The term Emotion generally refers to an immediate response when we anticipate or experience rewarding or punishing events or stimuli. Since they are stimulus or event driven, they tend to be short-lived, and we subconsciously classify them as being either good or bad emotions.
Back in 2015, I wrote The Essential Oils of The Mind Body Spirit. It was an instant bestseller and has remained the most popular of all the books I have written. You can find it on Amazon if you’d like to read more about how essential oils affect mood, but in it, I talk about the Eight Primary Emotions theory.
The theory, first founded by Psychologist Robert Plutchik, says we are all born with eight emotions hard wired into our brains. That wiring means that the body reacts in predictable ways, and that we are all subject to certain urges when particular emotions arise.
The Eight Primary Emotions
The theory was first developed in the 1980s and has been expanded over recent years to bring in a few more. The full list of primary emotions has now grown from the original eight to become:
- Joy
- Happiness
- Satisfaction
- Fulfillment
- Contentment
- Peace
- Fear
- Shame
- Sadness
- Hurt
- Guilt
- Frustration
- Dissatisfaction
- Disappointment
Primary emotions happen instantaneously. They are swift and respond to them automatically. We notice a car coming at us, for example and fear jolts us out of our trance to ensure we move out of the way. Our bodies react unconsciously forcing us to move quickly.
I find it interesting that both positive and positive and negative emotions appear on the list. Indeed, Psychiatrists are keen to stress that there are no feelings that should not be expressed. Clearly though, whether you should act upon some of them is a different matter!
Every emotion has value. They show us aspects of our personality and inform why we act in the ways we do. They dictate our responses and inform the way we think. Tomorrow’s thoughts and actions all derive from how we choose to respond to these emotions today.
To reiterate, if Psychologists are to be believed, problems begin when we begin editing ourselves to decide what’s appropriate to feel or not. All those societal constructs and lessons we have learnt from parents, from school, cultural associations become intertwined and our inner voice starts working overtime.
Rumination now, there’s a word!
No-one really says it any more do they?
I’m resurrecting it!
Primary Emotions Become Secondary Emotions
Rumination seems to be at the seat of all our troubles. That niggling jumble that turns things over in our minds, squabbling as to what we should or should not think. As they churn, primary emotions change. Over time, those which have not been effectively expressed, gradually merge into secondary emotions.
Disapproval, disdain, hatred, coldness, hostility, persecution complex and paranoia. Distrust, jealousy, worry, anxiety, insecurity, low self esteem, self-hatred, depression, anger and rage.
Festering emotions sit stagnant in our systems, polluting our psyche and preventing easy flow of energy. When we talk about emotions being at the seat of most illnesses, it is these which create the rancid pus sitting beneath much is-ease.
To intervene in an emotional /health situation, it’s so important to pay close attention to thought patterns. Give them room to move, to drift and be acknowledged.
And then to intentionally change them.
To recognise when you are under the influence of a fear pattern and to begin to regain some control.
The key is to learn to isolate emotions in terms of some kind of time scale.
Remember
Primary emotions happen immediately after an event.
These change within minutes, morphing into secondary emotions. The problem is though, these mask the initial response makes it more difficult to identify what true emotion is at play.
It’s hidden deeper beneath the secondary feelings.
So, just when we’re starting to gain an understanding of what is going on, Plutchick put another layer in.
Of course, he did!
Tertiary Emotions
Neurotransmitters flood the system as our thoughts reinforce the anger of the secondary emotions.
Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to stop your mind going over and over things as a means of reinforcing your enraged world view?
That’s because the body actually becomes addicted to those neurotransmitters. It keeps creating the same response over and over, so it can get another fix.
Read that again.
Now ponder at the wonder of nature in helping us to develop such strong emotional habits from such a very early age.
Learning to center your emotions is vital.
