We all experience stress, some of us more than others. It’s just part of life.

Stress can be caused by negative events such as the loss of a job or financial problems, or by positive ones such as a wedding or a promotion. While we can’t control the stressful events that come into our lives, we can choose to incorporate simple tools to help us better manage stress.  

One tool I find to be helpful for lowering stress is lavender. What I like about lavender is that it is simple to use, and it can be easily incorporated into everyday life. You can combine the use of lavender with other stress-relief tools. For instance, you can place a few drops of lavender essential oil in a diffuser and enjoy its relaxing aroma while you exercise, meditate, or journal.

What is Lavender?

Lavender (Lavandula) is a perennial plant with fragrant flowers valued for its soothing and healing properties. This versatile herb is widely used in the fragrance and cosmetic industries. Its sweet aroma and calming effect have encouraged its use in an extensive variety of products, from perfumes and air fresheners to bath salts, lotions, and even laundry detergents. However, its use and benefits are not limited to these industries. Lavender is also used in aromatherapy, alternative medicine, and gastronomy.

Availability

The wide availability of lavender makes it easy to incorporate in our daily lives. Lavender is available in many forms including ready-made self-care and cleaning products, dried leaves and flowers, essential oils, scented candles and culinary products, including tea. It’s important to choose high-quality products that use real lavender flowers or essential oils as opposed to chemicals and flavors in order to reap its health benefits.

Research on Lavender for Stress Management

In a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the September 2022 Complementary Therapies in Medicine Journal, twenty-one articles were reviewed on the effects of lavender on stress with a sample size of 791 people in the intervention group and 804 people in the control group. After analyzing the data, the researchers concluded that lavender significantly reduces stress and that it could be part of a stress management program.

In a study published in the April 2012 Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand, researchers studied 20 healthy volunteers and the effects of lavender oil inhalation on their autonomic nervous system, brain electrical activity and mood response. The researchers concluded that “The findings provided evidence of the relaxing effect of inhaling lavender oil.” (Sayorwan, et al.)

How to Use Lavender to Help Relieve Stress

• Place a few drops of lavender essential oil in a diffuser
• Place a drop or two of lavender essential oil in an essential oil diffuser necklace or bracelet
• Place a few drops of lavender essential oil in a car diffuser
• Use lavender aromatherapy candles, made with essential oils
• Use lavender foaming bath, bath salts or bath bombs in your tub
• Use lavender soap or shower steamers when you shower
• Use a lavender hand or body lotion
• Use a lavender body or massage oil
• Use a lavender body mist
• Use a lavender aromatherapy heat wrap or pillow
• Use a lavender sachet under your pillow
• Use a lavender pillow spray
• Use a lavender aromatherapy spray
• Use a lavender essential oil roll-on to apply lavender oil to your temples, behind your ears, the back of your wrist or the back of your neck
• Drink a cup of lavender tea

Remember that it’s important to choose good quality products that use the real plant or its essential oil to take full advantage of its health benefits.

Conclusion

There are a number of helpful tools that you can use to help manage your stress, giving you the opportunity to choose the ones that best fit your lifestyle. The first step; however, is making a commitment to take care of yourself and taking the time to do something for yourself on a daily basis, even if it’s a small thing like adding lavender to your daily routine in some form. Lavender alone may not make your stress magically disappear, but it’s an easy tool to incorporate into your daily life. Even if you use it for its floral scent you may find it actually has the added effect of helping to reduce stress, so why not give it a try?

Tina Ghavami, Mohsen Kazeminia, Fatemeh Rajati. The effect of lavender on stress in individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, Volume 68, 2022, 102832.

Sayorwan W, Siripornpanich V, Piriyapunyaporn T, Hongratanaworakit T, Kotchabhakdi N, Ruangrungsi N. The effects of lavender oil inhalation on emotional states, autonomic nervous system, and brain electrical activity. J Med Assoc Thai. 2012 Apr;95(4):598-606. PMID: 22612017.