Whether it was mild anxiety before speaking in front of an audience or severe anxiety that led to a panic attack, we have all experienced a certain level of anxiety at some point in our lives. Either way, it is important that you know how to calm yourself because an accelerated heart rate and difficulty breathing are not pleasurable.
While it is important to seek professional advice, your therapist, unfortunately, won’t be available 24-hour. There are different methods that you can use at home to help you feel relaxed. In this article, we will talk about therapeutic candles that may help you whenever you are feeling a bit anxious.
Candles are known to set the mood, so whether it is at home or in your office, they will help you establish a calm environment.
Scents For Anxiety…
It is known that you can use grounding techniques to relieve your anxiety. What do I mean by grounding techniques? This technique allows you to stay away from negative thoughts by staying in the present. One of my favourite grounding techniques is using your five senses to resolve unwanted anxiety. Here we are talking about ‘smell’, where lighting a scented candle will help you to stay grounded.
We have listed some scents that are well-known for calming anxiety and stress.
Lavender: Lavender has been well-known to help us sleep, but do you know why? Because lavender actually calms our nerves making more easier for us to sleep. Some use it as bath soaks, others as a body mist. Either way, it is very useful. I prefer it in the form of a candle, as it releases the scent slowly, giving me time to focus on my breathing and immerse myself in relaxation.
Rosemary: The benefits of rosemary are unlimited but we will focus on its stress reliever benefit. Rosemary essential oil can help you to decrease cortisol, which is the stress hormone in our body.
Vanilla: Who does not love vanilla flavour? It is the basis of everything and you cannot go wrong with vanilla flavour, right? For me, the scent of vanilla reminds me of my childhood when I come back from school and smell the vanilla scent from the muffin my mom baked for me. Vanilla aroma contains relaxing properties, which is why they are often used in bath products as they promote peaceful sleep.
This DIY project will help you decorate your house with candles that will also promote a relaxing atmosphere.
What you’ll need:
- Wax
- Candle Wicks
- One of the aforementioned fragrance oils
- A spatula
- A heat-proof glass container
- A pan
Steps:
- Melt your wax into the pan for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Add your fragrance.
- Put the wick in the heatproof container.
- Let the wax sit for 3 to 5 min.
- Pour the wax
Allow it to set completely for a minimum of 4 hours.
Light one candle up as soon as you come home, but please do not ever leave a candle unattended as it may potentially cause a home fire. Make sure to put your candles in a safe place, far from curtains. You can do some research as there are plenty of other scents known to relieve anxiety.
Be aware that some essential oils are toxic to pets and children so I would suggest you store your essential oils out of your children’s reach.
Aromatherapy candles will help set the mood, to help you relax but if you have chronic anxiety I suggest you go onto therapy rather than relying on aromatherapy candles. Let us know in the comments which scents you prefer…
