The wonderful thing about aromatherapy is that you can prepare it however you’d like choosing the smells that you like best. Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils (essences or extracts) from herbs, trees, and flowers to promote good health and well-being.

One of the key benefits of aromatherapy in treating anxiety is the immediate effect of aromatherapy without having to wait for the treatment to work its way into?your body. The main methods of administering aromatherapy include inhalation (most rapid), external application and ingestion. (First time users should follow directions carefully).

The next time your feeling stressed out, go to the nearest store where lavender and other essential oils and products are sold and do some smell testing. Your mind and body will really appreciate the positive benefits to mental and physical health and well-being.

Aromatherapy is convenient and straight forward. Sprinkle a few drops onto a handkerchief or tissue and inhale deeply to quell sudden stress and anxiety. Its not difficult to add a few drops of essential oil to a bath, to take a bottle of essential oil with you to the office, or keep a small sprayer in your pocket. It only takes a moment to massage lavender oil into skin. Using a scented candle, humidifier or diffuser you can circulate the scent throughout a room or house. De-stressing your environment, and making your home smell sumptuous and serving to abate mental stress.

Lavender is great for relaxation and improving mood. Just one drop near your ear lobes will do wonders. Rosemary is great for decreasing anxiety and simultaneously improving mental alertness. Lavender and Rosemary are not the only essential oils known to aid in the treatment of anxiety and stress. Other relaxation scents include Cedarwood, Clary Sage, Bergamont and Neroli, Lemongrass, Orange Blossom, Vanilla, and other floral fragrances. Chamomile, Sandalwood and Nutmeg appear to help for unwinding and de-stressing. Patchouli oil elevates mood. Lavender, Geranium and Patchouli together are reputed to relieve tension and anxiety while Melissa and Chamomile sooth nerves and acts as an anti-spasmodic. Other common and often used oils for treating anxiety and anger include: Cypress, Basil, Bergamot, frankincense, marjoram, hyssop, geranium, jasmine, juniper, melissa, and ylang-ylang. Roman Chamomile, Valerian, Gabatrol, GABA, and Lime are other essential oils that are great for the treatment of anxiety. They must all be used as per the directions of an Aroma therapist.

Cost isn’t a deterrent to using aromatherapy as a treatment for anxiety. Essential oils don’t have to be expensive. They are easy to find and don’t require prescriptions or a visit to the doctor or any other health care professional, for that matter, once you know what you are doing. Its certainly not going to be embarrassing being seen buying a bottle of Lavender or Rosemary oil.

Anyone who has ever experienced the physical symptoms of anxiety and stress will never forget the sheer terror that can overtake you.Sometimes you think you must be close to dying, and everything around you either seems to go into slow motion or speed up like a roller coaster.

Your body feels like it is in another dimension and seems to have a feeling of doom no matter that the circumstances are around you at the time.

Here are just a few of the signs of anxiety:

Feeling agitated

Being irritable

Feeling tense, especially muscle related

Hard time focusing on the task at hand

Chest tightness

Pain in the jaw

Headaches

Mouth dryness

Hard time sleeping

Indigestion

Fatigue

Stomach upset

Heart palpitations

Dizziness

Nausea

Lump in throat

Numbness/tingling

Shaking/trembling

Claustrophobic

Thinking you having a heart attack

Weakness

Grinding/gritting teeth

These are just a few of the symptoms you may experience. Of course, these symptoms can be signs of other medical conditions, to you should always consult with a doctor to make sure this is a stress issue. Take it from someone who has experienced all of these symptoms and came out the other side a better, stronger person. I have personally experienced anxiety and panic attacks, so I know exactly what they can do to your life, your mental state and even your relationships. Anxiety and panic does not have to overtake your life. Believe it or not, I am grateful for my years of dealing with anxiety and panic because I learned a lot about myself and became a stronger person. You can do that too!

It’s normal to feel down from time to time, but sometimes those feelings happen for no reason and won’t go away. Depression is more than just a short bout of the blues - it’s a condition that makes it hard to function and get through life. When you’re depressed, it’s easy to feel hopeless, but the right kind of treatment can help. However, you still need to understand the condition and determine what’s best for you. Let’s look at some of the signs of depression to help you discover whether or not it’s affecting your life.

Some of the signs of depression are having problems sleeping, or they sleep away most of the day. Tasks that used to be easy become difficult, and concentration can be tricky. Thoughts of helplessness and hopelessness are common, and many people have trouble controlling their negative thoughts. They may feel short tempered or irritable, or easily burst into tears. Lack of appetite and extreme over eating are also common. You may feel that life’s not worth living. These can all be depression signs.

Other signs of depression also manifests in the inability to enjoy things that used to be pleasant, a reduced sex drive, and significant changes in weight. If you lose or gain more than five percent of your body weight in a month, it’s considered significant. You may feel keyed up and agitated, or sluggish and slow. Making decisions, keeping track of things, and staying focused can be extremely difficult. You may feel strongly guilty or worthless, or overly criticize your errors and faults. Many people with depression signs find that small tasks take much longer or are very tiring.

Depressed teens and adolescents are often irritable, rather than sad, and may seem hostile. Unexplained pain is also common in depressed young people. Older adults are also likely to complain about physical symptoms, and may focus on them to the exclusion of the emotional signs. Poor health is extremely common in depressed older adults.

Women are twice as likely to be depressed as men, in part because of hormonal factors, but also possibly because of social factors. Women are more likely to overeat, gain weight, sleep too much and experience strong guilt, while depressed men are more likely to be aggressive, violent, reckless and to complain about lack of sleep or fatigue. Men are at a higher risk for suicide from depression than women.

So, if you have some of these signs of depression, what can you do? There are a number of options. Many people choose to see a professional about their depression, and this is a very good idea. However, you shouldn’t assume that being depressed or seeing someone for the problem means you have to take medication for it. Lifestyle changes, counseling, herbal remedies and many other methods are also available to help deal with depression, and for some people they work much better than conventional medication. Investigate all your options and find out what’s available, but make sure you do something!