Health & Beauty
The Power of Essential Oils: Clear Your Mind to Focus Better
Have you ever read a page just to realise that you didn’t actually read anything? Or have you ever felt like you can’t hear yourself thinking? Doing anything without focus is extremely difficult, or in some cases impossible. Whether it’s for working, studying, running errands, or just having a simple conversation, from time to time we need to clear our minds, so we can be present in the moment. However, though it comes easier for some people, many of us often have problems maintaining focus.
What Can You Do to Improve Focus?
Fortunately, there are many things you can try to improve your concentration, and most of those things are meant to help you improve your mental and physical health: stay away from social media, eat healthily, get quality sleep, exercise, etc. By leading a healthier lifestyle, you can be more relaxed, and being calm and relaxed will help your mind to become more alert and present, which in turn will allow you stay focused on the task at hand.
Meditation, aromatherapy and other practices, as well as hobbies such as knitting or colouring, that can help us relax are the best medicine for focus. Many things can get our minds blurred. We can lose focus because of being stressed, tired, in pain, uncomfortable, even being happy or in love. So, in other words, the best way to stay focused is to ease your mind. Since our olfactory system is so sensitive, we can use it to help our body and mind relax, and some essential oils, aside from positively affecting us with their pleasant smells, offer healing properties that can promote stress relief, relaxation and even clarity, mindfulness and focus.
How Can Aromatherapy Help You Stay Focused?
We all know how easily and strongly smells affect us. They provoke an emotional reaction in us, they have the ability to remind us of something, to transport us to a place, a dear person, or a moment in time. This is because our sense of smell is incredibly complex, and it has a direct connection to the brain, allowing us to detect and recognise an incredible number of different scents. Aromatherapy takes advantage of this ability we possess, and this is why an effective essential oil focus blend can quiet down your mind and give you the peace you need to stay present.
There are many different ways in which you can use essential oils for their mental and physical health benefits. You can smell them directly from the bottle, you can add a few drops in a candle diffuser, or diffuse them with an aromatherapy diffuser or vaporiser, or apply them directly on your skin with a roller bottle. Whichever way you choose to use them, there are some essential oils and blends that can be very helpful if you are intending to improve your ability to stay focused.
Best Essential Oils for Focus
Essential oil focus blends often contain some of the essential oils known to help against anxiety and depression, oils that promote relaxation, mindfulness, motivation etc., like lavender, neroli, frankincense, peppermint, etc. By relieving stress-related mental issues, these essential oils can be useful if you are having a problem getting focused. Furthermore, there are some essential oils, like citrus fruit, rosemary, ylang ylang, basil, lemongrass, eucalyptus… that have properties that can help us concentrate more directly, by promoting clarity, mindfulness, improving memory and mental performance.
Citrus Fruits Essential Oils
Oils extracted from citrus fruits, like lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, bitter orange, etc. are often used on their own or in essential oil blends for their ability to promote clarity, and focus, as well as to relieve stress and improve cognitive abilities. And apart from making your work easier, citrus fruits essential oils can boost wake you up, keeping you alert and give you energy.
Rosemary Essential Oil
Rosemary essential oil is also often used in aromatherapy for focus, with its light, pleasant smell. It’s also believed to improve the blood flow, which is also related to our cognitive abilities since better blood circulation means more oxygen in our brains.
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Often used in aromatherapy for its mental health benefits, ylang ylang essential oil helps alleviate stress and anxiety and it promotes relaxation. Since we often lose focus because of stress and anxiety, this essential oil can indirectly help you stay mindful and focused.
Peppermint Essential Oil
One of the most popular essential oil used for its mental health benefits, peppermint essential oil can help you to improve concentration, focus, as well as boost your energy. Peppermint oil is believed to also improve memory and to promote cognitive awareness.
Lemongrass Essential Oil
With its refreshing scent, lemongrass is another essential oil that’s believed to be effective in promoting better concentration. This focus essential oil is believed to have purifying properties, which is why it’s often used in cosmetics products, and for massages.