We so often do anything we can to avoid feeling fear responses - yet ‘fear’ is a normal part of life. A fear response is a natural, protective mechanism of our nervous system in a moment that we feel unsafe - that is designed to serve us.  The challenge is, when it becomes a state that’s activated more commonly than being relaxed.  And, unfortunately, it is a state that our world has come to know well with its busy, chaotic fast pace of life. Life is overwhelming, we can feel anxiety and out of control - usually because our culture has valued ‘fast’ over ‘wellbeing’.

Living in a permanent state of fear, like this, impacts the body and mind. The good news is, essential oils offer a balm for fear, offering a natural way to support ourselves through these moments - they are a wonderful tool to help calm the nervous system, regulate our emotions and bring us back to centre.

So, during this summer season, as we’re in the midst of all the busy things - I thought it would be a great idea to explore some essential oils to gently support us through fear - not to get rid of it altogether, but to help us feel calmer, more relaxed and safer this summer.

Let’s speak to fear in the different ways it can show up.

Fear in the body - supporting the nervous system

When fear is triggered, it often shows itself through the body. There are some common physical symptoms:

• A tight chest or shallow breathing
• Restlessness - feeling jittery or unable to relax
• Sleep troubles
• Digestive discomfort
• Tension headaches

Any of these are signs that your nervous system is activated - often in fight, flight or freeze. Essential oils can gently bring your body back to a place of calm and regulation.

Some helpful oils for nervous system support include:

• Lavender - a floral oil that is deeply calming and ideal for soothing the mind and body before bed.
• Vetivert - a smokey, earthy, woody oil, known as the oil of ‘tranquility’ – it is grounding and stabilising when emotions feel heightened.
• Roman Chamomile - a strong, herby, fruity oil for gentle calming and soothing support.

When we are feeling activated, we can work with these oils to soothe our bodies through nervous system activation - and they work wonders to heal some of the physical manifestations of fear in the body.

Nervous System Blend: Mix 3 drops Lavender, 2 drops Chamomile and 1 drop Vetivert into 15ml Grapeseed oil and massage it softly into your skin in a direction towards the heart before bed, breathing deeply to inhale the aromas and tenderly inviting your body to relax.

Fear in the mind - easing anxiety around uncertainty

Fear often shows up in uncertainty - when we don’t know what’s coming (which actually is most of the time, because life isn’t predictable, even when we want it to be).  Whether we experience a change at work, a home move, the start of a new school year, or some other shift, uncertainty can trigger an anxiety-based ‘control’ fear response where we overthink, feel indecisive and can catastrophise.

As well as supporting the body and nervous system, in these moments, it’s helpful to also create a sense of mental safety - reminding the mind that we are supported.

Oils that can help us with ‘transitions’ and help our mind feel calmer include:

• Cedarwood - a dry, woody oil that brings a sense of grounded reassurance and mental calm.
• Patchouli - a musky-sweet, spicy herby oil, Patchouli is a soothing, balancing oil that reconnects us with the present moment and calms mental chatter.
• Bergamot - a light, fruity-sweet florally citrus that lifts heavy anxiety – often referred to as nature’s prozac.

We can work with these oils to calm our minds in moments of fear around uncertainty. 

Calming the Mind Blend: Mix 3 drops Bergamot, 2 drops Patchouli and 2 drops Cedarwood in water in an electrical diffuser or candle burner and start your morning with a calming sensory experience to offer a sense of safety!

Fear in our emotions - when fear drives what we do because we feel emotionally unsafe

Sometimes fear can take the wheel completely - especially when we feel emotionally unsafe.

We might:

• Say Yes when we want to say No
• Avoid conflict to keep the peace
• Try to control everything so nothing goes wrong, and we don’t have to feel grief
• Feel we need to be ‘perfect’
• Hold back from expressing our needs or feelings
• Pushing through when our bodies say ‘stop’, or
• Keep busy to avoid feeling

These behaviours are trying to protect us from our emotions, but they can also drain our energy and disconnect us from ourselves. 

There are oils that can help support us coming back to our emotional security and help us feel more emotionally held, reminding us we are supported and worthy:

• Ylang Ylang - and intense, exotic, sweet floral oil, this one softens emotions and calms the heart, helping us release emotional tension we’ve been holding.
• Geranium – with a heavy, sweet-floral aroma, this oil supports emotional balancing and regulation of big feelings.
• Rose - another floral (they’re all emotionally calming) - sweet, yet with deep rosy undertones, Rose helps us face and release difficult emotions.

Please note: avoid these if you are pregnant, without supervision of your GP and aromatherapist.

We can work with these oils in any moment we need some emotional support in times of fear.  Here’s a rollerball blend that you can create and take with you on the go:

Emotional Rollerball Blend: Mix 1 drop Ylang Ylang and 1 drop Geranium in 10ml of Grapeseed oil in a rollerball bottle. Carry this with you for any moment you need some emotional soothing, and roll onto your pulse points, or neck, to soothe yourself.

Other easy ways to harness essential oils for fear:

Here are some final tips for integrating aromatherapy into your days when you’re experiencing periods of fear:

• Mix up to 5 drops of your favourite ‘fear-busting’ oils into 15ml of Bath Oil or Shower Gel and add to the warm water of your bath.
• For a super quick boost, on the go, inhale oils directly from the bottle to soothe anxiety or overwhelm.
• Add 3 drops of your favourite fear-soothing oils to a cotton pad and roll it into an aromatherapy inhaler to carry with you!

Overall, though - it can be helpful to just remember that fear is a natural human response - and that there are also natural ways to support ourselves back to harmony with essential oil support.

We don’t have to push past our fear and ignore it - oils offer us a simple way to feel more grounded and safe, ease anxiety, steady our nervous system and reconnect to a sense of calm.  

When fear arises, reach for your oils, breathe and remind yourself of your power to create healing and be kind to yourself. The best bit is - we can experiment with oils! Play around and see which ones work for you.

Happy blending.

Nicole Barton
Consultant Aromatherapist

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