Likewise, contemplating which fundamental emotions cause you stress, as an individual can be very helpful. Once that has been ascertained, it becomes simpler to choose oils to move emotions onto healthier places.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood
Interestingly, if you look at mood from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, the more volatile we are, the more yang energy is seen as flowing through the body.
Yang is hot, fierce and active.
Yin energy is passive, receptive and yielding. Whilst there are varying degrees of it, and some Essential Oils do have a slightly Yang nature to them, the majority of plant medicines have a yin element to them. This might explain why they are so good at settling us down.
A Note on Safety Before We Go Into The Specific Essential Oils for Uplifting Mood
I have not included any safety data on any of the oils in the posts, since the listing process was complicated enough and I feel it would only add to confusion for the reader. Please refer to The Complete Guide for Clinical Aromatherapy and Essential Oils for the Physical Body for full safety data on specific oils. This is available as a free resource on many ebook platforms.
Fellow Aromatherapist Patricia Davis states that the lighter the dilution used of an oil, the more likely it is to act on the emotional body, as opposed to the physical one. I agree with this, and would suggest that, in all cases, the best way to affect mood is through inhalation.
Simply add one drop of essential oil to a tissue, use an aromapendant, or sniffy stick, and simply inhale the oil for between five to fifteen minutes daily.
Please do not use any Essential Oils in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy, topically or inhaled. Avoid Rose, Myrrh, Jasmine and Clary Sage during the first 37 weeks too.
Essential Oils for Uplifting Mood - Inspiring Positive Emotions
Essential Oils to Inspire Love
Rose
The quintessential elixir of love. Associated with love goddesses since the dawn of time, our brains are hardwired to recognise the connection between the fragrance of a Rose and feeling a surge of love. This is romantic love, but it’s also worth remembering that many of these love goddesses were also war deities. Passionate love, but the scent of Rose also has an anti-conflict action to it. When days are tense and bickery, it’s a tremendous oil to use. Heart opening and soothing.
Rose is also a great help for new moms struggling to bond with their children. Melissa Essential Oil is also great for this. Rose is an expensive oil however so you could also try Geranium Essential Oil which has the same softness and romance.
Geranium
Easily passed off as a poor man’s Rose, but that sells it short. It is amazing for stress, particularly for money worries, but also helpful when you are struggling with relationship difficulties.
Jasmine Absolute
There is an old Sanskrit saying that says “Where there is Jasmine, there can be no worries”. Certainly in the case of romance, that must be true.
Nicknamed Queen of the Night, the Jasmine plant coaxes moths and pollinators to fertilize her. She climbs, wraps her tendrils around anything she finds and clings on. Uninhibited, sensual and languid, Jasmine lures even the most tense person into her embrace.
Neroli
Traditionally Neroli or Orange Blossom as it is sometimes more helpfully known, is used as a wedding flower. Its white blooms have a light, sweet and powdery fragrance that relaxes, soothes and calms. There is an innocence to Neroli, where everything feels like the first time, a tender moment that has been eagerly anticipated and nervously waited for. It’s curious, open and pure.
Although it does have the feeling of a doe eyed ingenue, Neroli is particularly helpful for older women, when they are going through the change. It’s as if it chases away their cynicism and settles their mood.
The secondary emotions of love are affection, lust and longing.
Essential Oils to Inspire Affection
Cypress
Expressive, Joyous and Light
Lavender
Gentle and Easy
Mandarin
Jovial, Chatty and Easy
Ylang Ylang
Harmonious, Euphoric and Balanced (somewhat Aphrodisiac)
Tertiary emotions that can grow from affection are
Adoration, liking, attraction, caring, tenderness, compassion and sentimentality.
