amount of stress in our lives differs from person to person. The most common methods you will hear about are things like meditation, breathing exercises and distractions.

But one of the less-commonly used, and very underrated solutions is to use aromatherapy. In some places, you can get this as a professional spa treatment in some places, but you can also just do it yourself at home.

Our senses are all connected with what’s going on in our brain and the sense of smell is no different. Certain natural scents will tweak our brain chemistry and convince us to calm down. For some people they can even be as effective as prescription sleeping pills or anxiety meds.

There’s a few ways you can prepare scents for inhalation, but the most effective would probably be to buy them as essential oils and then use said oils to make your own scented candles. You can light them in your bedroom or your office or wherever you need the most calming down.

Here’s eight of the most effective scents for keeping you calm:

1.    Lavender

I’m sure you won’t be surprised to see this one on the list. Lavender is almost definitely the most popular scent out there when it comes to aromatherapy, and it deserves that honor, because it has a ton of benefits. 

It’s commonly used as a treatment for nausea too, because it has antioxidant properties as well as anti-inflammatory properties and it helps to calm you down by way of the neurotransmitter GABA, through which it quiets down brain activity. 

2.    Rosemary

Rosemary is an interesting one because it has both energizing properties as well as relaxing properties, all within the one scent. This might sound ridiculous, but it actually makes sense if you consider it in a certain context.

Having an overactive mind is usually what leads to anxiety, and also what leads to a lack of concentration. Inhibited concentration lowers your motivation and as such your energy, so it stands to reason that something with calming properties will also help you to focus.

So if your intention is to find something that will help you calm down stress and anxiety over a project you are working on, this would be a good choice.

3.    Peppermint

Like lavender, peppermint is very popular but in general it’s more to do with the taste. People like to drink peppermint tea because it’s good for digestion, it’s low in caffeine and it also tastes great.

And while drinking peppermint can help to calm down your guts, the scent of it can have a similar effect on your brain. This is great for people who are looking for a lighter, more minty smell as opposed to one that is heavy or has a tinge of citrus. 

4.    Bergamot

And speaking of citrus, if that is a scent that works for you then this is a good way to go. Not one of the more well-known scents out there, bergamot comes from a mixture of lemon and bitter orange. 

It’s been proven to be effective in its neuroprotective capabilities, as well as being an anti-inflammatory. 

5.    Chamomile

We discussed peppermint earlier and how popular it is as the predominant ingredient in tea, and chamomile is similar in that regard. Chamomile tea is notorious for being relaxing and a great thing to have while getting ready for bed.

Though there isn’t quite as much study on the chamomile plant as there is on certain other popular scents, it is widely considered to be a natural sedative and is often recommended as a supplementary treatment for sufferers of General Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

6.    Cinnamon

A lot of people enjoy cinnamon because it reminds them of Christmas. And it’s kind of a more spicy scent than you would expect to associate with relaxation, but it definitely has a lot of those same calming properties.

And also, something we haven’t discussed in regards to scents is how the calling effect often comes from an association with the smell. Nostalgia in particular is more powerful than we give it credit for, so if you do associate cinnamon with Christmas, the most relaxing time of the year for most people, it’s likely you will get relaxed even just through that.

7.    Lemon

8.    Sea Breeze

Probably the most unique scent on the list because it isn’t something that’s specific to one plant or herb. The sea breeze scent usually comes in the form of an oil, and it’s a mixture of different citrus aromas including lemon, orange and bergamot, with some eucalyptus included too.

These all come together to recreate the aroma of the ocean and so you get all of the calming properties of those individual scents while also getting a sensory association with the sea. Our minds connect being by the sea with relaxation and so this works well as a calming scent.
I will also say that if your anxiety is too overpowering that you should consider seeking out a good psychologist, but it’s worth trying some aromatherapy at home first. As we’ve established, you have a lot of options and they all bring something different to the table. 

My latest favourite essential oil has deep calming properties - we all need to slow down, relax, reload and recharge.

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