17 of the Best Essential Oils for Military Life

I was given product to write this post. All opinions are my own and should not be construed as medical advice or claims. I am not a doctor or a professional in the medical/health field.  This is a post for entertainment purposes only. For information about essential oils, their properties, and their effects, please speak to your doctor.

I couldn’t breathe last Thanksgiving. Over last October and November, I had noticed my capacity to breathe was slowly diminishing. I was sure that I had walking pneumonia… or something like that. Still, I avoided going to the doctor. Stupid, totally stupid, I know. Secretly, I was terrified of what they might find.

But when I found myself on Thanksgiving, barely able to draw a breath without gasping for air, feeling like I was drowning, I knew I had painted myself into a corner.

I was diagnosed with a panic disorder. According to my doctor, I’d probably always experienced the anxiety and panic in some way; it was just manifesting itself now with symptoms I couldn’t ignore. But I’d always thought I was a healthy person. I took it really hard. I was really embarrassed for reasons I’m still trying to figure out myself.

I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything (including taking medication) that I could to alleviate my symptoms (which are sometimes incredibly distracting and consuming), so I asked my friends who also dealt with similar issues what they did. Yoga (I crossed it off my list immediately since it actually stresses me out… weird, right?), regular exercise, meditation… and essential oils.

I’d never used essential oils before, so I gave them an honest, wholehearted try. The use of essential oils has made our home a brighter, more welcoming place (and it smells much nicer too), which is awesome since I work (and live!) there full-time.

I know I’m not the only military spouse out there who is thinking about essential oils, so I thought it would be fun to round up some lovely smelling oils, perfect for situations that we find ourselves in.

For when you’re PCSing…

Purification

I use this oil the most in our house. It works to eliminate odors and gives our apartment a fresh smell when I diffuse it. It’s perfect for making a new home after a PCS feel and smell like home and not just like someone else’s house.

Lemon

Diffuse lemon for a light, clean smell. It’s perfect for when you’re showing a home. Lemon (and any citrus essential oils) also helps to brighten moods which is a good thing– especially when you want someone to buy your house!

For when you’re stressed or sad…

Stress Away

Like the title suggests, Stress Away’s main purpose is to help to reduce feelings of stress. Happen to know any stressed out military spouses? Yeah, me neither. (Okay, okay, guilty as charged.)

Peace and Calming

While you can diffuse this essential oil to help create emotional well-being and peace, it can also be used in a stressful situation to immediately help to bring about more balanced feelings of calmness. Just apply to the bottoms of your feet, back of your neck, and breathe deeply to calm yourself.

Orange

Orange not only smells delicious (you might end up salivating all day), but it’s used to help ease stress and frustration during tense situations.

And a Whole Bunch More

For deployment…

Peppermint

Every experience deployment brain? (I hope I’m not the only one… I was a mess!) If your brain feels foggy or unclear, use one drop of peppermint on your tongue, hold your tongue to the roof of your mouth, and breathe deeply to help clear and sharpen your mind.

Joy

Joy helps to lift moods and ease emotions. It’s perfect for the time before and during deployment. It also enhances feelings of romance and togetherness, so it’s great for homecoming too.

Ylang Ylang

During John’s deployment, I had massive issues with sleep. Either I would sleep forever (it is the horizontal time machine after all) or I couldn’t sleep at all. Some of it was anxiety and stress. Some of it was because I was up at weird hours trying to catch John on gchat or Skype. It takes a toll. If you have difficulty sleeping and you can’t stand the smell of lavender (guilty as charged), ylang ylang is a perfect alternative. People use it to help with sleeping problems and tension.

Frankincense

If you didn’t have a chance to sleep well last night (I guess you ran out of ylang ylang!), use frankincense in the morning to help combat fatigue and perk yourself up.