Mental health is vital to a successful life. We often get so consumed by our convoluted lives that our health takes a back seat, which should be our main priority regardless of how busy our lives can get. Often times people feel that because we can’t see our health deteriorating, we’re fine and need to continue going through the motions, however, there are slight signs of health deterioration such as frequent headaches, excessive amounts of weight loss or gain, insomnia or sleeping too frequently, and a dramatic decrease in energy levels. Reasons for these signs of health deterioration can stem from massive amounts of stress, high tension levels, and a sense of no fulfillment or sadness. These are all pressures that we all feel at some point in our lives. Therefore, there is no such thing as a person who doesn’t experience levels of stress. We need to take care of our bodies and mental stability more than our grades, more than our friendships, more than our jobs and hobbies.

Older generations stress the importance of high academics, having well-rounded qualities, and achieving high levels of success. This leads to mental and physical health often being entirely ignored. It is our job to ensure our health despite our extremely busy lives. I know this period is a stressful time. The seniors are filling out college applications and making decisions that will impact the rest of their lives, while applying for scholarships, maintaining their current GPA and grades, along with studying for finals. The juniors are buckling down and studying for their SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), while keeping their grades high. After all, colleges look heavily at the sophomore and junior year grades. Sophomores, who are receiving their PSAT scores around this time, are entering into the realm of college prep and positioning themselves in a good place for colleges when they look at them a few years down the road. Lastly, our freshman are preparing for their first set of finals that require constant studying and focus. All of these groups are under immense amounts of pressure already. Therefore, family members and teacher should be encouraging self-care routines to assist their hard-working students on their journey to success.

Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic plant extracts and essential oils in massage or baths, along with an essential oil diffuser that releases various smells into the air that one can choose and alternate between to relate to their mood and calm their bodies. I personally own a eucalyptus oil that acts as a natural stress reliever and a peppermint one that helps releases happy thoughts and calming vibes. These oils along with candles and dispensers can be incredibly soothing and effective in positively altering the mood and energy of the human body.

Personally, whenever I feel stressed or simply not too good, I turn on my oil dispenser, light a candle, and take a eucalyptus bubble bath. This automatically calms me down, allows me to either fall asleep peacefully or turn my stress into a passion, and even better execute my assignments for that day. It ultimately results in a successful and productive day. Some may say these efforts are purely psychological and don’t really do much, however, I have experienced the benefit of self-care through aromatherapy, as have high-profile athletes and musicians like professional baseball player John Hamilton and the band Train’s lead singer Patrick Monahan. According to mevei.com, “some of the health benefits of aromatherapy include its ability to reduce anxiety, ease depression, boost energy levels, speed up the healing process, eliminate headaches, boost cognitive performance, induce sleep, strengthen the immune system, reduce pain, improve digestion and increase circulation.” Aromatherapy impacts the brain and “inhaling essential oils stimulates the olfactory system, the part of the brain connected to smell, including the nose and the brain. As the molecules reach the brain, they affect the limbic system, which is linked to the emotions, the heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress, and hormone balance”.

Therefore, Aromatherapy truly does have a beneficial effect on the betterment of human mental and physical health. The next time you walk into a Bath and Body Works or Bed Bath and Beyond, look for the essential oil section and invest in your self-care. After all, we already invest in $7.00 mechanical pencils every two weeks because we can’t manage to keep up with them, so you can take the time and small amount of money to invest in your body and mind. Keep up with your self-care, because you’ll see lasting benefits on your body’s overall health and mental stability.