In today’s rapidly changing world, technology is at the forefront of evolution. In recent months, AI has been one of the most groundbreaking revolutions of all time - but that, and our digital connection in general - is also starting to come at a cost to our wellbeing, if we aren’t being responsible for our use of it.

Many of us are living in a permanent state of ‘plugged in’ - with constant emails, messages, notifications and endless scrolling or asking Chat GPT what to do.  And whilst I’m not anti-tech, because I believe it does contribute to our humanity’s growth, I am an advocate of balanced usage - and reconnection to the natural world, in order to keep ourselves grounded and healthy.

Sadly, most of us are using tech unconsciously, and so ‘digital overload’ has become a modern collective condition - we all feel it, often without realising.  And it’s more than just ‘screen time’ - it’s impacting our nervous systems, body, mind and spirit, leaving us anxious, disconnected and depleted of the energy we need to truly live.

Fortunately, aromatherapy is an embodied medicine that can bring us home to our balanced wellbeing - helping us to remember that we are part of nature, ground back into our bodies and reconnect to ourselves.  So, let’s explore how essential oils can help us detox digital overload!

How digital overload shows up

It’s helpful to begin by recognising the signs and symptoms of digital overload. There are emotions, physical symptoms and behaviours that can indicate we may need a digital detox.

Behaviours:

Firstly, digital overload shows up most recognisably in how we behave - including:

• Endless scrolling without intention
• Checking devices as soon as we wake up and before we go to bed
• Struggling to focus without checking our phones - with fractured attention
• Overworking, fuelled by a temptation to be ‘always available’
• Avoiding rest and stillness because it feels uncomfortable to be silent and not with a device.

Emotions:

If we are ticking off some of those behaviours, it’s likely we will also notice digital overload in our feelings. Too much screen time can leave us:

• Anxious - overstimulated with racing thoughts
• Irritable - angry and snappy at little things that we’d normally feel okay with
• Restless - unable to wind down, settle or relax
• Numb - shutting ourselves down emotionally
• Moody - on a rollercoaster between being ‘up’ and then crashing ‘down’.

Physicals:

Our bodies also feel the impact of this. If we are always using tech, we can feel:

• Tightness and tension - in the neck, shoulders, hips and jaw
• Headaches and eye strain
• Disrupted sleep from too much blue light
• Nervous system stress - which can lead to shallow breathing, and a feeling of always being on ‘alert’
• Fatigue and exhaustion - we can feel ‘wired’ and yet also ‘tired’.

All of these are signs that we could benefit from a digital detox - and essential oils can help us with this.

Essential oils to aid digital detox

We can use essential oils in many different ways for helping soothe digital overload - and really, we can tailor to our symptoms.  Whilst the behaviour patterning is yours to reduce or change - aka oils can’t stop us from practically using technology, so that job is yours - I’ll share oils below that can help us.  Below is a list of those essential oils that can support the physical changes as we detox - to help ground and release tension - those for the emotions - to calm an overstimulated mind - and those for the nervous system, to help restore regulation as we cut our usage and make it more conscious.

Support for the body

Our bodies hold the brunt of digital overload. One of the main things that can help the body during digital detox is to ground and release tension.  Oils that can support this are:

• Sweet Marjoram - a deeply soothing oil for muscles, easing physical tension from long hours at a screen
• Peppermint - a cooling, refreshing oil that supports tired muscles and enlivens our bodies and breathing
• Black Pepper - a gently warming oil that helps release tension 

Grounding Massage Blend: Mix 3 drops Sweet Marjoram, 2 drop Black Pepper and 1 drop Peppermint into 15ml of Grapeseed carrier oil and warm the oil in your hands before applying to your tense areas, stroking in a direction towards the heart (shoulders, neck and chest is commonly where we feel ‘tech tension’).

Bonus Ritual: When you’ve anointed yourself with this blend, I’d recommend taking yourself outside and lying down on the ground or with your back against a tree to fully ground yourself in nature and feel the earth holding you - this is a great way to connect and plug back into our natural rhythms.

Support for the emotions

When our emotions become impacted by technology, we need oils that can help us calm, balance our mood - and refocus. Oils that can support include:

• Bergamot - a beautiful citrusy sweet oil that calms anxiety, uplifts our mood and eases irritability
• Clary Sage - a natural soother, this oil regulates our emotional balance and soothes anxiety
• Rosemary - a stimulating wild-card oil here, this one is great for steadying our focus and clearing mental fog, so it’s a great oil to use for mental-emotional balance.

Clarity Diffuser Blend: Mix 3 drops Bergamot, 2 drops Clary Sage and 1 drop Rosemary into water in an electrical diffuser or candle burner and diffuse for 30 minutes as you take a break from technology to re-charge your mind. 

Bonus Ritual: Take a 30 minute tech-break. Let the aroma fill your space, breathe it in and take a moment to journal, answering: “where can I create more pockets of space from technology, so I can feel calmer, regulated and connected?”

Support for the nervous system

One of the hidden costs of using technology so frequently is that of our nervous system, so this support is arguably one of the most important things we can offer as a digital detox, because without it, we are constantly ‘wired’. Oils that ground us, anchor us to the now, and calm our frazzled nerves are vital, including:

• Frankincense - a calming oil, this one reconnects us to meditative stillness and to our breath
• Vetivert - a deeply grounding and nervous-system-soothing oil, this one calms restlessness
• Roman Chamomile - like a hug in a bottle, this oil helps soothe frazzled nerves, restoring a sense of calm and supporting sleep.

Calm Inhalation Blend: Pop 1 drop Frankincense, 1 drop Vetivert and 1 drop Roman Chamomile onto a cotton pad and roll it into an aromatherapy inhalator, to sniff ‘on the go’ during the day and reconnect you to a sense of inner calm and peace.

Bonus Ritual: Each time you use your inhalator, take 5 minutes to breathe long and deeply, inhaling the scent, and placing a hand on your heart, whilst repeating “I am safe to rest, the world can wait”.  You might like to work with the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique in moments of overwhelm to calm the nervous system by bringing you back to the present moment. Name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste, bringing your attention and awareness to the present moment. This gently brings you back to this moment, allowing your nervous system to relax, and bringing your awareness to your body and senses.

Overall, the invitation more broadly here is to begin to notice your relationship with your digital life - not with judgement (as is often the temptation), but with loving awareness, so that you can begin to then implement some of these practices to support you as you begin a digital detox. Essential oils cannot remove technology - but they can help us meet it more harmoniously, with choice and grounding and awareness.

Go gently - one oil and one ritual at a time. And remember - digital overload is not a failing; it’s a response to a culture where technology is overriding our bodies, and an opportunity to revisit our choice about that, and regulate our nervous systems, bodies and emotions.

Nicole Barton
Consultant Aromatherapist

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