Essential Oils to Inspire Adoration
Ylang Ylang
Euphoric, Entrancing and Bewitching
Rose
Full of Love and Open Heartedness
Jasmine Absolute
Aphrodisiac, Uninhibiting and Beguiling
Sandalwood
Binding, Relaxing and Meditative
Essential Oils to Inspire Likeability
Mandarin
Chatty, Easy and Conversational
Lime
Zesty, Sprightly and Fun
Palmarosa
Amiable and Inviting
Essential Oils to Inspire Attraction
Palmarosa
Intriguing and Curious
Rose
The Ultimate Love Token
Ylang Ylang
Sensuous and Inviting
Sandalwood
Masculine and Soothing
Patchouli
Gritty, Masculine and Reassuring
Essential Oils to Inspire Caring
Lavender
Gentle and Soothing
Melissa
Restorative when caring for someone is difficult
Fennel
Provides stamina for the long haul
Essential Oils to Inspire Tenderness
Monarda
Delicate. The softest touch. Has an affinity with babies and also people who have decided they want time on their own.
Lavender
Kind and Considerate
Neroli
Soft and tender Love
Fennel
Carefulness that stands the Distance
Essential Oils to Inspire Compassion
Hemp
Helps to see someone else’s side
Neroli
Softness
Rose
Love
Spearmint
Particularly helpful when dealing with kids and teenager
Celery Seed
Helps bonding. Lovely for struggling parent and child relationships and new moms.
Essential Oils to Inspire Sentimentality
I can’t see a reason you would want to inspire this, so there are no oils listed.
Essential Oil to Curb Lust
Marjoram
If there is a need to curb the lust or infatuation for some reason. Enforced celibacy, for example. Marjoram is anaphrodisiac - this is, it puts you off it.
The tertiary emotions arising from lust are: arousal, desire, lust, passion and infatuation.
Essential Oils to Inspire Arousal
Jasmine Absolute
Luscious, juicy, lascivious and free
Ylang Ylang
Entrancing and inviting
Patchouli
All about the body. Thoughts just leave the room.
Sandalwood
Meditative, tantric, arousing.
Agarwood
Sacred, focuses all the energy in the pelvis
Tuberose
Seductive. Expert, like a courtesan.
Essential Oils for Uplifting Mood when You feel the Pangs of Longing.
Marjoram
To curb sexual longing.
There are no tertiary emotions to longing.
Essential Oils to Inspire Joy
Bergamot
Is top of the list but any of your oils that are high in aldehydes. Some good examples would be
Lemon Eucalyptus (80% aldehyde content)
Like a breath of fresh air blowing through your soul. It opens both the lungs and heart space as well as sending the spirit soaring.
Lemongrass (80% aldehyde content)
So full of adventure and possibilities. Lemongrass is eager and delighted with life. It helps you see possibilities where you would swear there had been none. It’s not just a solution finder, but one that makes you feel like a wizard, a hopeful inventor, a soothsayer maybe! Not just An Answer, but surely THE answer that transforms darkness into light. Who knows how you found the secret passage through the obstacles holding you back. Hard to explain, but if ever miracles were possible, they would, most assuredly, be flying on the coattails of lemongrass
May Chang
Whimsical, light, playful, almost fairylike.
Melissa (50%)
Uplifting, happily nostalgic. Makes life feel like you have purpose and reason.
Lemon
Mood balancing, happy, content, light hearted. Has a story teller feel to it, as if it were telling tales of giants and long lost treasure. Lots of wide eyed excitement and gasping!
Grapefruit
Bold, brassy, not a care in the world. Grapefruit has a naughtiness to it. Mischief, minx-hood!
The secondary emotions deriving from joy are cheerfulness, zest, contentment, pride, optimism, enthrallment and relief.
Essential Oils to Inspire Cheerfulness
The tertiary emotions that come from being cheerful are: amusement, bliss, gaiety, glee, jolliness, joviality, joy, delight, enjoyment, gladness, happiness, jubilation, elation, satisfaction, ecstasy and euphoria.
Essential Oils to Inspire Amusement
Mandarin
Creates a party-like atmosphere.
Palmarosa
Gentle happiness. Delight
Essential Oils to Inspire Zest
All the citruses!
Rosemary
Quite bossy. Has command of things. Enthusiastic.
