Support Your Resolutions with Essential Oils
As Christmas slips slowly away we are now awaiting the new year. In just a few days many of us will stay up until after midnight to bid farewell to 2017 and welcome 2018. This definitive change in date seems to motivate us to make plans to change for the better. Whether you are looking to give up a habit, shift your weight or just drive yourself to work harder many people make new year resolutions. But sticking to them can be another matter! Did you know essential oils could help with this?
Changes to the Brain Chemistry
When we inhale certain smells the chemicals in the brain are changed, and this is how we can harness the power of aromatherapy to support our resolutions. Usually, for the first few weeks, we are determined and confident and really try hard with our new goals. But as January slips away we find that we become less focused and start to make excuses. In the first couple of months of the year, everyone seems to be more tired and resolve falls away all to quickly. So, by harnessing the power of essential oils, we can trigger the areas of the brain responsible for focus and determination.
Top 5 Oils for Focus
Lemon
Citrus oils are refreshing and have an uplifting effect on the brain. Lemon has been shown to improve cognitive function and helps with clarity and focus.
Peppermint
This is another really crisp scent that acts in an uplifting way on the brain. The smell of peppermint has been shown to help with mental stamina when you really need to keep your focus going over a prolonged period of time.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a great aid to the memory. Various studies have shown that this oil has the ability to help us remember and recall more facts. It is said that the power of this oil dates back to the time of Shakespeare as even he references it in Hamlet with the line ‘There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance.’
Cypress
A delicate scent that is not at all overpowering. Cypress is an excellent oil for supporting the concentration levels without being a pungent smell. Great if you need to take an exam, you could pop some drops on a tissue and inhale when you feel your focus slip.
Lavender
Although you might associate this oil with an aide to sleep, Lavender has many purposes. It is another good oil for supporting the concentration levels and helping you keep focus. It has been studied in Japan with school children, and they proved that is significantly improved the concentration of the children that inhaled the aroma.
All of these oils can be used in your diffuser, or you could make them into a roller ball blend that can be applied to the temples in order to aide with your resolve. If you are going to make them to use on the skin, you will find a carrier oil to dilute them in.