Must Have Essential Oils for Anxiety in Children

Several years ago, when J’s anxiety began to amp up again, I remembered a Facebook friend’s posts about essential oils.  I admit, until that moment, I had not had much interest in what she was sharing based on her positive experiences with essential oils.  I honestly thought it was a little to “out there” to think that oils could help relieve symptoms of serious health issues.

Suddenly, I found myself searching for anything to help my daughter’s anxiety so I reached out to my friend from Facebook.  I expressed to her my reservations with essential oils, all while keeping an open mind. After a long, educational conversation, I was convinced that there were essential oils for anxiety in children and started with a few basic oils which yielded positive results for both my daughter and myself. I began branching out and using more varieties of essential oils for anxiety in children and for other health needs.

Read about our journey with child anxiety here.

 

Relief with Essential Oils for Anxiety in Children

I am fully convinced that essential oils can offer relief to anxiety for children and adults.  Just like anything we use in or on our bodies, each person will react differently, meaning what works for one person may not work for another.  Oils take trial and error to find the right combination and application for you. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. It is imperative that you purchase high quality, pure oils in order to see results.  It is an upfront investment but think of it as you would any other healthcare expense.

In being transparent, I am only sharing what I have personally used successfully. Please know, my daughter currently takes prescription medication which manages most of her anxiety.  These oils provide great relief for her during times of heightened anxiety. As for me, I am able to manage my anxiety, which is less severe than my daughter’s with oils and mindfulness, and no longer take daily anxiety medicine.

 

Essential Oils and How Do They Work

Essential oils are highly concentrated liquids extracted from a plant.  It’s the naturally occurring chemicals in the liquid that can have a physiological and chemical effect on your brain chemistry and body.  When you breathe in the strong aroma of an oil, it is absorbed into your tissues and bloodstream, heading immediately to your lungs and your brain.  Your brain is connected to the limbic system, which regulates heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balance.

Oils can also be absorbed through the skin, leading to quick absorption into our systems.  Since anxiety is housed in the limbic system, oils can provide fast relief to symptoms such as increased heart rate, rapid breathing, spiraling thoughts, or sweaty palms. Once these symptoms are more controlled, an anxious person is better able to control his or her breathing and work through the anxiety with more rational thoughts and utilize coping mechanisms.  

 

Best Essential Oils for Anxiety in Children

The oils that I mention in this section are used in a roller bottle mix with fractionated coconut oil.  These bottles come in various sizes, allowing my daughter and I to have several bottles in various locations.  I keep pre-made roller bottles in my purse, throughout the house, and in my work bag. My daughter keeps bottles in her backpack and in her bedroom, allowing accessibility whenever the need arises.

Peace and Calming is an oil combination offered through Young Living.   This is our go-to essential oil for anxiety. The scent is mild and sweet and offers us instant relief to physical symptoms.  In the beginning, the smell was a bit overpowering, but over time, we have both come to love the smell, as it is associated with calmness.   It can be applied to the spine, across the heart, on the bottoms of the feet, or simply inhaled. It can also be added to a bath with Epsom salt.  

Valor is another combination of oil through Young Living, which boasts a mild woodsy scent.  It can be used alone as a roller or combined with other oils for a powerful “liquid Xanax”.  The liquid Xanax recipe is my “must have” oil for panic attacks. A few times each month, I wake up with panic attacks.  I can rub this oil behind my ears and along my jawline, while taking slow deep breathes, and stop nearly all panic attacks from spiraling.  Most often, I am able to return to sleep within 10 minutes. My daughter often uses this one at night if she finds herself anxious before bed.  

Stress away is also a combination of oil by Young Living.  I really enjoy the scent, as it is a blend of citrus with a hint of vanilla.  This one is great as a roller for when you are feeling stressed but not at the point of full anxiety.  It can also be diffused in your home, office, or classroom.

Frankincense is a splurge, and similar to Stress Away, in that it is used to relax and relieve stress, in the hopes of keeping anxiety at bay.  Simply opening the bottle and inhaling deeply offers me moments of stress relief. I add this oil to my daily face lotion and am able to enjoy the scent for several hours.  Due to its high cost, I use this oil sparingly, choosing to enjoy the scent when I need a moment to gather my thoughts or a quick pick me up.

 

Essential Oils for Anxiety that Assist in Sleep

There are times when anxiety impedes our sleep.  For those times, I have found a combination of Vetiver, Cedarwood, and Lavender diffused by the bed and rolled on our feet, lead to faster and deeper sleep.  Vetiver has a relaxing, earthy scent that combines well with the woodsy scent of Cedarwood and the sweet scent of lavender.  Although I use this combination for sleep, I know many people use this throughout the day to assist in calming the mind and body, especially in children.  

Lavender seems to be the most well-known oil for anxiety.  Its scent has a calming effect either individually or combined with other oils.  We add lavender to Epsom salt baths and place lavender on cotton balls near our pillows for relaxing sleep.  This one is a simple oil that most people enjoy. I prefer using the oils mentioned above, as I have had better results.

I recently learned that Nutmeg essential oil can be a great sleep aid, as it is in the same class as Ambien.  It can be diffused next to the bed, allowing for inhalation while falling asleep.  I have not tried this but I will be in the near future.

 

Give Essential Oils a Try

I encourage you to give essential oils a try.  I have been in your shoes, desperate to find relief, yet worried about using too many medications.  Please email me if you want more information on Young Living Essential Oils.  My friend Lindsay introduced me to Young Living oils.  If you have any questions, she would be happy to chat with you.  While she can definitely help you purchase your oils, she is more than happy to share her knowledge with you as well.   You can email her at adamslindsay@ymail.com.

 

 

Related:  Aimee at Mommy Baby Life has an article about essential oils to use for back to school. Check it out for some more uses of these amazing essential oils.

 If you have successfully used essential oils for anxiety, share your experience below.

*Disclaimer The information on this site has not been evaluated by the FDA or the TGA and is not to be taken as medical advice. I am not a doctor and only offer up the personal experience of my family. All material on this website is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this website, instead, readers should consult with the appropriate health professional in any matter relating to their health and well-being. Readers who fail to consult with the appropriate health professional assume the risk of any injuries.