5 Trauma-informed Essential Oils to Diffuse to Regulate the Nervous System
The nervous system is the collection of nerves that communicate with the brain and other parts of your body.
It's responsible for sending signals to different areas of your body so that you can move, feel sensations, and think.
This system functions by means of neurotransmitters—chemical messengers that are released from one nerve ending and travel along a synapse to another nerve ending. These neurotransmitters allow nerves to communicate with each other, which helps your body function properly.
However, when the nervous system is compromised by trauma, it can become unable to send these necessary messages between nerves. This can lead to problems with communication between the brain and body and emotional issues such as anxiety or depression.
Fortunately, there are several essential oils that can help regulate the nervous system and promote a state of calmness and peace within your mind and body. Keep reading to find out more:
Trauma and the Nervous System
The nervous system is divided into two parts: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. The former is responsible for fight or flight, and the latter regulates rest and digestion.
When you experience trauma, it can cause your nervous system to become overactive. You may have trouble sleeping or eating because of this heightened state of arousal. Your heart rate might increase, your breathing will get faster, and other symptoms will also arise (like anxiety).
If you're experiencing these symptoms after a traumatic event or if they're chronic. It's important to find ways to regulate your parasympathetic response so that it doesn't stay activated indefinitely.
Essential Oil Recommendations for Calming the Parasympathetic Nervous System
The parasympathetic nervous system is one of two divisions of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for controlling unconscious bodily functions. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for relaxing and restoring the body after exertion, which can help you fall asleep at night.
Essential oils can be used to calm the parasympathetic nervous system. These oils are extracted from plants, herbs, and flowers. They contain the life force energy of a plant's molecules. When you inhale an essential oil, it travels through your body via the bloodstream and stimulates different areas of your brain through your olfactory system.
Essential oils are great for helping to calm down the sympathetic nervous system, which controls our flight or fight response. This response is what causes us to feel stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed when we have too much going on in our lives.
This happens because our body triggers defense mechanisms when we encounter stressful situations like traffic jams, deadlines at work, or arguments with loved ones.
Here are some essential oil recommendations that you can diffuse to calm the parasympathetic nervous system:
1. Bergamot
This essential oil is great for releasing anger and removing habits that no longer serve someone. May be useful for supporting healthy blood pressure when under stress.
2. Lavender
Lavender essential oil is one of the most popular essential oils for aromatherapy and is known for its calming properties. It's great for helping relieve stress, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, and migraines. If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, try adding lavender oil to a diffuser or vaporizer in your bedroom at night. Makes it easier to accept complete relaxation - notice the most popular scent for weighted eye masks and sleep support.Calming, soothing effects are well documented.
3. Lemon
Lemon essential oil can help to support healthy immune function when dealing with chronic stress. This oil provides energy that brings a sense of summer into any situation - great for midwinter.
4. Frankincense
Frankincense is a great oil to use when feeling lost, confused, or insecure. It can help you feel more grounded and confident in your abilities. Frankincense is an oil that will help with self-trust and confidence. It's also great for those who have suffered trauma, as it helps require the brain so that we can start trusting ourselves again.
5. Rosemary
Rosemary is an essential oil that helps you feel more confident, strong, and capable of surviving this situation. It can help you remember that you're strong and capable of handling what is happening. Rosemary is also great for helping to calm the mind, which can be helpful when trying to process traumatic events or memories from the past, especially helpful when you are taking care of others
Conclusion
As you can see, essential oils are a great way to calm the parasympathetic nervous system. You can use them to relax, unwind, soothe your emotions, and reduce stress. You can even use them as natural remedies for physical ailments such as headaches, nausea, and muscle aches. And they're easy on your wallet too! There's no one-size-fits-all approach here — different people have different needs and preferences when it comes to using essential oils. As a Trauma Informed Aromatherapist, I can also find what works best for you! Click here to schedule a complimentary 30 minute consultation.
References
https://www.verywellmind.com/aromatherapy-scents-for-stress-relief-3144599