2020 has been a tough year; the nation has not seen Government-imposed restrictions like this since the war.  It seems that working from home has become the new ‘normal’ for many of us in recent months, since Covid-19, and although it comes with some perks - from claiming back the extra time it takes to travel to work, to having family at home all together - it also has its drawbacks that can impact on our wellbeing. From the emotional burden many of us have been feeling with our new home-offices, to the more physical issues, we thought we’d share how essential oils can help us take back and control and support our wellness through these difficult times. Even if we’re really struggling with our new ways of working and feeling like all is lost – that never can be – all we need is the power of nature to remind us that we are always okay! Here are our top tips for how we can ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ with essential oils during lockdown and empower ourselves back to balanced wellbeing.

Emotional Wellbeing

Let’s start with emotions.  Whilst for some working from home is freeing, for others it can feel isolating and stressful, with a constant challenge of keeping motivated and focused.  These are some of the challenges facing so many of us as we attempt to continue our working weeks from the bedroom or sofa.  Likewise, there are many families who have had to work hard to juggle hectic schooling schedules, with some children off school, and some at school, and others going at different times of the day.  Life has become a little bit overwhelming at times.

If this is you, there are some great aromatherapy blends to help!  Let’s look at each individually so that you can select oils that will work for you best.

Stress

If you’re experiencing stress - perhaps because you’re actually finding yourself doing more work now you’re at home, or because you’re trying to juggle everything all at once - then you’ll want a blend to help keep you calm and to remind you of your more peaceful nature.

Oils such as Bergamot, Sweet Orange, Melissa, Chamomile, Mandarin, Lavender, Rose, Clary Sage and Neroli are wonderful oils to help you de-stress.  Here are some recommended blends, but remember you can substitute in your own favourite oils:

De-stressing Bath

That’s right – working from home means you can have a lovely bath on your break!  Whoever thought of that possibility?  If you’re anything like me, you’ll feel the stress melt away just at the thought of this treat! If you’re finding the day less than peaceful, why not run yourself a bath at lunchtime (why not?) and: add the following blend.

Mix 3 drops Lavender, 3 drops Bergamot and 2 drops Neroli in 15ml of Bath Oil or Shower Gel and add to your bath. Give yourself half an hour to simply rest and breathe – and feel the stress and tension melt away!

Home Office Diffusion

To keep the peace, diffuse some oils in your home office!  You don’t want to make it so calming that you fall asleep at your desk, so a nice mix of invigorating but calming oils will really help.

Mix 3 drops Melissa, 2 drops Mandarin and 2 drops Bergamot in water in an electrical aromatherapy diffuser or candle burner and diffuse for up to 30 minutes at a time throughout the day!

Isolation

The other main thing affecting people’s emotions at the moment is the isolation.  For many, the office and work life is all about being social!  Of course, working from home instead means not leaving your home and being a little bit of a hermit.  For some, that suits them fine, but for those who are social animals, a lack of interaction can feel overwhelming.

Whilst essential oils themselves aren’t going to take away from the fact that we can’t leave the house to go to work at the moment, there are some oils that can help those emotions of isolation and loneliness.  Why not use some of these and enjoy some alone time – see it as an opportunity to dive inwards and spend some quality, nurturing time with yourself and that might feel better.  You could also see if you can find some groups online with which you can connect!  There are so many people out there feeling the same, so don’t feel alone!  You could even hop onto our social media and connect over a love of essential oils!  

Oils like Rose, Clary Sage, Frankincense, Patchouli, Geranium, Ylang Ylang and Yuzu are beautiful cheery and emotion-releasing oils for this particular challenge of working from home.  Here are some blends to help:

Self-Nurture Blend

It might feel a little alien to enjoy time with yourself if you’re so used to being in an office full of people, but it’s an opportunity to really connect with yourself.  So, on your lunch break, instead of heading out with others, why not use the time to pamper yourself?  Enjoy this massage blend:

Mix 2 drops Patchouli, 2 drops Rose, 2 drops Geranium and 15ml Grapeseed oil and massage into your skin in a clockwise direction to gently offer yourself the gift of nurture.  We so often look to others for what we can offer ourselves, so if you are feeling lonely, often it is because you aren’t allowing yourself the gift of self-love.  This is the perfect way to honour yourself.

