Five Essential Oils to Help Support Healthy Habits

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Healthy Habits and Essential Oils

These five healthy habits are nothing new but today we show how essential oils can help you adopt and stick to these habits for a healthier, happier life.

5 Healthy Habits and Related Essential Oils

Creating healthy habits and sticking with them can sometimes seem impossible. However, with some hard work, all of those healthy choices will start to pay off. In this blog post, we’ll share five essential oils that can help you achieve your goals!

Healthy Habit #1: Exercise More

If I am completely honest, exercising is not one of my favorite things to do. Getting out in nature is what motivates me, so I spend a lot of time hiking, biking, and walking in the warmer months. However, when I start a new exercise routine, my muscles always seem to ache. Sometimes those achy muscles will even prevent me from exercising.

To help ease aches, I use Juniper Berry (Juniperus communis) essential oil. It is a great oil to use in blends for pain or muscle aches as it has anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties.[1] Often I blend several drops of Juniper Berry in some jojoba oil and massage onto sore muscles.

This sore muscle salve using Juniper Berry is also a great recipe to try. It combines Juniper Berry, Laurel Leaf, and Copaiba Balsam essential oils in a convenient salve.

#2: Eat Healthily

Healthy eating habits take time to develop. Adding healthy foods while avoiding processed foods and sugar can be very difficult.

To help curb cravings, try diffusing Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) essential oil. A 2014 study done by Nagai et al shows that the inhalation of grapefruit essential oil directly impacted the sympathetic nerves of mice, which resulted in a decrease in food intake.[2]

Plus, the bright, sunny aroma of grapefruit helps improve mood, which is always good for motivation. I often carry a personal aromatherapy inhaler with grapefruit essential oil when I am struggling with cravings.

#3: Stress Less

Essential oils can be extremely helpful for relaxation. Choosing the right essential oils to help alleviate stress is a very individual process. What is relaxing to one person might be revolting to the next so this healthy habit will take trial and error.

One of my favorite essential oils for stress and anxiety is Bergamot (Citrus bergamia), which smells slightly citrus and a little floral. I love to blend it with lavender and sweet orange for an uplifting and relaxing blend.

Other essential oils that may help with stress reduction are lavender, chamomile (German and Roman), Frankincense (Boswellia carterii), Neroli, Rosemary, and Ylang-Ylang.

#4: Get Rid of Toxins

While this is such a broad goal, getting rid of toxins is a healthy habit with a significant impact. From air fresheners to soap, cleaning products to makeup, we encounter hundreds of toxic ingredients daily.

Easy ways to get rid of toxins include swapping for healthier versions or making your own. One of the easiest swaps for toxic air fresheners is to use a diffuser or aromatherapy spray.

One of my favorite deodorizing essential oils is Fir Needle (Abies sibirica or Abies balsamea). This oil smells crisp and fresh like a snow-covered evergreen. Siberian Fir is featured in this Cabin In The Woods DIY Air Freshener Spray Recipe. It is perfect for refreshing fabrics, deodorizing bathrooms, or when you want to create a cozy, cabin-like feeling.

#5: Get More Sleep

When you are rested, you feel your best. Good sleep habits make us feel and perform better. However, sometimes sleep seems to be one of the most difficult healthy habits to cultivate.

Essential oils can help promote good sleep by encouraging relaxation and reducing stress. Some essential oils can even help foster deeper sleep.

Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) essential oil is a favorite for sleep. It encourages relaxation and blends wonderfully with Lavender or Ylang Ylang for sleep support. Plus the aroma is very pleasant.

Try diffusing four drops of Roman Chamomile, two drops of Lavender, and one drop of Ylang Ylang essential oil for 30 minutes in a diffuser before bed.  For children, omit the Ylang Ylang essential oil.

Have you found another way essential oils help you adopt healthy habits? Tell us about it!

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Sources

  1. Akkol EK. A comparative study on the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of five Juniperus taxa. Pubmed. Sept 2009.
  2. Nagai K. Olfactory stimulatory with grapefruit and lavender oils change autonomic nerve activity and physiological function. Pubmed. Oct 2014.
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About Katie Vance

Katie is a wife, mother, aromatherapist, and lover of all things DIY. She offers consultations and gives simple aromatherapy advice at Katie Vance, Aromatherapy Simplified. You can also find Katie on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar photoEmma Quinn says

    Hello, excellent article, very useful. Essential oils really help, I know from experience. A couple of years ago, I started menopause and it was hard for me. The symptoms were difficult to bear, but I read up on the subject. I started doing fitness, improved my diet and started using essential oils. It made my life a lot easier. I used chamomile oil when I had anxiety. These are great tips, have a nice day!