Sweet Basil
Not so much zest, as I’m a bit too scared to do otherwise. Procrastinate? You wouldn’t dare!
The tertiary emotions that inspire from zest are: enthusiasm, zeal, excitement, thrill & exhilaration.
Essential Oils to Inspire Enthusiasm
The same as for zest: Rosemary, Sweet Basil or Citruses.
Essential Oils to Curb Zeal
(Does it feel like a negative emotion? Can lead bad places, I think)
Hemp
Helps you see other perspectives.
Ylang Ylang
Always about the balance.
Essential Oils to Inspire Excitement, Thrill & Exhilaration
Cinnamon
Must be something about holiday memories, I think!
Peppermint
Whips cold through your spirit, as if you had bungee jumped!
Grapefruit
Confident, sassy, exuberant. Couldn’t give a flying.
Lime
Bubbling over with anticipation. Feels like it is nervously giggling on a rollercoaster before it begins!
Essential Oils to Inspire Elation
Clary Sage
Heady and euphoric. However, be careful not to overuse it. It can make you feel a little nauseous, and it really doesn’t go nicely with alcohol
Essential Oils to Inspire Excitement
Lemon
Uplifting
Ylang Ylang
Heady and euphoric
Essential Oils to Inspire Contentment
Cardamom
Feels like a bedouin feast on holiday. Warm and relaxed after all the sweet foods, in the warm evening air, under the moon. Cardamon asks you to sit and survey how far you’ve come.
Camomile Maroc
So calm and relaxed. It’s like idling on a swing with your feet still on the floor.
Caraway
Makes you feel very at peace with life,
Silver Fir
Happiness to "just be" (or just bee). Minding your own business. Buzzing around merrily, just doing your thang.
The tertiary emotion of contentment is pleasure.
I’ll leave you to work out how you define pleasure in oils yourself. I’ll be heading up to arousal ;) Hoho.
Essential Oils to Inspire Pride
Cardamom
Look at what I’ve achieved.
Essential Oils to Inspire Feelings of Triumph
Sweet Orange
Seeing what you are capable of.
Red Thyme
Feeling happy with one’s place in life
Essential Oils to Inspire Optimism
Any citrus oils
The tertiary emotions of optimism are eagerness and hope
Essential Oils to Inspire Eagerness
Rosemary
Careful, it can be like a bull in a china shop! Come on, if you think you’re hard enough!
Grapefruit
Bring it on!
Essential Oils to Inspire Hope
Citronella
Bright with a spring in its step.
Spikenard
Faith when it feels like all hope is gone.
Essential Oils to Inspire Enthrallment
The tertiary emotion that emerges from being enthralled is rapture.
Garlic
Tackles boredom. Helps take mediocrity of life in one's stride. There is an essential oil, but use it at your peril! It’s like a toxin that can escape from any receptacle you try to store it in! Sniff a bulb of it instead, or even release the fragrance through cooking.
Fennel
Overcomes boredom, brings perseverance & motivation.
Melissa
Engulfs your mind and draws you in. Has a very weird relationship with time. Keep an eye on the clock, or all may be lost!
Caraway
Helps the day ebb away
Essential Oils to Inspire Relief
Geranium
It lets cares just lift away. Carries the weight off your shoulders.
Yarrow
An end to the battle.
Essential Oils to Inspire Serenity
Cedarwood
Chases away negative thoughts
Sandalwood
Peaceful and meditative
Essential Oils for Uplifting Mood On Bad Days
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Anger
Ylang Ylang
To quell anger and regain balance and perspective. Ylang ylang essential oils helps you to "let go".
Left unchecked, anger can evolve into irritation, exasperation, rage, disgust, envy, torment.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Irritation
Camomile Roman
For someone who seems riddled with annoyance.
