I’ve never thought of using essential oils in the shower, because I wondered what the point would be since they’d be washed away.
At least not until a few days ago, when I watched a video on social media of people hanging eucalyptus leaves in the shower.
The oil released from the eucalyptus leaves, according to the various comments I read, would relieve anxiety and pain, fight inflammation, clear breathing passageways, keep colds away and heal respiratory ailments.
You’d have to roll out the leaves to help release the oil before hanging them in the shower.
Then, as I was scrolling, I saw a video of someone with a bottle of essential oil and they were pouring it on the shower floor.
Though I still had my doubts, I thought I’d give it a try anyway.
The steam became infused with eucalyptus, a smell that lingered in the bathroom for quite some time.
I’ve since done this on four consecutive days — in the morning and evening for two nights and only in the evenings for the other days.
I’ve seen little change, but maybe I need to use it a bit more. I’d like to see if it will lower my anxiety levels or do some of the things those who have used it say it will do.
Anxiety affects many of us. Whether you have a demanding job, are seeking employment, still in school or simply going about your life, anxiety can get too much.
Many, however, battle with anxiety and don’t even know they do, and whether it is normal or when it has become a disorder. More importantly, they don’t know what they can do about it or where they can get help.
The SA Depression and Anxiety Group recently unpacked anxiety and depression.
The discussion on social media platform Facebook saw those watching getting insights from clinical psychologist Dr Colinda Linde, who says anxiety is a common mental disorder.
“Anxiety, like any emotion, is just a part of the emotional lexicon. We’re happy, we’re sad, we’re anxious… Anxiety, like all emotions, is giving you a message that there could be danger. If we didn’t have anxiety, we wouldn’t be alive,” she says.
“If there’s a context for it [regular anxiety] and an appropriate level for the context, then anxiety is great. It is good for you... It is not necessarily a danger but say for example you’re doing a presentation; if you didn’t have anxiety, you’d quickly be thinking of something five minutes before. That’s not gonna be great.
“So, we need a bit of anxiety for performance... When it [anxiety] becomes a disorder is when you look at its impact. You look at its impact on quality of life and on functioning. When anxiety is persistent, especially if there isn’t really a trigger and it is way more for the situation... then we know there is a disorder there.”
Using essential oils to smooth out those anxiety disorders
Learn to ease that anxiousness with these simple techniques or simply phone for help when it all gets too much
Image: Madeleine Steinbach
I’ve never thought of using essential oils in the shower, because I wondered what the point would be since they’d be washed away.
At least not until a few days ago, when I watched a video on social media of people hanging eucalyptus leaves in the shower.
The oil released from the eucalyptus leaves, according to the various comments I read, would relieve anxiety and pain, fight inflammation, clear breathing passageways, keep colds away and heal respiratory ailments.
You’d have to roll out the leaves to help release the oil before hanging them in the shower.
Then, as I was scrolling, I saw a video of someone with a bottle of essential oil and they were pouring it on the shower floor.
Though I still had my doubts, I thought I’d give it a try anyway.
The steam became infused with eucalyptus, a smell that lingered in the bathroom for quite some time.
I’ve since done this on four consecutive days — in the morning and evening for two nights and only in the evenings for the other days.
I’ve seen little change, but maybe I need to use it a bit more. I’d like to see if it will lower my anxiety levels or do some of the things those who have used it say it will do.
Anxiety affects many of us. Whether you have a demanding job, are seeking employment, still in school or simply going about your life, anxiety can get too much.
Many, however, battle with anxiety and don’t even know they do, and whether it is normal or when it has become a disorder. More importantly, they don’t know what they can do about it or where they can get help.
The SA Depression and Anxiety Group recently unpacked anxiety and depression.
The discussion on social media platform Facebook saw those watching getting insights from clinical psychologist Dr Colinda Linde, who says anxiety is a common mental disorder.
“Anxiety, like any emotion, is just a part of the emotional lexicon. We’re happy, we’re sad, we’re anxious… Anxiety, like all emotions, is giving you a message that there could be danger. If we didn’t have anxiety, we wouldn’t be alive,” she says.
“If there’s a context for it [regular anxiety] and an appropriate level for the context, then anxiety is great. It is good for you... It is not necessarily a danger but say for example you’re doing a presentation; if you didn’t have anxiety, you’d quickly be thinking of something five minutes before. That’s not gonna be great.
“So, we need a bit of anxiety for performance... When it [anxiety] becomes a disorder is when you look at its impact. You look at its impact on quality of life and on functioning. When anxiety is persistent, especially if there isn’t really a trigger and it is way more for the situation... then we know there is a disorder there.”
Image: supplied
Linde says when anxiety goes untreated in the long term, like anything else, it will make one lose hope.
“That is a recipe for feeling helpless and getting depressed. With social anxiety, especially if it is a work context, you’re not doing presentations... that is often linked with substance abuse. Depression and substance abuse are the big two and certainly sleep. Sleep is a symptom of an anxiety disorder.”
She says anxiety can also impact one’s health and advises that one should do breathing exercises and practice relaxation techniques, focusing on the muscles, and lay off caffeine and sugar, exercise and get decent sleep.
If you or someone you know is having difficulties, you may contact Sadag on 0800-36-36-36, or WhatsApp 076-882-2775 for help.
Sidebar
Types of anxiety disorders:
Generalised anxiety disorder: Persistent, excessive worry about various aspects of life such as health, work and finances. These are often without a clear reason.
Panic disorder: Repeated, unexpected panic attacks with intense physical symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath and a racing heart.
Social anxiety disorder: An intense fear of being judged, embarrassed or humiliated in social situations or public settings.
Specific phobias: Strong, irrational fears of certain objects or situations such as heights, flying or spiders.
Agoraphobia: Intense fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult, such as crowds, open spaces or public transport. It is often linked with panic disorder.
Separation anxiety disorder: Extreme fear or anxiety about being away from loved ones. It is often more common in children but can affect adults too. — SA Depression and Anxiety Group
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