3 Essential Oil Blends to Support Your Writing Practice
Have you ever smelled a beloved family recipe and found yourself transported to a specific time and place? Or perhaps you’ve walked through a flower garden and experienced a mood boost from the plants’ intoxicating fragrances? Maybe you’ve walked in the woods and instantly felt at ease by the smell of pine trees wafting through the air.
Scent is extremely powerful due to its unique ability to alter one’s mental state. In fact, this sense is directly connected to your limbic system, a part of the brain that plays a pivotal role in emotion and behavior. As a poet, take advantage of this natural link by using essential oil blends to support your writing practice. If you’re skeptical about the efficacy of essential oils, consider both modern researchers exploring this topic as well as the many cultures that have used these substances for centuries. Whether you diffuse or create rollers, oils can help your creative process by encouraging feelings of calm, supporting focus, and sparking inspiration.
To encourage feelings of calm—blend lavender, patchouli, and frankincense
Entering a calm state can help you write poetry by opening the mind and allowing creativity to flow through. To find a sense of calm, combine lavender, patchouli, and frankincense for a relaxing blend. Lavender’s versatility has garnered the oil’s nickname, “the Swiss army knife of oils.” Not only does lavender support skin and sleep, but the popular flower’s soothing aroma also helps reduce feelings of anxiety. Patchouli, which might conjure visions of 1960s hippie culture, similarly encourages calmness. Add frankincense for an even deeper sense of relaxation. If you want to incorporate meditation into your creative process, increase the amount of frankincense—an oil that enhances spiritual experiences—to your blend.
To support focus—blend peppermint, lemon, and basil
As you write, you might find yourself deterred by external or internal distractions. If you’re writing in a bustling environment or you’re struggling to quiet your mind, create an essential oil blend of peppermint, lemon, and basil to help you focus. A whiff of invigorating peppermint can quickly awaken your senses, helping you focus on your writing. Adding drops of joyful lemon and earthy basil, two oils that also support attentiveness, makes for a dynamic focus blend to diffuse or roll.
To reconnect with memories—personalize!
Memories can serve as material for your work, and writing from a place of personal experience can create poignant, relatable poetry. To help you reconnect with memories you’re inspired by, choose a few nostalgic smells you associate with specific moments or traditions: cinnamon for beloved desserts, citrus oils to represent summer beach days, or tree oils that hearken to time spent in the outdoors.
As you create your own or purchase pre-made blends, research the company’s ingredient standards to experience the most beneficial impact for both your writing process and your health. Happy blending, and happy writing!