Sandalwood
Easily irritated and irascible
Tertiary emotions from being irritated are aggravation, agitation, annoyance, grouchiness and grumpiness.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Aggravation
Myrrh
Soothing and philosophical. Godlike and divine.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Agitation
Geranium
Who’s got time for this? I just want to lie here and chill.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Annoyance
Rose
Softens the heart and makes you smile.
Vetiver
Grounding and sagelike. Full of ancient wisdom and patience. If Yoda was an essential oil, he’d be vetiver!
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Grouchiness
Melissa
Softens the mood. Helps you remember the good times.
Grapefruit
“F*ck it! Whatever!” Shake it off with some playful mischief.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Grumpiness
Sweet Orange
Smiling becomes pretty impossible to resist.
A Secondary Emotion of Anger is Exasperation
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Exasperation
Lavender
Soothing and relaxing.
Mandarin
Too busy having fun to be bothered
The tertiary emotion deriving from exasperation is frustration
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Frustration
Star Anise
Eases frustration
Niaouli
Instills patience
Citronella
Removes creative blocks
Jasmine Absolute
Sexual problems and frustration
Marjoram
Enforced celibacy
Rage is a secondary emotion of anger.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Rage
Helichrysum
For unchecked trauma
Spikenard
God has deserted me
Valerian
Numbs the heat
Cedarwood
Negates the fury
Over time, rage becomes outrage, fury, wrath, ferocity, and hostility.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Outrage
Chamomile Roman
Takes the edge off
Mandarin
Makes things feel lighter
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Fury
Jasmine Absolute
Cools the burning rage.
Frankincense
Slows the breath
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Wrath
Monarda
For the full force of such a hot, angry, yang energy, the most yin oil is Monarda
Also try Bergamot or Cardamom
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Hostility
Choose heart chakra oils that allow the energy of love to keep flowing. Hostility comes when we start to shut down from people
Rose
Softens the heart, and lifts depression.
Geranium
Warms coldness and brings a pink prettiness to the mind.
Clary Sage
Particularly if hormones are driving it.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Ferocity
Monarda
it’s like gently pouring cooling water to douse the flames.
Mandarin
Makes the mood and personality a little lighter.
Clary Sage
If there is a hormonal aspect to it.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Bitterness
Ylang Ylang
Just let it go
Hemp
Try seeing it from someone else's point of view.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Hate
Nutmeg
Soft, warming and bonding.
Palmarosa
Gentle, amiable, accepting.
Patchouli
Pushes negative thoughts from the mind.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood Scorn
Lemongrass
The oil always says “What if”. What if it were me? Brings compassion and acceptance.
Melissa
Gentle, forgiving and generous. Although, Melissa means bee, so be careful you don’t lash anyone with your venom, because remember, stings kill bees.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Spite
Tangerine
Makes you forget why you were so annoyed in the first place. Helps you get on with the world.
Rosemary
Helps you to stand up to people being spiteful to you.
Sweet Basil
Says “Get out of your head.” Just do what needs to be done. Be careful with this one. She is never subtle. Choose your words carefully.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Vengefulness
Sage*** Prevents self sabotaging.
(*** Inhalation only. Also high levels of ketones would make it inappropriate for anyone suffering from epilepsy, pregnancy or any kind of psychotic disorder.)
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Dislike
Mandarin
Makes conversation easier and lighter.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Resentment
Ginger
Warms the coldness of rage.
Another secondary emotion of anger is disgust
Use the sweetness of citrus oils.
Tertiary emotions that evolve from being disgusted by someone or something are: revulsion, contempt, loathing and suffering
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Revulsion
Jasmine Absolute
This is particularly useful for anyone who has suffered abuse or sexual trauma.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Contempt
Hemp
Helps you to see someone else’s point of view
Rose
Brings down the divinity and healing of love
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood-Loathing
Eucalyptus
Softens the mind. Distracting.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood- Suffering
Valerian
Numbs the pain
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Disgust
Violet Leaf Absolute
Opens areas of the mind that have been closed
Anger Secondary Emotion Envy
The tertiary emotions that evolve from feeling envious are revulsion, contempt, jealousy and loathing.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Revulsion
Rose
Softens the heart
Vetiver
Grounds
YlangYlang
Balances
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Contempt
Tangerine
Cuts through spite
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood Loathing
Sandalwood
Has a beneficence to it. Lends kindness.
