Essential Oils to Manage Mood Swings
You’ve been there…
The week before your period hits and all of a sudden you feel negative and snappy.
Your children are breathing down your neck.
Dog food that spilled on the floor.
And your husband left the cupboard open… again.
It’s like you’ve turned into a different person.
What the heck is going on?
Well, let’s start with the basics: Mood swings before your period are not normal. Increased anxiety, irritability, and fatigue are not normal.
They might be tolerated- but they certainly aren’t an indicator of healthy hormone function.
Phew. I feel better now that that’s out of the way.
So…
If they aren’t normal, then what is causing them to begin with?
Your hormones are chemical messengers that help cells in the body to carry out specific functions.
Progesterone, estrogen and testosterone all require 3 main processes in the body to be working in order for them to behave…aka, in order for you to not feel like a crazy pants the week before your period.
Healthy liver function: Your liver is responsible for eliminating excess estrogen, breaking it down through 3 different detox pathways, so that you can have a normal, painless, non-clotty period, and cycles without migraines.
Healthy gut-brain connection: Your gut and your brain are made from the same tissue in utero. That means that everything that affects your digestive tract (inflammation, bacterial overgrowth, stress) will also affect your body’s ability to make hormones at the right time of the month, AND those happy mood chemicals (neurotransmitters) That you need to feel calm, balanced and…. In control of yourself.
Adequate nutrition to nourish your production of estrogen and progesterone.
But sometimes… when we are working on addressing all of those root causes, we need a little help in the mood department so that we can get through our day without feeling overwhelmed, depressed and irritable.
Why essential oils?
Medicinal grade (therapeutic grade) essential oils, when grown, harvested and distilled properly contain nutritive properties that can balance neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and reduce cortisol.
When inhaled, oils work within minutes to get into the brain, bypassing the blood-brain barrier, and helping neurotransmitters (mood chemicals) to communicate better with each other.
Because plants are molecularly almost identical to our own cells, our bodies readily take them up and know what to do with them!
Who doesn’t want INSTANT improvement in mood?
I know I could have used this years ago.
Top 3 Essential Oils for Mood Support Before Your period:
Align: A blend of bergamot, coriander, marjoram, peppermint, geranium, base, rose and jasmine that does just what the name says - supports your body’s ability to calm down and relax from stressful events.
Cheer: As someone who had a history of depression and postpartum depression, I was skeptical that an oil could help with my pre-menstrual mood swings. But I gave it a shot and was very pleasantly surprised at how quickly it helped to balance my mood! Cheer is a blend of wild orange, star anise, ginger, bergamot, ylang ylang, frankincense, lemongrass, tonka bean and vanilla.
Lavender: For those of you who tend to feel really irritable, snappy and easily overwhelmed before your period- this oil is for you! Lavender and vanilla have both been shown in studies to support the production of dopamine and serotonin- so with consistent use, most people also notice improved mood long term! There are literally HUNDREDS of studies on the benefits of therapeutic grade lavender on stress, mood and energy levels.
Ready to get rid of the mood swings?
Grab your oils here!
To your wellness,
Andrea
PS. Want to take managing your mood to the next level with targeted nutrition? Check out our 3 Week Mood-Balancing Meal Guide for Women.
