As the 2021 school year resumes, so do the challenges to learning that began in 2020. The additional stressors and chronic strains have led to many changes and hurdles to jump through for little ones, parents, teachers, and young adults. These issues have aggravated and ignited a rise in mental health issues in the youth and our population.

Thankfully, there are holistic solutions for calming the mind-body and supporting physical wellness that naturopathic medicine can offer. By soothing emotions, our brain can better focus, learn, and pay attention.

Some remedies to soothe the nerves and enhance brain power include:

• mindfulness and meditation
• breathwork
• acupressure
• embracing nature
• unplugging from technology and digital distractions
• nourishing relationships
• implementing daily routines
• using herbs, essential oils, and supplements
• cognitive reframing
• faith

As noted in previous articles, being compassionate with ourselves and our children is very important during this uncertain and draining stage of our world events. By combining kindness, grit, and empowering beliefs with natural support, we can move from feeling like a health victim to a proactive participant in our own healthcare.

Of all the natural modalities, my all-time favorite is essential oils. These plant secondary metabolites beneficially balance our brain’s neurochemistry as they positively influence our biology. Essential oils not only impact our mental state, but also directly enhance our resilience and response to life’s hardships.

How Essential Oils Can Ease Stress, Aid Transitions, & Soothe the Mind-Body

Therapeutic, quality essential oils have been shown clinically to affect mood, emotions, and cognition through a combination of both their aromatic and physical properties.

Along with the psychological effects, our biochemistry, neurological signaling, brain patterning, and physiology are also impacted. They combine perfectly with the holistic mental health support that naturopathic doctors can provide.

Essential oils make a perfect companion to any mental and cognitive wellness protocol that aims to nourish the brain. They intercede at the level of the cause of the stress and overwhelm via influencing our thought processes, feelings, and interpretation of life circumstances. This means that essential oils can instantaneously shift how we feel and perceive events. I believe they are an overlooked holistic modality that can connect the mind-body and lead to true healing.

In this article, I have gathered all my previous posts on essential oils pertinent to the fall transition and coping with uncertain times.

Along with a 15-minute video, I list over ten sources that give specific essential oils and essential oil blends for various topics. It is meant to be used as an updated resource guide on all things related to benefiting brain health and the mind-body including:

• Improving brain health and cognition
• Enhancing focus and attention
• Academic support
• Relieving bodily stress symptoms, such as tummy tension
• Grounding
• …and more

Essential Oils for Coping with Transitions and Emotional Upheavals

This fifteen-minute video provides an overview of some of my top articles on essential oils for brain health, attention, and calming the brain and body. Use these oils and oil blends to help you and your children better focus, follow through, and transition into the fall with more ease.

You can access the resources and accompanying article here: Essential Oils & Back to School Review

Additional Resources for Soothing Back to School Strain with Essential Oils

• Supporting Kids with Mental & Behavioral Health Issues – Did you know the brain is the only organ not looked at before treating it? Learn why determining brain patterns is essential for effective treatment.
• Essential Oils for Memory and Cognition: This is a link to a 10-minute video on specific essential oils to enhance mental health, including bergamot, rosemary, orange, and jasmine.
• Feeling Fatigued? My Favorite Herbs and Essential Oils to Boost Focus, Energy, and Cognition Health (Part 3: My Top Essential Oils for Attention, Mood, and Brain Vitality): Here I review my top five oils for focus: peppermint, sage, rosemary, jasmine, and citrus oils.
• Essential Oils and Brain Effects (i.e., their effect on neurotransmitters, brain functioning, and biochemistry): In vitro and animal studies have shown various mechanisms on how essential oils impact brain signaling. Below are several examples.
  • Sage- modulates dopamine (the reward-motivation neurotransmitter)
  • Lavender– effects serotonin (equated with mood and calming)
  • Lemon– suppresses dopamine and accentuates serotonin
  • Bergamot– enhances synaptic connection of neurons for better brain communication
  • Bitter orange– impacts serotonin (source)
• Soothing Back to School Tensions: This post covers how to incorporate essential oils into the household for a relaxing environment. I discuss the comforting aroma of copaiba oil, a purifying blend for the environment, a head tension relief blend, Four Thieves Blend, kunzea oil, and rosalina oil.
• How Essential Oils Shift Emotions and a Blend for Gratitude: Learn how the science of “emotions in a bottle” is legit.
• How Essential oils Impact Brain, Emotional, and Mental Health: This post summarizes the mechanisms of essential oils on neurological and psychological health.
• Essential Oils on the Emotional Brain: In part one of this article series, I review the impact of smell on emotions and physiological factors. I then discuss how essential oils can impact our mood through biochemical, biological, and psychological mechanisms. In part two, I summarize the use of essential oils for mood disorders and how they affect cognition and memory.

Posts on Specific Blends for Mind-Body Soothing

• Special Blends for Courage and Peaceful Calmness
• Stress Relief Blend & Holistic (Physical and Emotional) Heart Supporting Oils
• Blends for Tummy Tension, Grounding, and Supporting Defense and Repair

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Sniff These Secondary Plant Metabolites Today

Essential oils are an accessible and powerful tool at the tip of your nose that can instantly shift your mood, enhance your brain function, and support your body.

Why strain when you have tools that can support your body during hard times?

Why not implement them now?

Which single oil or blends will you try?

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Coming Up: Essential Oils and Brain-Body Health FREE Webinar: October 4th

“Nourishing the Mind and Body with Essential Oils.”

Right now, we could all use a little “essential oil fortification” for more resiliency, grounding, and calm. I’m excited to guide you even more on how to take some of these gifts from nature and incorporate them into your daily life.

You can register for it here.

All who register will have access to the recording for 48 hours after the presentation.