Neroli
Gentle and yielding
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood Jealousy
Ylang Ylang
Helps you let go. It is a wonderful oil for jealousy.
Anger Secondary Emotion: Torment
Valerian
Helps a person hide from their problems temporarily
Camomile Maroc
Let’s you shrink down under problems and trust that what will be, will be.
Rose Otto
Serene calm, amidst the madness.
You’ll be relieved to know that torment has no tertiary emotions!
Primary Emotion Sadness
The Secondary Emotions can can evolve from sadness, over time are:
Suffering, sadness, disappointment, shame, neglect, despair.
Essential Oils for Uplifting Mood: Suffering
Myrtle
It’s like a blanket being wrapped around you.
The tertiary emotions deriving from suffering are agony, hurt, and anguish.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Agony
Valerian
Feels numbing
Melissa
Uplifts, helps distance you from the issue and be in the moment.
Black Pepper
Warms and numbs. Helps you to look to your own plan instead of worrying about everyone else.
Copaiba
Heart centered. Wonderful for both emotional and spiritual pain.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Hurt
Valerian
Numbs feelings
Rose Geranium
Makes troubles seem to drift away especially if you use it in the bath.
Rose Otto
Tonic for the heart.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Anguish
Neroli
Soft, comforting and cosseting.
The tertiary emotions of sadness are: depression, despair, hopelessness, gloom, glumness, sadness, unhappiness, grief, sorrow, woe, misery and melancholy.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Depression
Bergamot
Like sunshine on the darkest of days
Yuzu
Has a particular affinity for when marriage feels hard. Generally uplifting, though.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Despair
Melissa
Filled with hope, optimism and kindness
Lemon Grass
Acknowledges the dire circumstances, but then asks what if…opens your eyes to hidden possibilities
Galbanum
Knows its way around the dark places and the way to connect back to the light.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Hopelessness
Melissa
Feels kind. Filled with hope and optimism..
Sweet Orange
Positive outlook
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Gloom
Lemon
Happy, bright and level headed.
Sweet Orange
Smiles through the rain
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Glumness
Lemon
Happy, bright and level.
Sweet Orange
Upbeat and hopeful
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Unhappiness
There is a quietness to these oils. They feel like they are creeping around the quadrangle of a monastery, taking care, gently tending someone and waiting out the time it takes them to heal.
Geranium
Opens the heart space to allow the pain to leave. Lifts worries and burdens from the shoulders.
Violet leaf Absolute
Like the gentlest whisper. A kind of healing from the angels
Myrrh
A salve for the deepest wound
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Grief
Rose
The quintessential expression of love. Especially love that will not die.
Holy Basil
Recovery from shock, and the comforting embrace of the goddess Lakshmi and the body regains homeostasis and equilibrium.
Melissa
Coordinates helpful memory and softens the pain.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Sorrow
Vetiver
The heaviest blanket to hide under
Spikenard
An act of grace when all feels lost.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Woe
Mandarin
Lighter, brighter and able to string conversations effectively. Restores interest and color to one’s life.
Lemon
Stabilizes the mood, encouraging creativity to flow so one’s imagination and personality begins to stir again.
Petitgrain
A whisper of anticipation
Palma rosa
The power to cut the cord to the past
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Misery
Patchouli
Draws worries from the head and channels into useful practical energy. Calms frenetic panic in the body. Very grounding.
