Body & Fitness

Stress less, sleep well

Osteopath and naturopath Dr Bo Hendgen guides us through the best essential oils to restore calm and achieve deep, natural sleep.
Dr Bo Hendgen guides us through the best essential oils to achieve deep, natural sleep.

What to use: Pure and organic chamomile Roman, lavender true, sandalwood and mandarin essential oils, plus sweet almond oil.

Restore calm

Whether you’re a stay-at-home mum or a super city suit, pressures and expectations can drain your energy reserves. Never underestimate the restorative power of relaxation and learn how to avert a crisis.

Choose not to lose it:

Apply a drop of lavender true and/or sandalwood essential oil to pulse points in times of high stress and anxiety. Sandalwood is good if anger is part of your emotional fallout.

Work the down time:

Create your own restorative moment by diffusing one drop of chamomile Roman plus two drops each of sandalwood and lavender true and allow the relaxing aroma to deepen your breathing and promote inner calm. If 10 minutes is all you can manage, the lingering scent will help you to stay calm even as you return to the business at hand.

Beat road rage:

Being stuck in traffic can provoke the inner monster to feed on precious energy reserves. A drop or two of sandalwood and/or lavender true on your car headrest or shirt collar can help you to keep your cool in the most frustrating situations.

Meltdown make-over:

Children’s tantrums can be exhausting and horribly stressful. Keep lavender true on hand and inhale it deeply to help calm yourself, so you can remain supportive and present while your child deals with out-of-control feelings. When things start to subside, dab a drop on his/her collar to help support a return to restorative quiet.

Improve focus

Take a cat nap:

Studies show we work most efficiently and concentrate best in 40-minute intervals. Establish a more harmonious life rhythm by training your body to rest for effective short periods. Add one drop of chamomile Roman and two drops each of lavender true and sandalwood to a teaspoon of sweet almond oil and massage onto neck, wrists and ankles before reclining and closing your eyes for 10 to 20 minutes.

Support your best efforts:

Diffuse three drops of sandalwood, three of lavender true and three of mandarin to help create a work space that feels calmer, less stressful and more conducive to clear thinking. The benefit of a diffusion is that it can impact on the whole family or the larger workforce and really help to improve the overall vibe.

Sleep deeply

Modern life can make it hard to achieve the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Plant oils are proven to aid relaxation and promote effective slumber.

Relax into your evening:

As you shift into evening downtime, diffuse three drops each of sandalwood, lavender true and chamomile Roman and kick off your shoes.

Reduce family friction:

Add five to 10 drops of lavender true in the kids’ bath to help get them in the right space for a smooth bedtime transition.

Float away to the land of nod:

Add three drops of chamomile Roman to your own bath and a drop to your pillow.

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