Why essential oils?

This year I decided to make a big change in my classroom. I have been using essential oils in my home on a consistent basis for the last three to four years. They have made such a huge difference in my overall quality of life. In fact, they have become an essential part of my “essential self-care” routine. Keeping this in mind, I decided to bring them into my classroom on a regular basis this year.

At first, I was a bit concerned about how it would be perceived. I wasn’t sure if people would think it was weird or some type of “hocus pocus.” I also wasn’t sure if it would be okay to have fragrance in the room on a daily basis. However, as I thought about it, I needed to put those concerns in perspective with what I was hoping to accomplish.

The Goal

I thought about what wanted to accomplish by using essential oils on a daily basis. My main goal was the produce an environment of peace and calm. Many of the children I have had the privilege of serving over the years, come from homes where trauma impact is high. Their minds are preoccupied with concerns about what is happening at home. Many of these students also have focusing challenges which makes it hard for them to attend to tasks. While some may be on medication, there are a large number who are not on medication and exhibit some of the same focusing symptoms.

After doing some research, I have found out that there are certain essential oils that are great for producing a sense of peace and calm. A diffuser is the best option to dilute the oils in the classroom environment.  Here are my top 5 oils to use for calming.

1. Lavender              

Lavender is extremely popular for calming the body. Many people will use it at night to help them get into a deep restful sleep. You often find this scent in body lotion marketed to calm the body. It is thought to calm anxiety by impacting the part of the brain that controls emotions.

2. Frankincense     

Frankincense is a well-known oil with many benefits attributed to it. It is thought to promote restful sleep and ease anxiety. The only problem is that this oil is extremely expensive. I try to find oil blends that contain frankincense rather than buying it by itself. My thought is that the blend will contain enough to have a great benefit, but the cost is usually a bit less. Although, if you really want to buy it alone, it will probably last you a long time.

3. Lemon Balm      

Lemon balm has a wonderfully fresh scent. While there is not as much research about it helping anxiety, it’s uplifting fragrance is definitely a mood booster. It is a great oil to blend with some of the other options as well. I have recently used this as a base for a blend I am mixing myself and it has been very revitalizing and uplifting.

4. Orange             

Orange is another refreshing scent. Studies found that people did not have an increase in anxiety during an anxiety-inducing event when using this scent in the diffuser. It also just has a very awakening feel to it since it reminds you of peeling those oranges for breakfast in the morning.

5. Clary Sage       

Clary sage is known as a calming scent that can ease tension and reduce cortisol levels in women. While this may not have a direct impact on my students, I know this is a wonderful help to me. Reduced cortisol levels mean reduced stress in the body.

Blends

Sometimes I enjoy mixing my own essential oil concoctions. Other times, I would rather just purchase a blend that will do the trick.  I have a couple of blends that I have really enjoyed so far this year.

1. Rocky Mountain Oils Attention Assist    

This blend contains Vetiver, Frankincense, Lavender, and Cedarwood. It does have a somewhat woodsy, musky aroma. This is definitely a contrast to the more minty or citrusy scents, but it grew on me after using it for a couple of days. This blend is designed to help promote mental focus and calm and soothe emotions. All of those things were goals I had for my students.

2. Now Clean the Air         

This blend contains Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Hyssop, and Rosemary. This is one of the most refreshing blends I have used. You mainly smell the Peppermint and Eucalyptus and it really freshens up the stale air smell. I regularly use it in my home to freshen things up, particularly after letting the wet dog back in the house. I used it in the classroom at the beginning of the year when it smells like the room has been shut up all summer and whenever things get a strange odor that needs to be neutralized.

There are some other blends I have used in the past, but these two are by far my favorites. I began using essential oils primarily to help my students feel more of a sense of calm. While I believe this goal is being accomplished, using essential oils has had an even greater impact on me.

Helping the Teacher

There are times that you come to school and for whatever reason, you are on edge a bit. Maybe you haven’t had enough coffee or the traffic was exceptionally bad on the way in. Using the essential oils helps promote a sense of calm in myself. I often start my diffuser and take a few deep breathes to slow my heart rate and center myself.

Throughout the course of the day, there are times when you feel yourself start to get frustrated. Maybe the kids are fussing with each other or you have told them the same directions five times only to be asked “What are we supposed to do?” Sometimes they come back from recess or PE full of energy and you are just not feeling it. At times like these, I will have the kids come to the carpet and we all just take some deep breathes. I believe that it helps all of us to feel much calmer.

So, in addition to helping the students directly, diffusing essential oils also helps me to feel more of a sense of calm. I know that if I can keep my cool, I can deal with that student who is starting to escalate without making the situation worse. It also makes things feel like less of a big deal. The more calm I can stay, the calmer my kids are. We are all sending energy back and forth to each other and maintain a calm energy is a win-win situation for all of us.

Conclusion

If you are unsure whether to use essential oils in your classroom, I strongly encourage you to try it. This has made such a profound impact in my room that I have tried to get my coworkers to give it a try. It is another tool that you can add to your belt if nothing else and the worst that can happen is you stop to breathe more frequently. I am convinced that breathing is an excellent way to keep calm and you will be able to handle any situation that is thrown at you.