Spikenard
For fear, and the feeling that faith has deserted you
Cardamom
Allows you to sit and appraise how far you’ve come. Fells contented
Helichrysum
For the wound that will not heal
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Melancholy
Benzoin
Liberates one from despair and makes a wonderful base note in blends. It is too thick to use in electrical diffusers however
Citronella
Instills hope. There is something about oils high in citral that makes them feel positive and sanguine
Rose
Use it particularly for someone struggling with grief.
Angelica
Understands death
Sadness Secondary Emotions: Disappointment
The tertiary emotions that derive from disappointment are dismay, disappointment and displeasure.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood Disappointment
Cardamom
Helps you feel content with what has been achieved
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood Dismay & Displeasure
Sweet Orange
A smile in a bottle, when everything else feels wrong. It must be something about the sweetness that removes a bitter taste from your mouth.
Sadness Secondary Emotions Shame
The tertiary emotions that can arise from feeling shameful are: guilt, shame, regret, remorse, neglect, alienation, isolation, neglect, loneliness, rejection, homesickness, defeat, dejection, insecurity, embarrassment, humiliation and insult.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Guilt
Clove
For overly busy moms who can’t quite seem to get the balance right for the kids.
Myrrh
plays on the heart, but also sexuality. Helps mobilize forgiveness especially of oneself. Has a particular affinity with sexual abuse and incenst.
Rose
For affairs of the heart and illicit liaisons that don’t quite sit right.
Lemongrass
This oil always opens closed doors in the mind by asking “What if…?” What if it wasn’t your fault. What if you did the best you could do under the circumstances. What if there wasn’t any other way.
Roman Chamomile
For when you know something you wish you didn’t. Helps you feel more in control of the information and to be less controlled by the anguish of what you should do with it. “Whatever will be will be”
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood Regret
Roman Chamomile
Allows one to let go of the past. “It is, what it is”
Lemon
Brings a smile of fondness. Let sunshine and sweetness back into memories that have gone dark and sour.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Remorse
Hemp
Helps one see the other person’s perspective and to understand our own part in what went wrong. All cannabis medicines instill forgiveness from some dimension.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Neglect
Rose
Self love
Geranium
Generosity to one’s self
Angelica
A kiss from the angels to remind you that you are loved.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Alienation Isolation and Loneliness
Vetiver
Feels like being wrapped in a blanket
Monarda
Draws kindred spirits to you. Helps you explain so people understand
Lemon
allows clear communication and storytelling to engage others in your tale.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Rejection
Valerian
Helps numb the pain so you can hide under it
Rose
Keeps the heart open
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Homesickness
Hmmm, difficult one. This is best approached by scent association to a person or place. For a Hungarian, maybe Paprika, Eucalyptus for an Aussie and Fish and chips for a Brit.
Perhaps forest oils…Create a fragrant profile that recreates, rather than diminishes. Alternatively use the selections for loneliness.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Defeat
Helichrysum
Seems to slide down a hospital wall to sit beside the person whose news has just been so bad their knees have given way under them. Helichrysum is gritty. It realizes that some things you never come back from. They change you. But it wants to see you take the medicine and turn it into gold. You will get through this.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Dejection
All the citrus oils
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Insecurity
Lavender
To soothe
Valerian
To pacify runaway fears
Spikenard
For overwhelming terror
Roman Chamomile
To balance: Whatever will be will be. Trusting in normality again.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Embarrassment
Mandarin
Very light. Helps one to laugh at oneself
Jasmine Absolute
For sexual embarrasment
Patchouli
Moves the energy out of the head into the body
Spearmint
Helps to process trauma from the past.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Humiliation
Valerian
Helps to numb and sleep till the shock passes
Ylang ylang
Makes you feel lighter and more confident. Very sassy cougar kind of energy. So he betrayed me. I’ll show him. Elegant and refined.
Grapefruit
Seems to dance the CanCan and show her knickers (If indeed she has any!) very much an “F**k U” kind of attitude.
Sweet Basil
Demands that you get out of your head and get on with things. An extremely cruel to be kind energy, like a very efficient short sharp kick up the ass!
