School Stress? Essential Oils Can Help.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed with school stress. Whether you’re cramming for a Trig final or concerned about your 5^th grader’s worry over that report on the Brazilian Rainforest—it seems school work and stress of go hand-in-hand. 

First thing to do: sit down, take a deep breath, and consider the value to staying balanced. You can be your own worst enemy when it comes to study habits. Obsessing is, well, obsessive. On the other hand, procrastination just sets you up for panic down the line. Either mistake can cause you to lose sleep—literally.  

The good news is, anytime you’re up against school stress, essential oils can help.

In this article we’ll discuss:

• What are essential oils?
• What is a good essential oil for studying?
• What essential oil helps with focus and concentration?
• Which essential oil is best for memory?
• Which essential oil is best for sleep?
• What’s the best way to use essential oils for school stress?

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants. Some come from blossoms. Others come from the plant’s seeds, bark, or even roots. Regardless, they all have a unique aromatic compound. That’s why essential oils are the basis of “aroma” therapy.

Harvesting essential oil from plants requires a distillation process that can involve steam, water, or both. Sometimes essential oil manufacturers use a mechanical method called cold pressing to extract the essential oils.

After extraction, the oils can be used in various ways. Some people like to mix them into pharmaceutical grade almond oil or shea butter, and then apply them directly to their skin. Others prefer to use an aromatherapy diffuser (easily purchased online) that combines the oils with water to produce aromatic vapors that get effortlessly inhaled indoors.

What is a good essential oil for studying?

If you’re a student at any stage in your education, you probably spend a lot of time studying. Everyone’s studying habits differ, so what works best for you might not be a good solution for someone else.

For instance, some people wait until the last minute to review for a big test because they work better under pressure. They know they’ll focus better if there is an urgency in the matter.

Others prefer to review their notes in small chunks over days or weeks to feel ready for an exam or other important assignment.

The essential oil you choose for studying depends entirely on your study methods. It also depends on your personality and whether you tend to be anxious about schoolwork.

What essential oil helps with focus and concentration?

Concentration can be elusive, especially when you’d rather be doing anything other than studying. A neurological disorder like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can further complicate things.

If you’re looking for the best performer among essential oils for improving your concentration, then peppermint is the way to go. Researchers at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia conducted an interesting study on the cognitive effects of peppermint essential oil using the WJU rugby team.

What WJU discovered was giving some of the players mouthguards with peppermint essential oil improved their concentration on the game.

One essential oil to avoid if you’re hoping to improve concentration and focus is Ylang-ylang. Derived from the ylang ylang flower of the Cananga tree, this essential oil is best known for lowering blood pressure and decreasing heart rate. While that might be good for keeping you calm, it’s also a recipe for disaster if you want to stay awake and focus on your studies.

Which essential oil is best for memory?

Rosemary essential oil comes out on top if your goal is to improve your short-term memory (that can come in handy when studying). Several other studies confirm that simply inhaling rosemary essential oil improves your cognitive abilities.

Another essential oil that boosts your cognition is frankincense oil. One study revealed it can support spatial memory retention, which certainly is good news when you’re trying to recall pages of important content for a test.

Which essential oil is best for sleep?

Sometimes you’re so anxious about a test or class presentation that you have difficulty sleeping. A lack of quality sleep has been linked to poor performance at school.

The good news is that the right essential oils can promote a restful night’s sleep. We already mentioned the sedative effects of ylang ylang. Lavender essential oil is another effective way to achieve restful sleep. 

Lavender has calming effects, according to this study which revealed it can improve sleep duration and quality. That makes it a valuable tool in your studying toolkit. Inhale its calming aroma before bed to:

• Encourage faster sleep.
• Promote drowsiness.
• Relieve insomnia.
• Support deeper sleep.

What’s the best way to use essential oils for school stress?

One of the most effective ways to use essential oils is to inhale them directly. Pocket-size inhalers come in handy here. Just like those old-fashioned Vicks Vapo inhalers, they typically contain a cotton spine that has been soaked in specific essential oils. You simply unscrew the cap, place the inhaler base under each nostril and inhale two of three times on each side.

Using an aromatherapy inhaler taps into your limbic system, which plays a role in your behaviors, emotions, and long-term memory – the trifecta of effective studying.

Amazing-Solutions created a line of Aromaworks Aromatherapy essential oil inhalers you can use safely. Whether you need to stay alert for an all-night study session, relax enough to stay focused during an exam, or want help falling asleep the night before a big presentation in class, we’ve got you covered. 

Note: Essential oils are safe to use as often as needed. Safe to use with prescription drugs. Safe for adults, teens, and children ages 5 and up.

Caution: Essential oils of basil, eucalyptus, lemon, marjoram, peppermint, and sage should not be used while pregnant.

Sources [H2]

About Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. genome.gov. Accessed October 15, 2022.

Effects of Ylang-Ylang aroma on blood pressure and heart rate in healthy men. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed October 15, 2022.

Health benefits of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). journalofsports.com. Accessed October 15, 2022.

How to Use Carrier Oils. healthline.com. Accessed October 15, 2022.

Improve Your Child’s School Performance With a Good Night’s Sleep. sleepfoundation.org. Accessed October 15, 2022.

Modulation of cognitive performance and mood by aromas of peppermint and ylang-ylang. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed October 15, 2022.

The effect of the essential oils of lavender and rosemary on the human short-term memory. sciencedirect.com. Accessed October 15, 2022.

The limbic system. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed October 15, 2022.

Therapeutic effect of frankincense in a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed October 15, 2022.

To What Extent Do Study Habits Relate to Performance? ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed October 15, 2022.

WJU Looks to Peppermint, Its Effect on Athletic Performance. theintelligencer.net. Accessed October 15, 2022.

Shari Berg is a researcher, frequent blogger, feature writer, and author of Wars End with Me.