Cheery Diffusion

To cheer yourself up when you’re feeling a little alone, why not lift your mood with beautiful oils?  Here’s one of our favourite loneliness-busting blends: 

Diffuse 3 drops Yuzu, 2 drops Clary Sage and 1 drop Ylang Ylang as needed for up to 30 minutes at a time!

Motivation and Focus

Of course, when we are not in the office, we can begin to find it difficult to focus and stay motivated!  There is so much at home that can steal our attention and concentrating can be difficult.  Essential oils have some great properties to help with focus and motivation!

Alert & Attentive Diffusion

To wake yourself up and keep your focus, try a diffusion of some enlivening oils:

Diffuse 3 drops Lemon, 2 drops Rosemary and 2 drops Basil for 30 minutes in the morning to energise yourself and set up your day!

Motivational Inhaler

To keep yourself motivated throughout the day, keep an aromatherapy inhaler close by:

Pop 2 drops Lemongrass and 1 drop Lime into the inhaler and sniff whenever you begin to fade and need to feel more awake.

Muscular Issues

It’s not just the mental and emotional things that are being impacted by home working, of course; it’s the physical too.  We’re so used to our ergonomic desks at work, but quite often our improper home desks and chairs – and even our laptops - are not as aligned, and this can cause us muscular aches and pains throughout our bodies – from neck pain to lower back pain and beyond.

Obviously, the best cure for this is prevention – you should prioritise setting up your home office so that it is safe.  There are many tips on how to do this online, including this article from the BBC. There are also many oils that can help to relax muscular tension and release any tight areas.  Oils like Black Pepper, Sweet Marjoram, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Chamomile and Yarrow are perfect in blends to ease aches and pain. Here are some blend ideas:

Muscular Relief Massage Blend

To help combat those muscular challenges, try a beautiful massage blend:

Add 3 drops Sweet Marjoram, 2 drops Black Pepper and 1 drop Yarrow into 15ml Sweet Almond oil and rub the oil into your skin around the affected muscles, in a direction towards the heart.

Exercise Rollette

Another way to support any issues with muscles is to make sure you get out for some exercise – try a little walk at lunchtime, and benefit from some anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory oils as you go:

Add 2 drops Lavender, 1 drop Chamomile and 10ml Grapeseed oil to a rollette bottle and mix well.  Roll onto your pulse points as required to absorb into your bloodstream, or directly onto to the affected muscles.

Soul Nourishment and Work-Life Balance

Finally, it can be easy to get sucked into an unhealthy work-life balance when working from home, so it’s a good idea to try and separate out the feeling of work and play and nourish your soul with a little down time.  

This is easily done with aromatherapy!  Remind yourself of work time with stimulating oils like Peppermint, Spearmint, Lemon and Rosemary, and enjoy more soothing oils – like Mandarin, Bergamot and Frankincense to calm and rejuvenate yourself after work – and stick to a ‘home time’ each day!   Here’s some tips:

Work Time Diffusion

In the morning, clearly define your day with a reminder that you’re working:

Diffuse 3 drops Lemon, 2 drops Spearmint and 1 drop Rosemary to keep your focus aligned on work.

Wind Down Diffusion

To define your playtime, use a playful but calming blend to remind your body of its boundaries:

Diffuse 3 drops Mandarin, 2 drops Bergamot and 2 drops Frankincense at a set time each day when you choose to finish work.  This will remind the body of its clear boundaries between work and play.

Overall, it is really important to take care of yourself when working from home amidst all of this craziness.  Set yourself some work-life balance boundaries and integrate some self-care.  Remember, you are in control of how you manage your day – and that includes the essential oils you select to help remind yourself that you are always okay.  Add a little nature into your day, and let your nose guide your oil selection.  Enjoy, take care – and don’t work too hard!

Nicole Barton
Consultant Aromatherapist

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