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Insult
Melissa
A specific choice for insult and misunderstandings. Especially for careers of people who have violent outbursts because of dementia. Melissa (Melissa officinalis) has a deep understanding of confusion.
Essential Oils To Invoke Sympathy
Hemp
Helps one to see another person’s point of view
The tertiary emotion of sympathy is pity, although I am not sure how one would work with that aromatherapeutically.
Fear
Spikenard
The most powerful fear ally there is. Helps one have faith
Valerian
Works on similar physiological receptors as benzodiazepines do. Valerian numbs and distances you from the fear.
Cumulatively though, most base notes like Vetiver, Myrrh, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Patchouli and Benzoin bring energy down from the head to the body helping to ground you.
The Secondary Emotions of Fear are Horror and Nervousness.
Horror
Spikenard
The fear that makes you look like a terrified cat.
Angelica
Calls upon the angels for support. Understands death
Amber
Not strictly an essential oil, but amber is wonderful for lifting trauma
I would be remiss if I did not suggest Bach Flower remedies, in particular Rescue Remedy here. Nothing else comes close in those immediate moments after a shock.
The tertiary emotions that arise from being horrified are alarm, shock, fear, fright, horror, terror, panic, hysteria and mortification.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Alarm
Sandalwood
Pacifying and grounding
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Shock
Valerian
Numbs and distances
Vetiver
Smothers and warms under a safe blanket
Patchouli
Grounds, warms and holds,
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Fear
Spikenard
Restores faith in normality, or that one can cope with whatever is ahead, regardless of how awful.
Lavender
Gently soothing and relaxing for “everyday fear”. By that I mean recurrent as opposed to your normal run of the mill…
Vetiver
Grounding and tranquilizing.
Geranium
Specifically if the shock and fear comes from financial problems.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Fright and Terror
Again, Spikenard
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Panic and Hysteria
Frankincense
Slows the breath
Valerian
Distances and slows. Numbs the edges of the fear
Lavender
Calms and soothes
Roman Chamomile
Whatever will be, will be
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood Mortification
Helichrysum
For the scenes that there is no coming back from what has been seen. (Specific for serving veterans with PTSD)
Also, any kind of flower oil tends to warm and restore beauty and connection.
Essential Oils To Relieve: Nervousness
Lavender
Relaxing and soothing
Camomile
Whatever will be, will be.
Geranium
Pacifying, happy and confident
Violet Leaf Absolute
Very gentle. Suits very timid or overly sensitive types. Almost seems to whisper.
The tertiary emotions that arise over time from feeling nervous are: anxiety, nervousness, tenseness, uneasiness, apprehension, worry, distress & dread.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Anxiety
Lavender
Relaxing and soothing
Geranium
Lefts tension away.
Chamomile
Releases the grip on trying to control. Whatever will be, will be.
Frankincense
Slows the breath. Deeply soothing and pacifying.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood & RelievingTenseness
Juniper
Releases muscle tension
Black Pepper
Helps one to look forward for their own path
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Uneasiness
Lemon
Settles the mood
Neroli
Lightens and distances from worry
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Apprehension
Camphor
Useful if someone has overwhelming fears that someone might hurt them.
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Worry
Neroli
Soft, calming and positive
Cedarwood
Clears unwanted thoughts
Birch
Helps you see the truth in a situation
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Distress
Vetiver
Grounding and centering
Frankincense
Slows the breath. Particularly helpful if you feel powerless.
Ylang Ylang
Restorative
Valerian
Numbs and distances
Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Dread
Geranium
Lifts cares from your shoulders (especially about finances)
Thyme
Helps you face fears bravely
Marjoram
Helps you to have confidence you can make the right decision.
Essential Oils for uplifting mood are deceptively simple to use. Essential oils have a cumulative effect, so even if you don’t feel effects straight away, please persist. Over the period of a month most people find they have come a very long way in their healing journey. I hope you find that too.
